Despite confirmation of DOH Secretary Francisco Duque that safety protocols are in place at the port of Subic, still SBMA Chair and Administrator, Atty Wilma Eisma placed the Port of Subic on heightened alert as part of measures against 2019 novel corona virus.
Administrator Eisma said in her statement that since Subic is an emerging cruise destination in Southeast Asia, she expects an adverse effect by this on-going health emergency, with cruise lines that frequent Subic like Costa Crociere, Royal Carribean and Genting have reportedly suspended cruise operations in mainland China and accordingly have a huge drop in passenger bookings from the usual 4,000 to just 800 passengers.
Meanwhile, Dr. Joseph Macaraeg, Chief of the Subic Quarantine Station said that safety protocols are in place as a matter of procedure, adding that medical quarantine officers are already on board the cruise ship from the last port departure before they arrive.
SBMA employees and people from Subic and Olongapo quipped that they know how hard SBMA have worked to make Subic a World Cruise ship destination which provide income to restaurants, food chains, transports, mall and even a lot of vendors but since, there’s a health risk and lives of the people are at stake, they support the measures of SBMA Chair Wilma on the heightened alert and maybe a temporary ban on cruise ship operations.
