Tsuneishi ships: One of Cebu’s success stories!
INSIDE CEBU By Bobit S. Avila
The Philippine Star 01/21/2005

Today, AboitizLand is rolling out the red carpet for the delegates to the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention, sponsoring a special lunch for the balikbayans at the Seaview Lounge of the Supercat Terminal, complete with a theme — "Life in Cebu is a Cruise." Invited to grace this event is no less than Senate President Franklin Drilon.

With Cebu ranked as the seventh best tourist island destination by the Conde Nast magazine in 2004 (mind you, this was before the tsunami disaster), I don’t blame Cebuanos or Cebu-based corporations like Aboitiz for being super proud of showcasing Cebu to the balikbayans in this convention of conventions.

With the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention underway this weekend, no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) will address it. After all, one of the major objectives of this organization is "to enable overseas Filipinos to network with each other and help themselves, and to enable them to better help the Philippines." I would like to believe this is a parallel objective of the Arroyo administration.

After her address at the Waterfront Hotel, President Arroyo will proceed to the western side of Cebu to the Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu) Inc. (THICI), which is a partnership with the Aboitiz Corp., in Buanoy, Balamban to formally inaugurate the P2-billion second slipway of Tsuneishi in order to accommodate more ship orders from all over the world.

No doubt, THICI is one of the nation’s biggest success stories — success in terms of great teamwork and partnership with Filipino-owned companies with Tsuneishi a direct foreign investor, creating more global business opportunities, generating employment and economic benefits not just for Balamban or Cebu, but for the whole nation as well.

Just a week ago, The Freeman Business section featured an article by Ehda M. Dago-oc entitled "Tsuneishi penetrates European market," about the launching of the 52,000 dead weight tons (DWT) vessel Gecon 1 bound for Greece! Yes, Greece. As we learned from the Iliad, the Greeks were a ship-faring people (remember the story of Helen of Troy — the face that launched a thousand ships?) in ancient times, and the island of Cebu was most probably inhabited by wildlife then. But last week when this bulk carrier was delivered to Greece, it was a proud day to be a Filipino!

Some five years back, I was in Pusan, South Korea and took a Daewoo-owned helicopter to Okpo Island to see the Daewoo Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding operations, which employ some 15,000 workers. While the Koreans are very much ahead in the shipbuilding industry (Hyundai is reportedly their biggest shipbuilding company), the Philippines is not far behind, thanks to our partnership with Tsuneishi Heavy Industries which has virtually put Cebuano quality on the world shipping map.

On top of that launching, Tsuneishi also celebrated its 10th year of shipbuilding at the West Cebu Industrial Park (WCIP) in Balamban, a town which every Filipino ought to study closely. You can say that Tsuneishi is a Japanese-owned company, but so are all successful companies located at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) with big multinational corporate names like Timex, NEC, Tamiya and LexMark.

The most important thing is that these foreign companies couldn’t have done it without the Cebuanos whose efficiency, hard work and quality are fast becoming bywords in this highly globalized world. As of this writing, I just got my invitation from Tsuneishi president Kenji Kawano to join him in the blessing of their new slipway.

Not far away from Tsuneishi is the FBM Marine, which is also about to finish a fastcraft catamaran that can hold 20 vehicles, including freight trucks or tour buses — slated for Holland. No doubt, FBM can manufacture the entire fleet of the Philippine Navy if the Philippine government wishes it so. Best of all, it would generate more jobs for our people and yes, finally if we do get our act together, we would have a real floating Navy.

I only wish that President Arroyo who has been there before, would take a second look at this facility. Incidentally, a catamaran that the FBM built a couple of years ago still services the Hong Kong-Macau route. In the past, we always bought Navy vessels from other countries because we had no one building ships in our own country. But with Tsuneishi and FBM doing their shipbuilding in Balamban, I can’t see any reason why the Philippine Navy can’t purchase patrol vessels here to equip our Navy or Coast Guard, while at the same time generating more employment within the country. I always like to drop by and visit Balamban because its success is the clearest proof of the "can-do" spirit of the Filipino, something that the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention hopes to replicate in many areas of the country.

