CEBU LAUNCHES LARGEST SHIP / THE FREEMAN'S DIRECT REPORT: 'SHIP OF HOPE'
[PHOTO AT LEFT - BIGGEST SHIP: Workers of Tsuneshi Heavy Industries welcome President Aquino at the Balamban Port in Balamban, Cebu, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, during the send-off ceremony for the MV Tenchu Maru, the biggest ship built in the Philippines to date by Tsuneishi, the fourth largest ship builder in the world. (Photo by CHERYL BALDICANTOS)
BALAMBAN, CEBU, NOVEMBER 12, 2010 (BULLETIN) By PHOEBE JEN INDINO – The Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc. (THICI) located in this town launched Wednesday its 120th ship called Tenshu Maru, which is the largest vessel ever constructed in the country with President Benigno C. Aquino III personally leading in the vessel-naming ceremony.
President Aquino, during said ceremony, observed the Japanese tradition of vessel naming by "cutting the line" as a symbolic christening of the Tenshu Maru before the latter sailed off for its maiden voyage. The President was joined by THICI officials and local government officials here headed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
The name Tenshu Maru is derived from a combination of three names that have significant impact on the operations of the Tsuneishi Group, of which THICI is a member of.
The just-constructed vessel is a 180,000-dwt bulk carrier, 286.9 meters long and 45 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of about 92,400. With its port of origin in Panama, the Tenshu Maru was turned over to iots owner, Japanese company, Chijin Shipping SA.
During the ship launching Wednesday, Mr. Aquino, who was 40 minutes late for the event, lauded the Tsuneishi and Aboitiz Groups for their significant economic contributions in Cebu province, particularly in this town where some 11,000 residents are employed as part of the shipyard's work force.
The President, in his speech, underlined that the launching of the Tenshu Maru will mark a new milestone in the economy, and said that this achievement is certain to bolster even more investors' confidence in doing business in the country.
"This signifies our readiness that we are now unfurling our sails," said Aquino.
Meanwhile, Jon Ramon Aboitiz, Chairman of Aboitiz Equity Ventures remarked during the same occasion that in the next couple of years "the shipyard expects to hire an additional 2,000 workers."
Aboitiz said that the P22 billion shipyard is fully booked until 2013.
THICI, which is a partnership between the Tsuneishi Group of Japan and local conglomerate, Aboitiz Group, is currently the fourth largest ship builder in the world.
NEWS REPORT FROM 'THE FREEMAN', CEBU CITY
A symbol for our country: P.Noy launches "ship of hope" By Gregg M. Rubio (The Freeman) Updated November 11, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments
[Photo is loading... President Aquino is shown with officials of Tsuneishi Heavy Indus-tries and Cebu Province during the naming of the ship. ALDO NELBERT BANAYNAL]
CEBU, Philippines, THE FREEMAN – Launching what is the biggest-ever ship built in the town of Balamban, Cebu by Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, President Benigno Aquino III yesterday likened it to a vessel of hope that the country will take for its journey with his administration.
President Aquino was in the western town yesterday morning to launch MV Ten-shu Maru, a bulk carrier with a gross tonnage of 92,400.
"My most earnest call to our people and our partners, still yourselves, tighten your grasp from the railings of hope. Let us not allow ourselves to be carried away by the pet-tiness, pessimism and the wounds of overblown bad news.
"As in any journey, the farther we are at sea the greater the dangers we face," Aquino said in his speech.
The vessel is 286.9 meters long and 45 meters wide.
The ceremonial naming and delivery of the ship reminded Aquino of the "paper boats being ceremoniously set adrift on the Pasig River, which bear witness to the empti-ness of its promise."
Aquino was apparently referring to the time when a group of boys wrote their hopes on paper that they folded into boats and floated at the polluted Pasig River in the 2002 State of the Nation Address of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Arroyo used the boys and their wishes as the basis of her SONA.
Aquino recognized the roles that THI and Aboitiz Group of Companies play in this victory for the Filipino nation.
"Thank you so much for the investments your have made, for the jobs you have provided our people and for the trusts and for the confidence in our nation and for ex-pressing your solidarity with our agenda of hope," Aquino said.
He also thanked the companies for recognizing its social responsibility to the community for generosity in the construction of a hospital, a public market and school buildings in Balamban town and its neighboring municipalities.
"Our people will remain forever grateful for this and I remain positive that it is only the first step to our fruitful partnership in the years to come," Aquino said.
Today, Aquino and his delegation will be going to Yokohama, Japan for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
"God willing, we will be bringing home more good news from private companies of one of our longest standing partners, Japan, and from the rest of our allies around the world," Aquino said.
For Aquino, the ceremony yesterday signifies the readiness to sail as the journey towards the achievement of our aspiration has begun.
"The time of darkness is over. Daylight is finally picking from beneath the clouds," he said.
As he always does, Aquino again took potshots at the administration fo Arroyo, his predecessor.
He compared the nation before as "floating into the heavy fog, sinking slowly and steadily, aimless and hampered by a corrupt government and an absentee ship captain."
"We have achieved much in such a short time and we stand to achieve so much more," he said.
THI was established in 1994 starting with 1,700 workers. The number grew to 11,000 local workers at present, with an annual payroll of P2 billion.
In his welcome message, Aboitiz Group Chairman Jon Ramon Aboitiz informed the President that while MV Tenshu Maru is the 120th vessel constructed by THI, the shipyard is fully booked through 2013.
"This demonstrates the confidence foreign ship owners have in our shipyard and the Filipino nation," Aboitiz said.
Aboitiz further said that this year, the Philippines will become the fourth largest shipbuilder in the world with the combined production of both THI and Hanjin in Subic.
"Furthermore, as your Excellency already knows, 260,000 Filipino seafarers sail today on the seven seas, again making us truly the number one maritime nation," Aboitiz said.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, on the other hand, said yesterday was a "glorious day for Cebu."
In a separate program, Garcia said that never before had the municipality or even the Province of Cebu had any track record of being able and having the capacity to sup-port such a huge endeavor.
THI was launched during the term of then governor, now 2nd District Rep. Pablo Garcia and then Balamban mayor, now Provincial Board Member Alex Binghay.
"These leaders decided to take stand knowing fully well that it would only be by supporting Tsuneishi do this facility in fact they constructed and could the growth and development that such a facility could offer could be achieve for Cebu," Garcia said be-fore the officials of THI and Aboitiz Group.
Garcia reiterated the commitment of the provincial government's full support to Tsuneishi and its endeavors.
"We can do no less for the path has been set, the fruits of our endeavor had seen its ripening," she said.
In a short message, Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura, thanked the Philippine government through Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the local government of Cebu for the support of their investment.
Katsura also said that 58 percent of direct foreign investments in the Philippines are from Japan. - /NLQ (FREEMAN)
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