Thursday, March 01, 2007
Shipbuilding firm mulls expansion in Balamban
By Malou M. Mozo
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
IN its thrust to put the Philippines on the map as a world-class builder of sea vessels, the construction and shipbuilding arms of the Aboitiz Group of Companies are planning to expand the capacity of the company’s shipbuilding facility in Balamban, Cebu.
Roberto Aboitiz, Metaphil Inc. chairman and chief executive officer, said Metaphil and Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Cebu Inc. (THICI) will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the expansion of the THICI shipyard, to enable it to build ships with 180,000 deadweight tons (DWT).
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THICI, a partnership of Tsuneishi Group of Japan and Aboitiz Group, has the capability of building ships of up to 80,000 DWT.
It has built more than 46 bulk carriers in Balamban. Bulk carriers are ships that carry heavy materials such as copper, gold, coal, iron and cement.
Aboitiz said by increasing the capability of THICI to build 180,000 DWT ships, it would be more competitive in the international market, and “put Cebu and the Philippines on the map.”
According to Aboitiz, a total of $200 million will be spent for the shipyard’s expansion, which he said will begin after the MOA is signed.
The expansion is expected to create more employment in the western part of Cebu, where Aboitiz said an estimated 3,000 individuals —such as welders, fitters and bosun, among others — will be hired.
He said THICI currently employs about 4,000 Filipinos.
Earlier, Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay said developments made by THICI have made the town “one of the booming municipalities in the province.”
Binghay said some residents in Balamban who have migrated to other industrial centers, such as Cebu, for employment, have gone back to their hometown because of employment opportunities created by the shipbuilding industry there.
The local government has required large companies, such as FBMA Marine Inc. and THICI, to allot 70 percent of their employment requirements to Balamban residents.
Aboitiz wholly-owned FBMA, a fastcraft manufacturing company, is one of the heavy industries operating at the West Cebu Industrial Park (WCIP) in Balamban.
Binghay said the town could still accommodate medium to heavy industries inside the WCIP, a special economic zone that grants incentives to new locators and pioneering ventures, such as metal fabrication for industrial purposes, production of construction materials, cement manufacturing, agro-processing, assembly of machinery or consumer products and power generation, among others.
THICI, which started operations in 1994, aims to be among the world’s top three shipbuilding companies by the year 2010.
Metaphil, on the other hand, was established in 1978. It is involved in steel fabrication, construction, engineering, design and procurement services.
The company’s plant located in Tipolo, Mandaue City has close to 3,000 workers. (MMM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 1, 2007 issue)
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