There's a great hope for seeing Philippine Navy ships rolling out of these local shipyards.

The government especially the President must throw its all out support to them so that these local shipbuilders will really succeed.

:thumb: :thumb:

I am not just proud of being a Filipino.

With great news like this one, I am beginning to feel happy now. :armycheers:

It would be great if you could build a Jacinto locally to get experience and to show your capabillitys in that area. :thumb:

maybe we can build the hull or superstructure no problem but what about the electronics suite and other systems, can we build locally or we have again to procure from outside ?

The cost would be way to high. Things like radar and electronics are normally bougth "off the shelf" And in order to keep logistics and traning problems at bay, you normally equip new ships with the same engines and electronics as in the older ships (or upgrade the old ones) Since the Jacintos are being modernized already the best solution is to equip new ships the same way.

FBMA Aboitiz shipyard builds cheaper ships than Tenix australia ?

February 20, 2003
sunStar News
By Elias L. Espinoza

The leaders of this government must be shortsighted that it just ignored the capability of FBMA Babcock Marine in Balamban, Cebu to build ships for the Philippine Navy and the Coast Guard.

The shipbuilding capabilities of FBMA Babcock Marine in Balamban that provided employment and enormous income in this western seaboard town of Cebu are already internationally acclaimed.

It is simply mystifying that while the British government had their training ships built in Balamban at FBMA Babcock Marine, our own government prefers a shipbuilder in Australia to build the training vessels for the Armed Forces at a higher price.

The composition of FBMA Babcock Marine ownership may not be fully Filipino but I am sure that the hands that worked on all the vessels that were built in Balamban are all Filipinos. This administration should have taken pride of this fact.

This is the irony of our brand of leadership or politics. While the leaders of this government imposed upon us patriotism, it failed to lead the role that is worthy of the people’s emulation.

The government’s decision to have its vessels for the AFP built in Australia even at a higher cost only gives to suspicion that it is not about the capability of the shipbuilder but so much on under the table transaction. You know, the higher the price the bigger is the commission.

The shipbuilding capabilities of FBMA Babcock Marine, I suppose, is not the issue. Neither it is the price or the cost of building a vessel for the AFP since they can offer a lesser price. It is something that they can’t come to terms with.

I don’t suppose that the top brash of the AFP were only after the mark on the vessel that it is made in Australia. It’s too simple to be believed. Don’t blame our leaders for the slump in our economy.

February 18, 2003
3 British ships almost done
By Linette C. Ramos

THREE 27-meter aircrew training vessels, which some 80 Cebuanos helped build, will sail to the United Kingdom next month for the British Ministry of Defense to use in their military exercises.

One of the vessels was tested off the waters of Balamban yesterday, as workers of FBMA Babcock Marine Inc. worked on the finishing touches of the two other vessels at the shipyard in Barangay Arpili, Balamban, Cebu.

FBMA entered into a contract with Smit International to build three of the six vessels the British Ministry of Defense will operate, FBMA project manager Peter Stillwell said.

Smit is a British company providing vessels and other training equipment and manpower to the British defense ministry.

While FBMA has been building the training vessels for Great Britain’s armed forces in the past months, it has also tried to enter into a contract with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy.

Ironically, though, the Philippine Government prefers to have the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ training vessels built in Australia, often at a higher cost, Stillwell said.

“It’s a strange thing. We have been working hard to promote to them vessels made by Filipinos that is of world-class standard but we couldn’t get them to have us build theirs,” he told Sun.Star shortly after the sail test yesterday.

Carpets on the cabins, floor tiles, upholstery on the furniture and a visible “Made in the Philippines” print on each vessel are among the last touches FBMA will work on before it is shipped on March 10.

Aside from Great Britain’s armed forces, FBMA also manufactures shipping and passenger vessels for South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau and Supercat Ferries in Cebu and Mt. Samat Shipping in Bataan.

Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay said the shipbuilding industry in the town is a source of revenue for the municipality and provides jobs to thousands of locals there.

He lamented, though, that there is still a seeming lack of support from the government, which does not patronize the vessels Filipinos make.

“The industry really helps the people economically and is good for the community here. Our President should look into the transparency of the armed forces and see why it does not buy vessels here,” Binghay said.

Stillwell and Binghay gave Sun.Star a tour of the facilities and equipment of Smit Yare, one of the three vessels named after rivers in the UK.

The two other vessels, weighing 55 tons each and running 22 knots, are Smit Towy and Smit Spey, which will be launched tonight.

The vessels are equipped with a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) that can be launched from the rear portion of the vessel and is used to recover life rafts during military exercises.

It also has a towing device that can retrieve the RIB and recover torpedoes during marine activities of the defense ministry.

Two major engines run the propellers of the vessel while another small engine runs the small water jet. It is also equipped with the latest radio, radar and communication equipment and engine control panels.

Each vessel has four comfort rooms, four shower rooms, four furnished cabins, a kitchen, pantry, laundry room, locker room and a sitting room.

Since it operated in 1997, FBMA has built 10 vessels and refurbished 22 others.

The first vessel it built was a 45-meter passenger ship that could run 52 knots and was the fastest running vessel in the world in 1997. It now plies the Hong Kong-Macau route.

Before the Smit series, FBMA built a 52-meter vessel that now operates in Korea. It is only vessel in Asia that meets international standards.

(February 18, 2003 issue)

DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER 2003 –

64 meter fast ferry order from FBMA Babcock

MarineRederij Doeksen has announced at the IMTA-Interferry conference in Rotterdam that it has selected FBMA Babcock Marine from an international group of specialist shipbuilders for the construction of a 64metre vehicle and passenger catamaran. Rederij Doeksen is a leading Dutch ferry operator, having been in business since 1923, and currently operating five ferries, including Ro-Ro vessels and high speed craft.The new 64metre vessel will have a service speed of 15 knots and operate on the Harlingen to Vlieland route across the Waddenzee in The Netherlands. The catamaran will be the largest vessel so far constructed t the FBMA Babcock Marine shipyard in Cebu, Philippines, with delivery in November 2004.The catamaran will have a steel hull and aluminium superstructure and incorporate a drive-through vehicle deck with bow and stern access for roll-on roll-off vehicular handling and rapid turnaround in port.Spacious passenger accommodation on three decks include over 900 internal seats, with overall capacity of up to 1300 passengers, and incorporates a feature passenger VIP lounge, tourist class saloons with a mixture of aircraft style seating and table and chair arrangements, separate bar area available for renting out to groups, and a large open sun deck. A large servery will provide passengers with a range of refreshment choices on the crossing, and there is also a separate play area for children.The vehicle deck will accommodate up to 58 cars along with motorbikes and cycles, or a mix of cars, baggage carts and trucks of up to 12.0 tonne axle load down the central vehicle lane. Stern and bow doors will allow rapid drive through loading/unloading capability with the hydraulically operated bowvisor hinging down below the horizontal to facilitate landing on an adjustable shore bridge. A sloping bonnet over the vehicle deck with hinged opening covers will ensure that trucks can be loaded or unloaded at all potential angles of the shore bridge resulting from tidal or vessel draft and trim variations.Two bow thrusters are fitted to ensure high manoeuvrability whilst berthing and the four propellers are specially designed for operation in shallow and highly silted conditions. The forward half of the vessel and transom will be strengthened to enable safe navigation in potential ice conditions in the Waddenzee, with capability of up to 300mm nominal ice thickness, and up to 400mm of snow cover.Paul Melles, managing director of Rederij Doeksen said "We had the vessel designed to our requirements by Sea Transport Solutions of Queensland, Australia, and which then allowed us the flexibility to select the best builder. After visiting a number of yards and viewing their work we are very pleased to place this order with FBMA Babcock Marine. The yard has exhibited an excellent quality of workmanship and, coupled with a competitive price, we expect to gain a first class vessel to add to our fleet."John Warbey, managing director of FBM Babcock Marine, said "This contract is another important milestone in the development of the FBMA Babcock Marine shipyard in Cebu, Philippines. Coming so soon after the order for a 47metre Ro-Pax and the completion of three 27 metre aluminium patrol craft for the UK, it demonstrates the excellent capability of the yard."

