Subic, Zambales


Subic, officially the , is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
It is located along the northern coast of Subic Bay. Iba, the provincial capital of Subic is a fast-growing municipality and is expected to become a component city in the future, as well as increase in revenue. It is a former home of one of the largest US military facilities outside of the US mainland, the Subic Bay Naval Base.

Etymology

The native Zambales inhabitants called the area Hubek, which means "head of a plough"; Spanish missionary priests mispronounced the name as Subiq. By the time of the American Occupation, "Subiq" was mispronounced as Subig. Eventually, the name reverted to "Subiq", but the letter 'q' was replaced with letter 'c'.

History

In 1572, Juan de Salcedo, the Mexico-born Spanish conquistador and grandson of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, founded Zambales during his exploration of northern Luzon. Subic was founded in the late 1607 when Augustinian friars headed by Rev. Fr. Rodrigo de San Miguel, this we're started when the natives in Subic especially Negritos and Aetas was Christianized under the rule of Spain

Spanish period

In September 1762, the British invaded the Philippines and took over the Spanish main naval base in Manila Bay. This prompted the Spanish military to scout for the next promising naval station. The expedition returned with the good news for the naval command - a natural bounty and deep waters at Subic Bay. King Alfonso XII issued a decree in 1884 that declared Subic as "a naval port and the property appertaining there to set aside for naval purposes." Construction of an arsenal and ship repair yard ensued March 8 the following year, as ordered by the new settlers' Naval Commission. Subic Bay's potential as naval station was realized by the Americans. Commodore George Dewey and his men engaged in a battle that destroyed the Spanish Army in 1898, and the Americans took over Subic Bay on December 10, 1899.

American period

In 1902, Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, Commander of the Asiatic Stations, directed 200 Marines for an expeditionary force for the first U.S. fleet exercise in Asian waters. Guns were erected on Grande Island and Admiral Evans laid plans for emergency repairs of the station at Subic Bay, but was denied assistance by the U.S. Five years later, the U.S. Congress finally appropriated funds for a full-scale Subic Bay Naval Reservation. Words from then President Theodore Roosevelt goes: "If we are to exert the slightest influence in Western Asia, it is of the highest importance that we have a naval station in boto
Bay." Subic Bay is now on the rise of being one of the best training areas in the Corps. But with the U.S., and Japan tension heating up, appropriations for operation and maintenance of the base fell short. Hawaii came in the scene. Funding of the development of Pearl Harbor as US main station in the Pacific earned the thumbs up of the Congress. Subic took its ill fate, a promising harbor was left as a small repair station.

World War I

US was drawn into the war in Europe. Filipinos and Americans worked hand in hand to prepare the battleships for World War I. Workers at Subic Bay also overhauled 26 German ships that had been used to transport thousands of American troops to Europe. Likewise, this period gave way for different developments: Olongapo had a taste of some of its best years, the base was lined with trees and plants, and several recreational facilities were constructed.

World War II

The Japanese claimed Subic and Olongapo on January 10, 1942. Days after the Pearl Harbor attack, bringing with them the devastation of World War II. Many Filipinos and Americans were killed, several buildings were destroyed, seven seaplanes were sunk, and lines of telephones and telegraphs were sabotaged. The Marines were ordered to withdraw into Bataan then soon to Corregidor, burning all buildings left standing after the Japanese attack. Filipinos torched all the wars ruins in Olongapo. Filipinos were subjected to the cruelty of the Japanese for three years, after which the Americans made a forceful rebound and reoccupied the base on January 29, 1945.
The Marine station underwent massive reconstruction and was again ready for naval endeavors on September 26, 1945. Shortly after the marines resumed their duties, the Tydings-McDuffie Law set provision for Philippine independence and was granted on July 4, 1946. Nonetheless, the US maintained that it would still retain the country's military bases. The Philippines, acknowledging its frailty in the Cold War, entered into the RP-US Military Bases Agreement on March 14, 1947. The US was granted the right to retain sixteen military bases and to administrate the town of Olongapo. Several significant urbanization projects were orchestrated, but the most challenging was as gigantic as displacing half the part of a 1,200-foot mountain, that needed around 20 million man-hours, and required five years of labor. The exceptional air station and pier construction of the Seabees was the highlight of 1956 in Subic Bay. Another accomplishment at the height of the cold war was ammunition bunkers and buildings that occupied over 12,400 acres of the Southwestern part of Subic Bay. Set in the tropical rainforest, ammunition and ordnance from these facilities played a big role in the Vietnam War and in the Gulf War of 1991.
The original 1947 military pact between the Philippines and the US has been amended. The year 1979 witnessed a turning point for both countries. Philippines claimed a sovereign rule over the base and the US area of responsibility was reduced from 24,000 hectares to 6,300 hectares. What followed was a series of events that would change the course of Subic Bay forever. On June 15, 1991, volcanic ashes and debris rained over the base, devastating Subic Bay and neighboring provinces. Mt. Pinatubo's fury has left the US Navy and Air Force no option but to evacuate all their dependents. When Pinatubo's rage came to a halt, and American and Filipino personnel restored the base, bringing it back to business in no time. Uncertainty continued hovering the Philippine Senate with regard to the termination of the 1947 treaty. Months-long discussions were held; parliamentary proceedings were organized; and a pro-bases rally was staged, but to no avail. September 16, 1991 surfaced a conclusion, the US had to withdraw its forces and equipment from Clark and Subic, having received the rejection of 12 senators on the earlier proposed new treaty. The lowering of the Stars and Stripes followed suit. The Navy bid farewell to America's nine decades of military presence on Philippine soil.

