March 29, 2009

Subic Bay

I wasn't able to post a photo last Thursday because I went with my sister and nieces to Subic Bay, a couple of provinces north of Metro Manila. Subic is an excellent, natural harbor surrounded by hills covered with thick woods, and is located between the provinces of Bataan and Zambales. It used to be the location of the largest American naval base in the Pacific before the Philippine government asked the U.S. government to close it in 1991. Now, it is the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Aside from its obvious industrial and commercial use, Subic Bay is a popular weekend destination for Manila residents because of its eco-tourism theme parks, beaches and duty-free shopping. This is just a small portion of the bay. In the foreground is the old base's airport, now the Subic Bay International Airport, which was FedEx's Asia-Pacific hub before they closed it in February 2009 to transfer the operations to Guangzhou in Southern China.

Subic Bay

Urban or rural, natural or man-made, take a sightseeing tour of our world's diverse scenery!
Scenic Sunday

22 comments:

  1. LoisMarch 29, 2009 at 7:29 PM

    It's lovely Hilda. I love the mountains in the background!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cezar and LéiaMarch 29, 2009 at 7:44 PM

    Great shot Hilda! Congratulations!
    Very interesting to know about this place!Thanks!
    Léia :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ken MacMarch 30, 2009 at 12:04 AM

    In some old movies you can hear US sailors talking about Subic bay. It sure is pretty now!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ReenaMarch 30, 2009 at 12:17 AM

    hi! so, nag out of town ka pala ha...:)

    i'm not sure about the american naval base history, but i think the american's 75 year lease on the land expired in 1991. and the phil gov't chose not to "renew" the lease. hmmm.. i think this needs further research though. hehe. shucks, i was only 11 that time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. LowellMarch 30, 2009 at 1:22 AM

    That's a perfect photo, Hilda...I was too young for WWII, but I have some photos of the Navy base there during that time...some of them taken from the air...this picture looks very familiar.

    ReplyDelete
  6. abcMarch 30, 2009 at 3:50 AM

    It looks quite desolate now. Maybe they can turn it into a racing track or something useful :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. VPMarch 30, 2009 at 4:49 AM

    I knew Subic Bay only from movies, it seems strange to see that is a really beautiful place. Really "scenic"!

    ReplyDelete
  8. crocrodylMarch 30, 2009 at 4:53 AM

    It looks like a very nice place. Mountains and water is always a great mix:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tink *~*~*March 30, 2009 at 5:13 AM

    The hills look very mysterious in the mist. :)
    Tink *~*~*
    Getting ready for the Flower and Garden Festival

    ReplyDelete
  10. eLIZabeth FloydMarch 30, 2009 at 6:51 AM

    Very interesting background to this bay. Nice photo

    ReplyDelete
  11. Photo CacheMarch 30, 2009 at 10:10 AM

    Very nice shot of the bay. I have not been there yet.

    ReplyDelete
  12. skywindMarch 30, 2009 at 2:51 PM

    Subic Bay is a very beautiful Harbor.
    Health information
    Humor & Fun World

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousMarch 30, 2009 at 2:53 PM

    Great photo - it's those misty mountains in the distance that are the best bit!

    Thanks for stopping by earlier and for your kind comment :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. TameraMarch 30, 2009 at 3:11 PM

    I have many fond memories of Subic! We went there all the time! Thanks for posting this :o)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jane Hards PhotographyMarch 30, 2009 at 3:29 PM

    Interesting to see how many have heard of this place. It is a smaller world than we imagine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. HildaMarch 30, 2009 at 6:53 PM

    Reena:
    You are so much younger than me then because I remember Subic when it was still an American naval base. Got to go to Olongapo on a weekend when the sailors were on furlough — both exciting and scary! Lots of good-looking men, especially the Latinos ;)

    Jacob:
    You were here? When and for how long? Now I want to interview you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. escapeMarch 30, 2009 at 9:28 PM

    the airport there is perfect for drag racing and go carts.

    ReplyDelete
  18. GeorgeMarch 30, 2009 at 10:04 PM

    Thanks for sharing Subic Bay with us. It was good to get an update on what has become of the area since the base closed.

    ReplyDelete
  19. gogouciMarch 31, 2009 at 10:46 AM

    Beautiful horizon.

    ReplyDelete
  20. JaamZINMarch 31, 2009 at 1:20 PM

    ohh so this is an airport. For the first sight I thought it was a place for car racing:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Les BarrApril 16, 2009 at 9:51 PM

    For the first time in over 40 yrs, I have now gotten a glimpse back in time. I was in Subic Bay while in the US Navy a number of times. I remember a city there called Olongopo city? A very dirty place. Now, all that is probably gone. Was also in Manila, but allot has changed since then.

    Nice to see and meet you. Stay well over there.

    Vietnam Vet - USS Carpenter DD-825

    ReplyDelete
  22. Les BarrApril 17, 2009 at 4:30 AM

    An up-date -

    I forgot to say that while over in Subic Bay, I also got the chance to see the Memorial that is just outside Manila that has many of the people that were killed during WWII. It's a real beautiful Cemetery. I do have some pictures that exist to this day of the place.

    While in Subic Bay, I enjoyed being there. It was the first time in my Life that I had visited a different Country. I started to realize that there is a whole wide world out there.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and letting me know!