Cebu's shipbuilding industry thrives -Gwen

CEBU, Philippines - The shipping industry in Cebu continues to thrive despite the retrenchment of 73 regular employees of the FBMA Marine Inc., so says Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

 “While we commiserate with the plight of FBMA with regards to dwindling orders, they really need to put things in proper prospective,” Garcia told reporters in yesterday’s press conference.

The Aboitiz group, who acquired FBMA Marine Inc. in 2004, handed out retrenchment notices to the 73 of the company’s 200 regular workers, mostly from the support services.

The rest of the workers will wrap up the company’s last projects, two fast-passenger ferries to the United Kingdom company Wrightlink. The ferries will soon service the Portsmouth-Isle of Wright route in the UK this year.

After learning what happened to FBMA, Garcia called up Tsuneishi President Shinji Watadani yesterday morning to inquire about their status.

“I am happy to tell you that their orders are up to 2013,” Garcia said.

In fact during her press conference, Garcia said the shipping industry inaugurated its new building dock which will eventually increased their shipbuilding capacity from 58,000 metric tons to 180,000 metric tons.

Presently, Garcia said that Tsuneishi employs about 6,000 workers.

“Cebu continues to be strong. The local economy continues to be strong. We recognize the fact that there is a world economic crisis, however, Cebu is moving forward,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the provincial government continues to be fully supportive of the shipping industry in Cebu.

Watadani was assured by Garcia of continued power supply which she said is crucial to the firm’s operations.

While there might be a foreseen shortfall in power in Cebu and in the Visayas, Garcia said they are trying to address it with ways such as the signing of an interruptible power agreement with the Visayan Electric Company and other big companies in Cebu.

The FBMA Marine Inc. and its sister company Tsuneishi (Cebu) Heavy Industries Inc., both in Balamban town in western Cebu, were the Philippines’ first shipbuilding yards, coming into operation 15 years ago.

While Tsuneishi’s bulk-carrier building operations is expanding FBMA, with its more specialized fast-passenger vessels and utility boats, is in a more challenging environment. —Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)