What were the government's payment terms for the Aussie ships? Last I heard, these ships were partly funded by a particular kind of foreign aid that only the Coast Guard could avail of, because of its non-military nature.

Can FBMA Babcock offer the PN similar terms?

FBMA can possibly offer good financing to the PCG thru development bank of the philippines since the SAR ship project was classfied as an economic project approved by NEDA

If you are an engineer, basics ccomponents are divided, into section or decks.

Hull platform = Basic structure of the ship which can be build locally
Weapons platform = Basic armaments to missiles, counter measure and guns
Personnel Support Platform = Main Bridge, Component trays, Mess hall, personnel living area and most important the zhitter area. etc
Engine/Power Platform = what kind?..Nuclear, Gas turbine, diesel, petrol, or sail
Communication Flatform = radar, sonar, fire control sys, multi-targeting sys, ship computers, PLDT, etc

If you don't have this systems on your warship you bettter shout ....

CARLSBERG RIGHT AHEAD!!!............
ABANDON SHITTT!!!!.....ABANDON SHITTT!!!!.......... :banana:

Is there a possibility for the government of the Philippines to enter into a joint venture program with a foreign-arms contractor?

Many countries are doing this like India with Israel and UAE with Italy's Alenia Marconi Systems for its naval platform programs.

Any opinions?
:aberet:

There's actually a better option called a Public Private Partnership agreement which is already in use in the United Kingdom for its new OPVs.

The vessel is constructed by a private contractor then chartered by the public entity (e.g. PN). The vessel will be manned and operated by the PN but the private defense contractor will be responsible for providing a full contractor-logistics-support service to maintain the vessel.

The beauty in this set-up is maintenance, upgrading, and logistics are contractor-supplied, all the PN has to do is to sail and operate the vessel.

Interesting...has this been offered to the PN by any shipbuilder? How about Tenix?

There is a problem with this kind of arrangement, any public company sees the Phil Navy as a revenue risk, why draw a partnership with an entity who has no say or constitutional guarantee on how much it is allocating year on year on a specific naval item. Our constitution was written by morons and wanted to be change by idiots.

In the British arrangement, VT Shipbuilding leased three River-class offshore patrol vessels to the Royal Navy under a 5-year contract, after 5 years, the Royal Navy has the option to purchase the vessels, extend the lease or RETURN the OPVs to VT Shipbuilding.

I think a lease contract with the Government of the Philippines (GOP) is one of the safest contracts around. Its even better and more secure than the Tenix-PCG arrangement.

Its worth giving a try.

This point has been discussed before.

What if some politician finds an "irregularity" in the deal and demands a halt to payments (translation = "I didn't get my cut, so the deal isn't going through"). Businessmen who are capable of mounting such a venture with the government know this all too well.

appl;icable to countries w/ honest politicians and generals but definitely not here

What about the JF-17 joint fighter project of China and Pakistan for our Naval Air Group? I hear this baby's up for grabs after they finish the first batch next year. Each fighter costs about $15-20 million, making it a good option for them to export. :crawling:


JF-17 Prototype Fighter with Pakistani Air Force markings

this writer is advocating homemade ships for the PN to be constructed in cebu...

>>>>>>>>>>>>


... as we have joked so often that we have an Air Force that’s all air and a Navy without ships. As the editorial said, "The Navy fleet is so inadequate that even Abu Sayyaf kidnappers have more powerful engines on their speedboats. Most poachers, pirates, smugglers, drug dealers and other marauders in Philippine territorial waters in fact have more powerful vessels — and all the fuel they need — compared with the Philippine Navy."

