SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines – Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd.-Philippines Inc. (HHIC-Phil) has achieved yet another milestone when it unveiled simultaneously its two newly built 205,000 DWT bulk carriers at its 300-hectare, state-of-the-art Subic shipyard recently.
The two vessels, RTM Dampier and RTM Zheng He, named after a British explorer and a Chinese navigator, respectively, were the third and fourth vessel purchased by shipping giant Rio Tinto Shipping Ltd. from the Korean shipbuilding giant.
Last August, Hanjin also delivered the M/V RTM Cartier, named after a French explorer, and the M/V Cook, a 204,000 deadweight metric ton bulk carrier, to Rio Tinto.
RTM Dampier and RTM Zheng He, whose homeport is London in the United Kingdom, measure 299.9 meters and valued at approximately $60 million each.
HHIC-Phil senior officials, Rio Tinto top executives and ranking officers of the classification society Lloyd’s Register witnessed the event, which was capped by rope cutting and champagne breaking rites.
In his speech, HHIC-Phil president Jin Kyu Ahn commended the mutual partnership between Hanjin and Rio Tinto that resulted in the successful and timely completion of the two vessels.
“This momentous occasion further affirms our Filipino workforce competitiveness in the global shipbuilding,” Jin said.
Tom Albanese, chief executive officer of Rio Tinto, lauded HHIC-Phil’s high-tech facilities and its excellent feat in shipbuilding within a short period of time that gainfully benefited his company.
Including these two new ships, HHIC-Phil has already delivered a total of 42 vessels ranging from containership ships, oil tankers to bulk carriers to various international shipping companies worldwide since the delivery of its first ever Subic-made vessel in 2008.
From 2008 to 2011, Hanjin generated P128 billion worth of export sales, making it a major contributor in the Philippines’ export portfolio.
To cushion the impact of the still depressed shipbuilding market triggered by world financial crisis on its core business, Hanjin will embark soon on ship repair by maximizing its Subic shipyard’s capabilities to offer high-quality services to the maritime industry.
To date, Subic shipyard employs more than 19,000 individuals mostly coming from Olongapo City, Subic town, the provinces of Zambales, Bataan and Pampanga, and other regions across the country.
Hanjin operates a modern Skills Development Center at the SBMA’s Industrial Park that continues to hone the shipbuilding skills of its workforce.
Since the inauguration of its training center in 2006, the company has catered to more than 39,000 Filipino trainees, thus helping in the government’s effort of promoting technical and vocational education.
With the presence of HHIC-Phil, the Philippines now ranks fourth among the biggest shipbuilding countries in the world as per records of the Maritime Industry Authority, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications.