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Tuesday, August 16, 2005
RP to top in shipbuilding
Cebu’s shipbuilding industry is aiming to make the Philippines the fourth largest shipbuilding nation in the world in the next five to 10 years.
Roberto Aboitiz, president of FBMA Babcock Marine Inc., said the company and its business partner, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu) Inc. or THI, located in the municipality of Balamban, have already exported $1.28 billion (about P71 billion) worth of ships since 1994, making it the third largest exporter in Central Visayas.
THI accounted for P67 billion of this figure, and FBMA, P4 billion.
Forum
In his presentation on the outlook for the shipbuilding industry during the Sun.Star Economic Forum 2005 last week, Aboitiz said the industry needs to aim for product and service excellence, while the government should encourage more investors so the country can achieve its goal of becoming a major player in shipbuilding.
Aboitiz warned that the political crisis in the country is affecting the achievement of this goal. He urged the leadership to unite, aside from implementing the needed policies.
“The Philippines is not a serious country. That is the projection. We seem to have everything, but we don’t have alignment of purpose,” Aboitiz lamented.
However, with a good management style matched with capital, technology, a global market and its human resource, the industry was able to move forward.
Aboitiz hoped there could be more stories, like the achievements of THI and FBMA, in the country.
THI, where one ship is built every 42 days, is now on the second phase of its expansion, producing 100,000-deadweight-ton ships. Aboitiz said it aims to make pure truck and car carriers by 2006.
According to National Economic and Development Authority 7 officer-in-charge Sandra Manuel, from the production of 30 bulk carriers from 1997 to 2002 and another 14 bulk carriers worth $233 million from 2003 to 2004, THI is aiming to finish 20 bulk carriers worth P550 million this year until 2006. (CYR)
(August 16, 2005 issue)
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