By Henry Empeño / November 5, 2026

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — A massive fire broke out at a manufacturing complex here on Wednesday night, November 4, gutting several factories located side by side at the Subic Gateway Park and keeping responding firefighters battling the blaze until the following morning.

The fire started around 10:45 p.m. at the factory of bag producer Philippines Jinboway Technology Ltd. Corp. and rapidly spread to neighboring facilities, sending night-shift workers scampering out for safety, witnesses said.

Firefighters from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Olongapo City and Subic, Zambales fought bravely to put out the fire but were stymied for hours by the growing inferno, said SBMA Corporate Communications Manager Armie Llamas.

“As of 2:35 a.m. on November 5, the fire at Jinboway had grown more intense, spreading to the row of buildings on the opposite side. Thick black smoke blanketed the area,” Llamas reported.

“The factory’s textile supplies and plastic materials may have largely contributed to the rapid spread of the flames,” she added.

Former Olongapo vice mayor Jong Cortez said the fire was still burning at 4:41 a.m., even as firefighters and volunteer fire brigades tried their best to control it.

By 5:00 a.m., November 5, the SBMA Fire Department had not yet officially declared the fire out. Drone footage uploaded on social media on Thursday morning still showed thick gray smoke coming from the burned factories.

SBMA’s Llamas said no casualties have been reported so far.

The factory fire came barely two months after Jinboway announced a $5-million expansion program to build four “smart” factories to increase production after seven years of operation in a 28,234-sqm facility at Phase II of the Subic Gateway Park.

Jinboway CEO Vicky Wei said the new facilities to be built on a 4.5-hectare property will focus on manufacturing sports and athletic goods, as well as electronic equipment.

The firm started as a small cut-and-sew bag manufacturer in Subic in 2019 and soon grew to employ 3,000 workers. The firm’s expansion program is expected to increase its workforce by another 1,000 workers. (30)

COVER PHOTO: Thick smoke continues to billow from the burned factories the following morning, November 5. (Tyrone Elizalde)