By Patrick Garcia
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) issued a notice of pre-termination to the Ocean Adventure theme park in Subic Bay for breach of contract last September 27.
Photo from Ocean Adventure Subic Bay Official Facebook page/ MANILA BULLETIN
According to SBMA chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma, the 2007 contract between the agency and the theme park's operator, Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. (SBMI), included the development of 100 hectares of the area being leased by SBMI but the firm allegedly did not follow the commitment of the contract.
"Kasama po sa contractual obligations na hindi nila sinunod ay ang development commitment, kung saan pinangako nila na ang almost 100 hectares should have been developed already by this time," Eisma said Wednesday.
Robert Ianne Gonzaga, SBMI's CEO and president, denied Eisma’s accusations and said that 20 hectares have already been developed.
"Sabi nila mayroon daw failure to develop. OK, pero kayo nga 'yung nagtatali ng kamay namin para 'di makapag-develop e," he said.
(They said there was failure to develop but they are the ones that tied our hands so we could not pursue it completely.)
The contract was supposed to run until 2057. However, if the parties fail to reach an agreement, SBMA will repossess all of SBMEI’s 493.16 hectares of undeveloped property after the 30-day reckoning period lapses and the park will be shut down in two years leaving almost 500 SBMI employees jobless.