As we’ve written time and time again, the answer is self-reliance. If we don’t have enough arms, Filipinos can manufacture firearms like what they still do, making paltik guns in Danao City, 30 kilometers north of Cebu City. You may scoff at the Danao-made paltik that you saw a decade ago, but you’d fall off your chair if you saw a paltik firearm today; you couldn’t tell the difference between the Danao-made gun and the real thing!

Twenty years or so ago, I watched the Lee Marvin movie Point Blank where he used a caliber .357 Magnum revolver and a friend of mine asked me if I wanted one like that made in Danao. For a mere P600, I ordered one and it arrived a week later, looking exactly like what actor Lee Marvin used in the movie. Of course, when I fired it, it couldn’t hit the side of a barn, but hey, that was a long time ago! The new guns they make in Danao are as accurate as the real thing. That’s what is known as Filipino craftsmanship! To think, most of these guns are still made underground!

So back to the discussion on the Philippine Navy. If only you folk would visit the FBMA Marine Inc. shipyard in Balamban on the west coast of Cebu, you will see that today, it has a contract to build a Lockheed Martin slice offshore crewboat at a cost of $9 million. This is a highly sophisticated vessel that is capable of "slicing" through huge seven-foot swells in the Gulf of Mexico to bring work crews to the oil rigs there. That means, even in the foulest weather where a helicopter is useless, oil rig workers can still be brought to their work stations. And yes, this vessel is being built right here in Cebu by Filipinos!

Therefore, if FBMA Marine Inc. can build those sophisticated vessels, why not a floating platform or hull for the Philippine Navy for an affordable price? In fact, a couple of years ago, FBMA Marine Inc. finished two 25 M Aircrew vessels for the British Ministry of Defense for use in helicopter sea rescue training.

So if Cebu makes vessels good enough for the British Defense Ministry, I don’t see any reason why the Philippine government cannot give the Philippine Navy ships that can be manufactured locally and provide more jobs to our people. You may call it a paltik Navy if you wish, but at least we’d have a floating Navy in no time at all if only we put our act together!

Perhaps as a reminder to our readers, during World War II, the Galil or the Uzi submachine gun didn’t even exist. These world-famous weapons are now known worldwide because the new State of Israel wasn’t allowed to acquire weapons by the Western powers so it built its own. Just think that there are only six million Israelis as compared to our population. But their self-determination and ingenuity paid off. Now an Uzi or a Galil in your arsenal is a prized and expensive weapon. But to the Israelis, they’re akin to our Danao-made or locally made paltik.

At the end of The STAR editorial, it said, "The Navy has competent officers and personnel, but you need more than competence to build a credible naval force. The Philippine Navy is not equipped for war. It is not even adequately equipped for peacetime functions." How sad, but true. I’m not suggesting that we build warships that we can’t afford... I’m merely saying that if we wanted a Navy that floats, we can build them right here in Cebu! So the question really is: when are we going to stop joking among ourselves that we have a Navy without ships and seriously consider building our own? For starters, the future of the Philippine Navy is in the hands of Congress and the Department of National Defense.


http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200505279911.htm

:agree: Why not?

Somebody I know had a visit at the Tsuneishi shipyard and saw for himself how our compatriots build ships. I think that was started during the Ramos administration with about 200 Japanese supervisors now down to only 20. They found the abilities of the Filipinos to be good and has turned over some of the responsibilities. The workers are very disciplined and are proud of what they do.

One ship was ordered by a German principal and another is about to be finished in 2 months time with options to purchase some more. Talk about quality conscious and being stringy about cost with these Germans, if the ships made in Cebu passed their standards, then it means these are quality products.

Maybe start some patrol boats for our PCG and few smaller ships for the PN, it would be a start and try develop and improve on it as time goes on.

or perhaps the AFP procurement gods are reluctant to acquire Cebu-made vessels because the money to be made is lesser than what foreign contractors can give?

