PH Embassy in Canberra Discusses Cebu Shipyard Expansion with Austal

Austal Vice President Davyd Thomas (left) gives an update to Chargé d’Affaires Jim Tito San Agustin (right) of the Philippine Embassy in Canberra on the expansion of Austal shipyard in Balamban, Cebu in the Philippines. (Canberra PE photo)

CANBERRA 29 October 2018 — Representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra met with Austal Limited Vice President for Defense Davyd Thomas on 17 October 2018 to discuss ongoing expansion of Austal’s shipbuilding operations in Cebu in the Philippines.

Austal, an Australian designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships, has been building commercial vessels in its Balamban site in Cebu in the past six years.  Austal Philippines, which includes shipbuilding and service center, is manned by some 500 Filipinos serving as design engineers, construction managers and workers.

Mr. Thomas updated Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jim Tito San Agustin of Austal’s plans to hire an additional 500 workers in the next two years to support its growing market. The Balamban site currently manufactures vessels for export to Germany, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Spain, among others.

CDA San Agustin welcomed this news and said that, “this development highlights Cebu as the shipbuilding capital of the Philippines. The economic activity that this will bring, in particular the jobs that it will generate, is going to be significant to the growth of the region.” Austal invested US$20 million to double the capacity of its Philippine facility.

Mr. Thomas explained that, “your people build high quality vessels. We want to build your nation’s capital.” He added that Austal is taking the long-view in recognition of the strength of its Philippine operations and the demand outlook in the market for large high speed aluminum vessels.

At the ASEAN-Australia Summit held in March this year in Sydney, Austal CEO David Singleton informed then Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter S. Cayetano and Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez of Austal’s plans to expand its Cebu operations. END

For more information, visit www.canberrape.dfa.gov.ph / www.philembassy.org.au or https://www.facebook.com/PHinAustralia/.

 Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attache Col. Dennis Godfrey Gammad, Austal Vice President Davyd Thomas and Philippine Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jim Tito San Agustin. (Canberra PE photo)