page_title: Olongapo
section_title: Present-day Olongapo
hierarchical_section_title: Olongapo / History / Present-day Olongapo
caption_attribution_description: U.S. Marines raise the American flag as their Philippine counterparts raise their ensign during morning colors at the start of the base deactivation ceremony for Naval Station, Subic Bay. U.S. Naval personnel are relinquishing control of both Subic Bay and Naval Air Station, Cubi Point, to the Philippine government and Subic Bay will now be recognized as Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Headquarters.Location: NAVAL STATION, SUBIC BAY, LUZON PHILIPPINES (PHL)
context_page_description: Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Central Luzon, Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales but governed independently from the province, it has a population of 233,040 people according to the 2015 census.
  Along with the municipality of Subic, it comprises Metro Olongapo, one of the twelve metropolitan areas in the Philippines.
context_section_description: At present, Olongapo is currently headed by Mayor Rolen C. Paulino who broke the Gordon Dynasty in the city during the 2013 Local Election, succeeding the city's leadership from James Bong Gordon, Jr. the brother of Richard Gordon.
  Olongapo took the National headlines during the incumbency of Mayor Richard Gordon, who, Like his father before him, who was against the departure of the US military forces, lobbied for the turnover of the facility and its conversion into a freeport in 1992.
  To date, the renowned volunteerism strategy and overturning an ailing economy to prosperity after double disasters – Mt. Pinatubo's eruption and withdrawal of US Bases – is an unparalleled achievement. The People of Olongapo; men, women, and even young adults led by City Officials and its Mayor Richard "Dick" Gordon, boldly bolted into a strong corps of 8,000 volunteers who protected and preserved the abandoned US Naval Base facilities from poachers. He complemented this with an aggressive advocacy to convert the area into a protected area and industrial zone. Later, he launched an aggressive international investment promotion which resulted in the acceleration of the development of a prime industrial and tourism zone in the country, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ).
  As the first chartered city and highly urbanized city in its province, it rose from being a "sin city" in the 1960s and 1970s into a "model city" in the 1980s and 2000s.
  The city is known for its innovative methods of urban management in the 1980s when it comes to addressing crime and sanitation that has been said to be copied by local governments nationwide. The city pioneered the Color-coded transport system, Integrated Solid Waste Management System, Volunteerism, Organized vendors, elderly, youth and women's groups, use of slogans, People's Law Enforcement Board, Emergency Response Team, and international awards such as the UNESCO Cities for Peace representing Asia and the Pacific in 1997 and the Konrad Adenauer Local Medal of Excellence in 1999. The city has also been awarded as a GAWAD KALASAG Hall of Famer for its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), DRRMO was eventually awarded as a Presidential Lingkod Bayan Awardee in 2013. The city has been known for being recognized as a Child Friendly and Business Friendly City, Olongapo is also a recipient of several awards for its outstanding performance for its local health programs, best run City Hospital, National TESDA KABALIKAT Awardee (2016) for its Skills, Employment & Livelihood Programs and a two (2) time National Best Public Employment Service Office (PESO) for Highly Urbanized City category (2016 & 2017).
caption: The U.S. flag is lowered and Philippine flag is raised during turnover of Naval Station Subic Bay.
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