...and Cebu as a contractor-paid junket destination is not exactly America or Europe. :demon:

it's not a bad idea to let our local shipyards build vessels for the Navy and the Coast Guard. when the local shipyards build those vessels, you keep the money circulating within the Philippine economy (although we have to buy the weapons [guns, missiles, torpedoes] and equipment [radar, sonar, EW suite, etc.] from overseas) and at the same time, create job opportunities for many Filipinos.

it is just so sad that the AFP and government leadership has no trust in the local industry. is it because they're all but after the kick-backs and the commissions that they will receive from foreign contractors? :nono: :grrr:

Exactly my thoughts.

oo nga.. Kung ayaw nila kumuha eh di i-export na lang.. hindi ba? It's AFP's lost not them..

:aberet:

All your points are probably exactly why. Then again, could it also be some hurdles upon heaps of red tape and contractor agreements involved? Or maybe some Official who wants to merely look good and be the one to assume the role as coming up with the idea to have our next batch of ships being locally built?

From what some friends back home have been telling me is that the government is so slow in paying for any contracted work. Those friends of mine are in the construction business and have done a lot of government contact works. Time and time again, the government is always so slow to shell out the money which is why the work never gets done on time. At times (they said) it is almost like the GRP only wants the work done for free.

What do you all think?

maniegom: maybe that's the case of local contractors but in the case of foreign contractors, corrupt government and military officials often ask for "commissions" or kickbacks. :grrr:

My humble contribution.

Hoorah.....

Thank god for the good ideas. :armyLol: Just having some fun mates.

:funnypost: :bounce: :rollinlol:

Don't meen to be rude: The picure may be funny, but the flag is not. How can the red be on top when the Philippines is not even on a state of war? I know it is only a picture, but at least do it right so that others won't get confuse with the flag. They might think that the Philippines is at war.

Reasons why it won't happen have already been discussed here: Impediments to building PN ships locally

World-class, 5-star boat proudly made by Pinoys

First posted 08:18am (Mla time) July 31, 2005
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Inquirer News Service


Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the July 31, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


CARRYING 1,300 passengers and 58 cars from mainland Harlingen in the Netherlands to Vlieland across the Waddenzee is one of the world's most advanced, state-of-the-art passenger ferries.

The Vlieland, which started its commercial operation this month, is 64.14 meters long (about 30 cars parked bumper-to-bumper) and constructed with steel hulls and an aluminum superstructure. It runs at 15 knots when fully loaded and can cut through ice that regularly forms on the Waddanzee.

The three-deck ferry boat comes with all the comforts of a luxury hotel, bringing tourist ferry service to a new level.

It boasts of a VIP lounge, tourist class saloons, a long bar with piped-in Heineken beer, a play area for children, ice cream bar, sun deck and ramps for the disabled.

And the Vlieland is made in the Philippines.

More specifically, in Balamban, Cebu, where hundreds of workers of the Aboitiz group's FBMA Marine Inc. are hard at work on offshore crew boats finishing yet
another ship for delivery to Mexico. Most of the workers have vocational degrees from Don Bosco and are based in Balamban.

It had taken 16 months to build the Vlieland. It left Cebu last May 12, sailed through the Suez Canal and arrived in the Netherlands on June 30 to the delight of Doeksen Transport Group, one of the Netherlands' oldest maritime services companies.

FBMA chair Roberto E. Aboitiz said the Vlieland was a milestone in the company's history as it was the biggest passenger ferry that the FBMA-and the Philippines-had ever produced.

When FBMA Marine Inc. won the bid to construct the $15-million Vlieland over bigger transport companies from around the world, it put the Philippines firmly on the shipbuilding map.

Aboitiz group

"When you construct a ship like this (following exact specifications of its client Doeksen) and it performs well, word goes around that the Philippines can make world-class ships," Aboitiz told the Inquirer.

FBMA has been showing what the Filipino can do in international shipbuilding since 1997.

From the first 50-knot Tricat it built that year, it has delivered high-speed ferry boats and specialist work boats, in partnership with international ship designers, to buyers in Hong Kong, Korea and the United Kingdom.

