By Tracy Cabrera
MANILA — Targeting to advance the country’s drydock capabilities for ship repair and maintenance, the Philippine maritime industry is set to gain additional repair capacity as the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) moves to support the expansion of a key ship repair facility at Subic Bay in Zambales and Bataan.
The move is bannered by the Subic Drydock Corporation (SDC), which vowed to expand its operations to establish its facilities as a regional hub that would ultimately serve ship repair and maintenance needs.
According to USTDA deputy director Thomas Hardy, assistance to Subic Drydock Corporation (SDC) will fund a feasibility study to advance the Philippines’ capability to strengthen a strategic location along the Luzon Economic Corridor with trusted, US-aligned infrastructure solutions.
An agreement was signed at the USTDA-sponsored Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum in Manila last week on September 10, which gathered more than 600 investors, government officials, and industry leaders.
“The target here is to expand Subic Drydock Corporation’s ship repair facility in Subic Bay, advancing Subic as a regional hub for ship repair and maintenance along major maritime routes,” Hardy pointed out.
He cited that Subic Bay’s position along major shipping routes and its deep-water harbor have made it one of the country’s most important centers for trade and logistics.
He added, however, that growing demand for ship repair services has exposed capacity constraints that limit the size of vessels that can be accommodated.
Under the new assistance, SDC has tapped California-based DM Consulting Incorporated to conduct the study.
“The work will produce a construction-ready design package and financial analyses to support the extension of the facility’s approach pier, enabling it to handle larger vessels,” Hardy disclosed.
The study is expected to be critical in mobilizing financing for procurement and construction, a key step in moving the project from planning to implementation.
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