Marina: DavSur has potential in shipbuilding

By Cheneen R. Capon
DAVAO del Sur has huge potential to excel in the shipbuilding industry in this part of Mindanao, an official from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said.
“We are promoting areas suitable for shipbuilding like Sta. Maria and other parts of Davao del Sur to shipbuilding investors,” Marina 11 director Felisa Orongan said during last Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Annex.
Orongan is hopeful that investors would be able to consider the huge potential of Davao del Sur as an investment area for the multi-billion shipbuilding industry.
“We are promoting that industry because as we all know, Philippines is the number 4 in ship building country in the world. Although the disparity between the Philippines and the third in the list is huge, our standing in this specific industry is still significant,” she said.
Marina 11, Orongan said, is just waiting for the formal letter of intent from Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc.(THICI) which could expand its shipyard here.
“Cebu, where their operation is located, is already saturated. I told them during the recent shipbuilding seminar that if the company really wants to expand their yard, the Davao region has space and potential,” she said.
Based on the official website of the province of Davao del Sur, a shipbuilding company is interested in investing $1.15 billion for a construction of a shipyear and ship building operation in Malalag and Tubalan Cove, Malita.
Earlier, Davao del Sur governor Claude Bautista said two foreign-based ship building companies expressed interest on expanding operation on his area.
However, Orongan said her office has not received any formal letter of intent from any investors from this industry.
Bautista said Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation Philippines (HHIC Phil.), a South Korean shipyard, will be expanding its ship building capabilities in the Philippines. Hanjin will start its expansion works next year in Davao del Sur.
“It is part of the company’s expansion process overseas,” Bautista told Edge Davao.
HHIC Phil will put up a shipyard in a 272 hectares industrial park in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. Along with the Korean shipbuilder, a Japanese shipbuilder is also eyeing to put up a yard in Malita, Davao del Sur.
Baustista estimated that the operation of the two companies would employ 40,000 workers.