Senator Dick Gordon has called on the government to fast-track the takeover of the Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporations-Philippines facility in Subic to ensure the protection of the country’s territory and sovereignty and to provide jobs.
“Mas maganda kung magawa na natin ang Hanjin para makapasok dito ng trabaho. Dapat gamitin natin iyan para sa seguridad ng bayan, lagyan natin ng Philippine Navy base diyan. Hindi lang Philippine Navy, dapat lagyan natin ng ship repair o shipbuilding para magkaroon na tayo ng pagkakataong makagawa ng sarili nating barko. Yung iba pwede nating gawing industrial park. Ganon ang gagawin natin diyan para maayos, kumpleto na ‘yan kaya madaling ayusin,” Gordon said.
The seasoned legislator also proposed to put up a naval engineering school or naval architecture school in the vast facility to step up Filipinos’ shipbuilding capacity.
“Put up a naval engineering school or naval architecture school.”
“We should develop the country’s potential in the shipbuilding industry. We must involve ourselves in designing vessels. Step up our capabilities in naval architectural design. We are an archipelagic country, we must be able to build ships,” the veteran lawmaker pointed out.
“We should develop the country’s potential in the shipbuilding industry.”
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said that he is receptive to a government takeover of the cash-strapped South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC-Phil.) at the Subic shipyard.
HHIC-Phil. earlier revealed that it has a total of $1.3 billion outstanding loans — $400 million from Philippine banks and $900 million from South Korean lenders. It has asked the Philippine government for rehabilitation, because of its cash flow problems.
The shipbuilder also sought help from government in finding investors that can take over the operation of its shipyard well as to help its employees, who have taken the brunt of the company’s financial woes.
