SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was recognized for its excellent performance in the 2024 Quarterly Survey of the Philippine Business and Industry (QSPBI) conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño accepted the award for 1st Place in Overall Performance from PSA Zambales Chief Statistical Specialist Norman Bundalian during the flag-raising ceremony at the SBMA Administration Building on January 19.
Aside from the trophy for 1st place in overall performance, the SBMA also received certificates of recognition for first place in timeliness, second place in quality, and appreciation for its valuable contribution to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the conduct of its establishment-based surveys.
The surveys generated essential statistics for economic planning and analysis, the PSA said.
Aliño said the awards accorded by the PSA indicated that the agency is on track with record-keeping and data management.
SBMA Planning and Development Office (PDO) acting manager Lilibeth S. Baza said the citation was given following the 2025 Provincial Stakeholders’/Respondents’ Forum on Establishment-Based Surveys held at the Subic Bay Travelers Hotel here on January 13.
Baza said that the survey is conducted by PSA to collect data on revenue, employment, and compensation for key Philippine industries that support national accounts, economic indicators, and monetary policies to help the government and businesses understand the dynamics of the country’s economic performance, which will be a basis for better planning and decision-making.
In the 2024 QSPBI, the Q1 2024 Business Expectations Survey (BES) findings showed optimism for hiring and expansion, especially in manufacturing, while later reports indicated rising capacity utilization by late 2024.
These surveys track key metrics such as employment, investment plans, and production, helping shape national economic policies, and are released periodically by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the PSA to complement overall economic growth figures.
Aliño disclosed that some of the 2024 Performance Highlights include the processing of ₱20.63 billion in new investments, a 107.17% increase from the previous year. The number of new investors rose to 159, up from 131 in 2023.
He added that the total workforce rose to 164,400 employees in 2024, reflecting a 4.8% increase. The manufacturing sector was a primary driver, growing from 21,433 workers in 2023 to 27,484 in 2024.
He also said that the SBMA reported total operating revenues of ₱1.706 billion for the full year 2024. The authority also turned over ₱1.465 billion in dividends to the national government based on its 2024 earnings.
Headline Zambales Online 