Post-Cold War

Surprisingly the departure of the Americans did not spell doom. Subic has since been transformed and became a model for bases conversion into commercial use after the Cold War with blue chip companies like Coastal Petroleum, Enron and FedEx pumping in over $3 billion of investments creating 70,000 jobs in the free port's first four years. It was host to the 4th APEC Leaders' Summit on November 24, 1996 and FedEx's Asia-Pacific hub, Asia-One, was also located in Subic Bay for almost ten years.
In addition to commercial use, Subic Bay is also a popular destination for weekend visitors from Metro Manila. Attractions include several beaches, an underwater aquarium, jungle survival tours, racing and duty-free shopping centers. Both Subic Bay Freeport and the municipality itself sustain major improvement and continuing its growth as of today.

Climate

Local Government

Barangays

Subic is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.
BarangaysPopulation
Aningway Sacatihan4,440
Asinan Poblacion883
Asinan Proper6,335
Baraca-Camachile 2,805
Batiawan1,015
Calapacuan13,570
Calapandayan 9,698
Cawag11,979
Ilwas 3,179
Mangan-Vaca8,068
Matain7,777
Naugsol2,046
Pamatawan3,817
San Isidro6,741
Santo Tomas5,504
Wawandue 1,867

Mayors

This is the complete list of municipal leaders such as Mayor, and Presidente Municipal since it was become municipality since 1902.
NameTermPosition
Placido dela Paz1902 – 1904Presidente Municipal
Salustiano Ponco1905 – 1908Presidente Municipal
Nicetas Lesaca1908 – 1910Presidente Municipal
Jorge Salang1911 – 1913Presidente Municipal
Jose Orozco Sr.1914 – 1916Presidente Municipal
Juan Juico1917 – 1919Presidente Municipal
Esteban Felicitas1920-1922Municipal Mayor
Pedro del Rosario1920-1922Municipal Mayor
Alfredo de Perio Sr.1923 – 1931Municipal Mayor
Numeriano Flores1932 – 1940Municipal Mayor
Cecilio Esteban1941 – 1943Municipal Mayor
Severino Salang1944-1946Municipal Mayor
Alfredo de Perio Jr.1944-1946Municipal Mayor
Leopoldo Lauzares1947 – 1948Municipal Mayor
Jose de Perio Sr.1948 – 1951Municipal Mayor
Alfredo Afable1952 – 1955Municipal Mayor
Cecilio Panaligan1956 – November 1959Municipal Mayor
Dangal GuevarraJune 30, 1960 – 1986Municipal Mayor
Manuel M. Molina Jr.1986OIC Municipal Mayor
Segundino Sandoval1986OIC Municipal Mayor
Manuel M. Molina Jr.1986 – June 30, 1998Municipal Mayor
Enrique F. Delgado1998Municipal Mayor
Leonardo Guevarra Jr.1998 – June 30, 2001Municipal Mayor
Jeffrey D. KhonghunJune 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010Municipal Mayor
Jefferson F. KhonghunJune 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019Municipal Mayor
Jonathan John F. KhonghunJune 30, 2019 – presentMunicipal Mayor

Demographics

In the, the population of Subic was people, with a density of.

Education

High School

;Private
;Public
Most of Private schools are operated by Catholic Institution except for colleges.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airport

The nearest airport is the Subic Bay International Airport situated south of the town proper.

Seaport

The Port of Subic is the nearest seaport in Subic. The Port is operated and managed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. It covers the fenced area of the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay located in the south-west of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Local fish port is also present at the coastal waters and some are in beach side.

Roads

The primary road that connects Subic to the other parts of the town is the Olongapo-Bugallon Road. Most of the names of those streets are based on the surnames of prominent residents or names of plants. Most of the roads in Subic are made of concrete and asphalt while others are still dirts.
Diversion Road like Govic Highway are also commonly used by motorist from Barangay Matain to Barangay Manggahan. The purpose of this road is to lessen the traffic at the town proper and used by trucks especially going north of Castillejos and vice versa.
Another main road is the Philseco Road that ends from Barangay Asinan Proper down to Keppel Subic Shipyard. And Govic Highway Extension that ends from Castillejos down to Hanjin Shipyard which they exclusively used.

Public Utilities

Electricity

Electricity services were provided by the cooperative-run Zambales II Electric Cooperative, Inc. which covers its Franchise Areas from Subic all the way to Cabangan since 1972.

Water

Water services are provided by .