![]() ![]() “Our activities today are proof of the government’s resolve to empower and protect our country’s farmers and fisherfolk,” the President said in his speech during the commissioning held at the Sasa Wharf here in Davao City. With this, it will help facilitate the programs of the DA-BFAR and the government in different communities. Piñol is targeting to build more water vessels for DA and has already gotten the verbal approval of the President to protect the country’s marine resources.ĭuterte in his message during the commissioning said the ships will not just be combating illegal activities, protection of fishing ground, and maritime-related works but also will be called “food boat” that will deliver food in different parts of the country during disasters. Piñol estimates each ships to cost around P750-million had it been made abroad. The construction of the two ships started in January 2016. “Job security of our workers has become a problem because of the dwindling number of projects.The ship designer, however, is the US-based Incat Crowther. Some Filipino shipbuilders, meanwhile, seek better opportunities abroad,” De Dios said. “We are surviving, but every now and then we can’t help but retrench some workers. A fishing ban, for example, can leave them without work for months. Like most contractual workers, Aguilar and his colleagues have to cope with lean periods. Carpenters like him are now usually needed for repairs and restoration. But, unlike before when carpenters were on the frontline of construction, welders have taken over as companies make the shift to steel-hulled boats. It usually takes 20 workers to finish a ship intended for domestic routes in six months, he said. One of Aguilar’s three children is now also employed in a shipyard. Tatay Lamberto said he learned his skills from his father who worked as a carpenter during the pioneering years of Navotas shipbuilding. “Bakit ngayon lang nagawa ito? (Why did we achieve this only now?)” he wondered aloud, referring to the two BFAR-commissioned vessels. They have emerged as developed countries because of shipbuilding, something we have failed to do because the industry lacks support from the national government.”Īguilar, the 69-year-old carpenter, shared the sentiment. ![]() How would you compete?” said MMSAI president Louie De Dios.Įven operators of Ro-Ro (Roll-On, Roll-Off) ships would rather buy secondhand vessels from China at a lower price, he said.Įngineer Edward Cruz, an MMSAI member, also weighed in: “Look at China and Japan. Imagine, the country where you import materials is also your direct competitor. “The challenge now is how to make the prices of our locally made ships more competitive. This doubles the cost of every vessel produced. Of the 45 registered shipbuilding companies across the country, 80 percent remain small-scale in operations and rely on raw materials mostly from China. Producing the likes of a Lapu-Lapu and a Dagohoy was seen as a feat, especially given the challenges faced by the industry. Under a city ordinance, members of the association can also apply for tax incentives if they hire more Navoteños in their companies. “Once they graduate, the association can hire and further train them,” said Tiangco. The city government provides training for residents who wish to find work in the shipyards. ![]() Luis Yangco, a businessman known as the “king of Manila Bay and the Pasig River,” who established the first dry-docking service in the city in 1880.įamilies of fishermen soon began making their own boats, and small fleets eventually expanded and required shipyards, most of which can now be found along M. In an interview, Tiangco traced the roots of the local shipbuilding industry to Capt. Each company employs about a hundred workers each. Considered the country’s fishing capital, Navotas, a city facing Manila Bay, currently hosts 31 companies that facilitate shipbuilding or ship repair and offer shipyard and dry-docking services.
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