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REDONDO PENINSULA,
Subic, Zambales—South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy
Industries and Construction Corp. announced on Wednesday
the completion of the first phase of its $1.6-billion
project here, hastening its bid to carve in the rocky
hills of this peninsula a 2.3-million-sq-m global
shipbuilding base which is seven times bigger than its
original facility in Busan.
Hanjin
officials said Phase 1-1 of the
Subic shipyard project has been completed in just 19 months after
construction began early last year.
The
initial phase, said Hanjin chairman Nam Ho Cho, involved
the completion of key structures needed in ship
production. These include a dry-dock facility, hull-shop
buildings, a four-story administration building, a
three-story production and design building, field
offices, catering center and a guest house.
On
Wednesday, as government officials invited to the
opening toured the facilities, workers were busy welding
parts that would soon form the superstructure of a
carrier—the first tanker to be built in the Philippines.
The tanker’s hull, almost halfway done, sat under
600-ton cranes that moved giant ship parts from the
steel-cutting building.
Vice
President Noli de Castro, the guest of honor in the
opening ceremony, cited Hanjin for its contribution in
putting the Philippines on the shipbuilding map and
invoked the mutually beneficial relations between the
Korean firm and the Philippine government.
“Aside
from kimchi and Koreanovellas,” the Vice President
remarked, “Filipinos should be thankful for yet another
Korean import—Hanjin’s technology and expertise of
constructing the biggest seagoing vessels in the world.”
The
firm, de Castro noted, has been involved in the
construction of highways, airports and bridges in the
Philippines
for the last 30 years, and by 2010 would be employing
some 20,000 workers.
“That is
why Hanjin has a good relationship with our government,”
he added.
“Congratulations on the completion of Phase 1-1 of the
Hanjin Subic shipyard, and I hope to see you again on
the opening of Phase 1-2,” he told Hanjin officials.
De
Castro also took time to talk to Filipino workers during
a tour of the facilities, prior to the formal opening
ceremony held at the Hanjin guest house—a simply
furnished yet elegant structure perched on a hill
overlooking the shipyard complex.
Among
those present in the occasion were South Korean
Ambassador Jong Ki Hong, Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan of
the Subic-Clark Area Development Council, Trade
Undersecretary Elmer Hernandez, Bataan Gov. Enrique
Garcia, Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon Jr., Subic
Mayor Jeffrey Khonghun, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
(SBMA) Chairman Feliciano Salonga, SBMA Administrator
Armand Arreza and Central Luzon Police Director Errol
Pan.
In the
same occasion, Hanjin’s Cho acknowledged “the noble
efforts by the Philippine government, especially SBMA
Chairman Salonga and SBMA Administrator Arreza, in
supporting the company’s business endeavors.”
In
response, Arreza said the SBMA, which has approved the
shipyard project only two years ago, “is very excited
that the Hanjin facility has been realized in such a
short time.”
“With
Hanjin’s additional $2 billion to build another shipyard
in Mindannao, I can assure you that the Philippine
government will continue its support to Hanjin’s noble
undertaking,” Arreza added.
For its
Subic project, Hanjin had initially earmarked a
$1-billion capitalization for a world-class shipbuilding
facility to produce some of the world’s largest sea
vessels, including liquefied natural gas supertankers,
very large crude carriers and container ships.
In June
this year Hanjin increased its investment by $684
million to cover costs for several ship orders it has
received. The company already has pending orders for 40
units of cargo vessels.
Industry
reports also indicated that Hanjin’s first order was for
two tankers, each weighing 75,000 to 100,000 deadweight
tons. The tankers, reportedly costing some $65.6 million
each, will carry crude oil within Europe and the Middle
East. |
