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SUBIC BAY FREEPORT: The Subic Bay Metropolitan
Authority reported on Thursday that Hanjin Heavy Industries
Corp.-Philippines Inc. has started production of the first Subic-made
vessel by Hanjin.
According to the public relations
office of the SBMA, the first steel-cutting ceremony was held at the
newly built HHIC-PI shipyard at the Redondo Peninsula.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
Chairman Feliciano Salonga, SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, Trade
and Industry Secretary Peter Favila and Subic-Clark Alliance and
Development Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan were present at the
steel-cutting ceremony.
“In less than 14 months after
signing the memorandum of agreement for the construction of the
shipyard, this morning we will be witnessing the ceremonial switch
on of the first steel-cutting machine, which will formally begin the
steel-cutting process for the very first vessel they will produce
here,” Arreza said in a statement given to the local press.
Hanjin has already six vessels
lined up for production, which can handle 4,300 TEUs per container
ship to be delivered to Diorxy Maritime Corp. in Greece by 2009; and
another six more for NSC Schiffartsgelhaft of Germany.
Favila also said that some 4,000
people have been already employed during the preoperation and
construction phase. This will also create indirect employment for
some 20,000 to 30,000 and will bring close to $2- to $3.5-billion
worth of export industries.
 --Anthony
Bayarong
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