Em Esber Blog 2: August 2013

Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometres (62 n. miles) northwest of Manila Bay. It is an extension of the West Philippine Sea, and its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility name named US Naval Base Subic Bay, it is now the location of an industrial and commercial area known as the Subic Bay Freeport Zone under the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

The bay was long recognized for its deep and protected waters, but development was slow due to lack of level terrain around the bay.

History

In 1542, Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo sailed into Subic Bay but no port developed there because the main Spanish naval base would be established in the nearby Manila Bay. When the British captured this base in 1862, the Spanish were forced to find an alternated location and Subic Bay was found to be a strategic and superb port location. In 1884, King Alfonsi XII of Spain decreed that Subic was to become "a naval port and the property appertaining thereto set aside for naval purposes,.

In 1899 during the Philippine-American War, the Americans captured the Spanish base and controlled the bay until 1991. During this period, the naval facilities were greatly built up and expanded, including a new naval air station (Naval Air Station Cubi Point) that was built in the early 1950s by leveling a mountain in half and moving soil to reclaime a part of Subic Bay. In 1979, the area under American control was reduced from 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) to 6,300 hectares (16,000 acres) when the Philippines claimed sovereign rule over the base.

Following the destruction of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption, the Americans closed the base, and the area was transformed into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subic_Bay_(Philippines)

A US Coast Guard chart of Subic Bay - 1902

Below were photos of around Subic Bay taken on different dates of July and August 2013

At Subic anchorage near Hanjin Shipyard.

HHIC Phil (Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation Philippines) was established in February 2006. In the same month, the first ship building contract was signed for 4 container ships. The construction of the shipyard was commenced in May 2006, in Redondo peninsula - on the northern edge of Subic Bay. The shipyard is located away from habitation. The first vessel "Argolikos" was delivered in July 2008 for the Greek ship owner Dioryx.^[1] As of April 2011, the shipyard had already delivered 20 ships. Currently, a wide variety of medium and large bulk carriers are being built at HHIC and smaller off shore projects like CALM buoys. The company's yard has two largest drydocks in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanjin_shipyard_Subic

View of Hanjin Shipyard and vicinity on 13th August 2013

A Ferry Service running back and forth between Hanjin Shipyard

and Subic Coastal Terminal.

North part of Subic Bay

Northeast part of Subic Bay

SBMA

Rivera Wharf of SBMA

View of Kalaklan point and the north part of Subic Bay.

Rivera Wharf of SBMA

Bravo Wharf

Drydock

Pier 1

General Cargo Wharf

Coastal Marine Terminal

Boton Wharf located on the Inner harbor (northeast part of Subic Bay)

Subic International Airport

Grain silos with wharf

Subic International Container Port

View of the southeast part of Subic Bay, from the

Subic International Airport to Grande Island

Nabasan wharf located in the southeast part of Subic Bay near Triboa Bay.

Grande island located on east side of the entrance to Subic Bay

Grande Island - an island resort visited by local and foreign tourist.

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Youtube Videos of Subic