Subic sees hefty income from 21st Ad Congress

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – The four-day 21st Philippine Advertising Congress (PAC), which will be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) on Nov. 18 to 20, can bring to the local economy an income ranging from P100 million to P120 million.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator and chief executive officer Armand C. Arreza said that income from the 21st PAC could reach as high as P120 million and expressed belief that with nearly 12,000 delegates and visitors coming to Subic, hotels, restaurant and other tourism-related facilities and businesses here, as well as the adjacent communities will benefit in terms of income generation.

The rest of the income, he said, would go to various industries like transportation, which would include vehicle rentals; food and beverage, including catering services; duty-free shops and other tourism establishments; as well as the services sector, including honoraria for event staff and volunteers.

The SBMA, on the other hand, will gain media mileage which will feature the Subic Bay Freeport as among one-stop tourism destinations in the country with the capability to host local and international events that require indoor and outdoor venues.

“It’s a big honor for the SBMA and the entire Subic Bay community to be hosting the 21st PAC. The convention fulfills our desire to bring back the Ad Congress to Subic, to help boost our tourism industry by promoting Subic Bay as a major tourist destination,” SBMA senior deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo told The STAR.

 “In 2007, we were given six months to prepare. This year, barely three weeks,” said Marcelo, noting the sudden shift of the congress venue from Baguio City to Subic because of the heavy typhoon damage sustained by roads leading to the summer capital.

Weeks before the holding of the 21st PAC is at the SBECC here on Nov. 18-21, hotels and housing units in the Subic Bay area have announced full booking for the four-day event.

From standard rooms that cost $30 a day to four-bedroom suites rented out at $250 per night, hotels and housing units in Subic have already been reserved by convention delegates, “With this huge turnout, we’re expecting a big spillover to hotels in Olongapo City and Subic, Zambales,” Marcelo added.  

Moreover, there will be the participants in the Araw Awards, which will serve as the culminating feature of the congress. Arreza said the awards night, which recognizes the best works in the advertising industry normally draws another set of attendees. 

“The 21st PAC will be an early Christmas present for Subic Bay, Olongapo City, and even the contiguous areas of Bataan and Zambales,” said Arreza.

He added that the SBECC, which enables the SBMA to host the attendance record-breaking 20th Phil. Ad Congress in 2007, is being prepped up and should be ready anytime next week. 

Meanwhile, according to Olongapo Metro Business Club (OMBC) president Bong Pineda, the city council has approved a resolution encouraging local business and tourism establishments to prepare for the four-day 21st PAC and to participate in a “weeklong, city-wide sale” organized for the congress. 

Anticipating a bigger delegation for this 21st PAC because of Subic’s proximity to Manila, PAC organizers have accredited even some hotels outside the free port.