40,000 Workers Needed for Hanjin's Mindanao Shipbuilding Facility

South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries needs 40,000 workers over the next few years to construct and operate their $2 billion shipyard in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

"Hanjin officials prefer untrained applicants so they can be properly trained the Hanjin standards," said Pacifico Pupos, Jr., presidential assistant for Northern Mindanao. "In fact, the first batch of 50 welders is now training in Hanjin's Subic facility."

Besides welders, Pupos said Hanjin would also be needed plumbers and electricians for the project. He said Hanjin will be shortly opening its recruitment offices in Cagayan de Oro.

The shipyard is the firm's second in the country and will be situated in a 441.8-hectare lot at the Phividec Industrial Estate. The new facility will have a capacity of 830,000 tons per year when completed in 2017, the Phividec Industrial Authority said earlier in a statement. It will be the largest in the county-even bigger than Hanjin's $1-billion shipyard complex in Subic-and would employ 40,000 people to initially make ship parts.

The first phase of its Phividec operations will fabricate pipes and light bridges with a maximum capacity of 80,000 tons a year starting next year. The facility's capacity would expand to 830,000 tons in the next 15 years, when it starts producing cargo and container ships.

General Manager Jeong Sup Shim said Hanjin decided to build the facility in Misamis Oriental after the Philippine government declared the 441.8-hectare project site an economic zone. This would allow Hanjin to import duty-free capital equipment and avail of income tax holidays.

Jeong said Hanjin will inject at least P4.6 billion per year into the local economy in salaries and wages for its employees.

This year, Hanjin expects to finish most of its first US$1.68-billion shipyard in the Philippines located in a 349-hectare lot at the Subic Bay Freeport zone, which is scheduled for completion by 2011.

Capacity constraints in Korea have forced Hanjin to go overseas for its expansion. The firm is scheduled to deliver 33 medium-sized container vessels worth approximately $3 billion in the next two years and build 82 large-sized ships from 2009 to 2011 at its Philippine facilities. Mike Banos - American Chronicles