FBMA started as a joint venture between the Aboitiz group and FBM Babcock Marine of the United Kingdom, and became a wholly-owned Aboitiz company in October last year.

It has booked $74.408 million in exports since it started operations.

Aside from the Vlieland, FBMA's shipbuilders in Cebu have produced the following: a 180-passenger catamaran for the Shin Han Shipping Co. in South Korea; 25-meter, high-speed training boats for the British Ministry of Defense; a 32-vehicle ferry currently operating in the Bahamas; Supercats operated by the Aboitiz Transport System Corp.

FBMA president Doug Border told the Inquirer that the company's most exciting projects in the pipeline were the two high-speed offshore crew boats under contract with Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest defense contractor, costing $9.3 million each.

Based on the same technology in Navy vehicles, the offshore crew boats would be constructed using the most advanced ship design to comfortably ferry crew to and from the oil installations in the Mexican gulf even on rough seas.

More orders

The successful delivery of the two ships next year was expected to further cement FBMA and the Philippines' position in the shipbuilding industry.

"Going forward, we want to capture more of the market. Our biggest competitors are Australia and Europe, but we are already eating into their market," Border said.

Aboitiz said that with more orders coming in, FBMA could become one of the world's leading players in the shipbuilding market in four to five years.

"We are doing all we can to foster, promote and manage success. And we remain committed to roll out and invest more, taking the long-term view of things," Aboitiz said.

"And yes, the Filipino can and deserves equal access to opportunities," he added.


=====================================================


What if Aboitiz group teams up with foreign naval defense contractors for Navy ship contracts?

This is a good jumpstart for our vision to have navy ships for the Philippine Navy built in our own homeland.

:urock: Aboitiz!

You are right on target there Flipzi :thumb:

The main concern is to get rid of whatever red tape is out there and cough up the funds for a change to make sure our country can improvise such availabilities to strengthen our PN fleet. That is there will be no more dirty politics involved.

The other thing though is there are a lot of our own who are so well trained and have learned more from abroad who have finally decided to settle back home. These assets are not being utilized due to age and gender discrimination being practiced in our homeland. We are really losing out a lot from such available expertise.

At the rate of such idiocracy, don't be surprised why we are where we are presently at. There's just so much talent the whole world is benefitting from us and where we a losing out only due to such stupidity.

This is the perfect example of how underutilization is being done where we are from. Sad, but true. We really need to change our ways.

We've been down this road before ---and with the exact same ship built by Tsuneishi-Aboitiz as a springboard... but hey, carry on!

:ssalute:

One of the main reasons why the Navy isnt benefitting from the presence of shipbuilders in our country?

That's because the govt is not supporting them.

Once the govt starts supporting these local shipbuilders, expect the business to grow further.

LET'S TAKE IT FROM THE AMERICANS.

The US govt is helping local defense industries to support its economy and save the jobs of many workers.

That should be the concept that our govt should take a closer look.

If you're going to read the article again, you'll notice a line that said that FBMA had tied up with Lockheed Martin on a contract for two high-speed offshore crew boats under the world's biggest defense contractor, costing $9.3 million each.

Maybe that would open up opportunities for the Phillippines to start modernizing her Navy.

We've been discussing that scenario here several weeks or months ago.

That's good for us all.

Good news, indeed.

Lockheed Martin is doin the right thing.

Soon, Lockheed Martin in partnership with Aboitiz will take the biggest share in our defense procurement.

Good move by both business entities.

When FBMA-Lockheed Martin tandem succeeds, the ASEAN market will soon be dominated by them.

That means more jobs for Pinoys and more taxes.

:thumb: :thumb: Let's hope for the best.

I saw that ship in balamban and it was huge and beautiful
:drunk:

a pic of the vesel would be nice

ish diz eet?



more pixes

Nice indeed! Any pics during launching ceremonies? Normally it still holds the Philippine Flag for new builts. Proudly Phillipine made! :thumb:

Yup that's the one :thumb: