Vol. XXII, No. 30-A [ BusinessWorld Online ]
Saturday, September 6, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
GENERAL SANTOS — The tuna industry got another boost with the opening early this week of a shipyard said to be the biggest in south and central Mindanao.
Signal Marine Shipyard, owned by the country’s biggest fishing companies, opened the first of three slipways where ships can be built, repaired or dry-docked.
The facility sits on a five-hectare property in the hamlet of Cabu at Barangay Tambler in this city touted as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines." Two more slipways spanning 210 meters will be built, each to carry a 3,000-gross tonnage vessel.
"This is proudly a Filipino-owned corporation," said tuna businessman Marfenio Y. Tan, head of San Andres Fishing Corp., and one of the incorporators of Signal shipyard.
Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez, who was at the launching, hailed the initiative, which he said would boost the potentials of the tuna industry.
Francis T. Laurel, president of Frabelle Fishing Corp., credited Mr. Tan for initiating the shipyard project two years ago.
"The people of Sarangani province and General Santos City will benefit from the project in terms of direct and indirect employment of 500 workers, plus the increase of trade and allied services in the area," Mr. Laurel said. — R. S. Sarmiento
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