Relentless in its effort to achieve greater heights in its core business, shipbuilding industry leader Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction - Philippines, Inc. (HHIC-Phil, Inc.) is set to deliver two newly built vessels before the end of April, 2012 namely: M/T Brightway, a DWT 160,000 Crude Oil Tanker ordered by a Liberian company Modmal Shipping Limited and M/V FMG MATILDA, a DWT 205,000 MT Bulk Carrier owned by Bocimar Hong Kong Ltd. based in Belgium. Both ship-owners are engaged international shipping and maritime solutions.
M/T Brightway and M/V FMG MATILDA were launched last April 27, 2011 and July 29, 2011, respectively and the 34th and 35th vessels to be delivered from Hanjin’s Subic shipyard. Singapore is M/T Brightway’s future port of registry while M/V FMG Matilda is Hong Kong.
Mr. Jin Kyun Ahn, president of the Korean shipbuilder giant, said that the scheduled vessel delivery will highlight the competitiveness of HHIC-Phil’s Subic shipyard which produced the state-of-the-art commercial vessels. “What made this possible is our very efficient, cutting-edge shipbuilding facilities and highly skilled workforce,” he said.
President Ahn explained that Hanjin’s Subic shipyard is compliant with international safety standards as evidenced by its ISO certification and that “the well-being of our shipyard workers is given top priority in all stages of the production process.”
Ahn said that Hanjin has made great strides in promoting the welfare of its workers while training them to become world-class shipbuilding employees, able to build huge ships for various foreign nations in the world.
He also recognized the HHIC-Phil’s shipyard safety committee (largely composed of shipbuilding subcontractors’ representatives) for exerting “utmost efforts in the implementation of the best health and safety practices in order to achieve zero fatal accident in the shipyard in the long term.”
The shipyard has a modern emergency medical facility being manned by competent medical professionals who are ready to provide quality health and medical services to the workers 24 hours a day, which is at par with the international standard.
“This strong resolve on safety concerns has substantially reduced reported cases of work-related accidents, and most noteworthy, fatal accidents have rarely happened.” according to President Ahn.
He also emphasized that the average rate of work-related accidents in the Subic shipyard is much lower as compared to any other heavy industries here and abroad, based on the available statistics from the DOLE and other international organizations.
As part of its commitment to maintain a hazard-free working environment for the shipyard workers, HHIC-Phil in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) thru the Bureau of Working Conditions have forged a pact last February 17 of this year.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in line with DOLE’s KAPATIRAN-WISE-TAV program of pursuing a culture of compliance with labor standards and of occupational health and safety standards to attain high productivity and quality at the workplace - especially in the face of technological advancement, modernization and globalization.
Since 2006, HHIC-Phil operates two (2¬) state-of-the-art Skill Development Centers - one located at SBFZ’s Industrial Park and the other in Cagayan de Oro City to fully equip Hanjin’s Filipino workforce with skills in shipbuilding, which has enabled its workforce to attain global competitiveness.
These training facilities, which serve as the catalyst for developing skills required in the shipyard, have already mentored more than 25,000 trainees and will continue to hone and develop Hanjin’s workforce to keep them globally competitive.
To date, Hanjin’s Subic shipyard currently employs nearly 20,000 local employees and continues to generate more job and business opportunities in the surrounding communities.
Maximizing its assets and capabilities, HHIC-Phil will be expanding its investment in the Philippines by engaging in offshore business, ship repair, and construction, fabrication and installation of various steel structures for key industries.
The Philippines currently ranks as the world’s 4th largest shipbuilding countries as per record of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), an agency under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
Indeed, the presence of the Subic shipyard at the Freeport has also been positively contributing to the growth of the Philippine economy amid the looming world economic crisis. (HHIC-Phil)
PHOTOS: M/T Brightway & M/V FMG Matilda
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