SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has awarded shipbuilding giant Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) here as ‘Top Exporter’ for the Machinery and Transport Equipment Sector.
Hanjin was accorded the DTI ‘Top Sectoral Exporter’ award during the National Export Congress held at the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City on Wednesday.
The DTI cited Hanjin’s numerous export transactions during the past year.
The recognition is yet another milestone in more than 10 years of Hanjin’s shipbuilding activity in the Philippines, according to company officials. Hanjin was also acclaimed as a consistent top exporter among Subic registered enterprises in recent years.
Hanjin has poured in $2.3 billion worth of foreign direct investments and provided employment to over 33,000 Filipino workers.
With Hanjin’s presence in the international shipbuilding market, the Europe-based Clarkson Research counted the Philippines among the elite group of the largest shipbuilding nations, ranking the country fifth in terms of order booked.
Amid the world economic downturn that affected shipbuilding market and the intense competition from shipbuilders, Hanjin’s latest achievement reaffirms the company’s resiliency and resolve to overcome challenges in the shipbuilding industry.
Hanjin has a pool of highly skilled workforce and innovative technology that continue to keep abreast of the fast changing developments in the global maritime trade and commerce.
“We are honored to receive such an award from the DTI under the leadership of Secretary Ramon Lopez, who is steering President Rodrigo Duterte’s vision of reinvigorating the manufacturing sector in general for the common good,” according to Hanjin President Gwang Suk Chung.
“We are more than proud of the craftsmanship of the Filipino shipbuilders, without them, we wouldn’t have won the award,” Chung said.
“In sum, this underscores the bright prospect of the shipbuilding industry as an engine of economic growth for the country in the long term,” he added.
Hanjin has already delivered a total of 98 vessels worth $5.708 billion to various shipping companies overseas as of August 2016.
“This is indeed a product of the collective effort between Hanjin and the Philippine government,” Chung said. “Such long and fruitful collaboration has helped us gain the trust and confidence of our valued clients to continue working with us on big ticket projects with far-reaching positive effects to the global economic landscape in the years ahead.”
Hanjin is currently building three 20,600 TEU containerships. It is also constructing a fleet of Liquefied Petroleum Gas carriers after having successfully delivered the four first-ever Philippine-made vessels of such kind this year.
“We want to equip exporters with the necessary tools for them to be competitive. We also want exporters to cooperate with government agencies in simplifying procedures and documentations,” DTI Director Senen Perlada said.
She added that the award also recognizes the exporters for their exemplary performance and contribution to the country’s economic and export growth. (Dante M. Salvana)