MANILA — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority expects more workers to be hired in the freeport as big locators gear up to further expand their operations. 

SBMA Administrator Eduardo Aliño in a televised briefing on Thursday said that the current number of workers employed in the SBMA already increased from 157,000 to 164,000 from 2023 to 2024

“May mga kumpanya pa na nag-eexpand at nagdadagdag ng trabahador kaya inaanticipate ko hopefully, sana yung dagdag na yun ay 7,000 pa or more which is a possibility,” the official said.

Aliño noted that Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipbuilder which currently operates inside SBMA had earlier indicated that they plan to hire as many as 15,000 workers.

“Ang pangako nila sila ay magha-hire ng as high as 15,000 workers. Nakapag-hire na yata sila ngayon ng 1,000. Therefore, we are still looking at, in the next 3-5 years, from 1,000 to 15,000,” he said.

Meanwhile, Japanese firm Sanyo Denki is also planning to further expand its operations, planning to add at least 1,500 more workers, he said. Another Japanese firm, Nidec Corporation, is planning to hire another 1,000 workers as well, he said.

To support the growing number of workers inside SBMA, Aliño said they have inked an agreement with the Department of Human Settlements and Development for the construction of low-cost housing within the freeport, under the government’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program.