(NI JESSE KABEL)

ILANG bansa na  may malalaking ship building companies kabilang ang US, Japan, South Korean, Indonesia, Australia at maging ang  Turkey ay nagpahayag ng kanilang interes na ipagpatuloy ang operations ng nauluging Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC-Phil).

Ito ang inihayag ni Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana nitong Lunes sa ginanap na National Defense College of the Philippines Alumni Forum “The National Security Outlook for the Philippines in 2019” sa  NDCP Compound, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Subalit nilinaw din ng kalihim anuman ang mangyari, nakahanda ang gobyerno na i-take over lalo pa’t inihayag ng Senado na paglaanan ng pondo ang Hanjin sakaling tuluyan na itong magsara .

“Hanjin shipyard (has) not actually filed for bankruptcy, it is just asking for rehabilitation, because the problem is cashflow, it is still building some ships here in the Philippines but it needs money to keep operating (on a) day-to-day basis so its still being in the works, however (the) Senate is already set aside some money for the eventuality,” paliwanag ng Kalihim.

Magugunitang inilantad na ng HHIC-Phils na may kabuuan itong utang na umaabot sa USD1.3 billion outstanding loans — USD400 million mula sa limang banko sa Pilipinas at USD900 million mula naman sa mga  South Korean lenders.

Kaugnay nito, dumulog ang nasabing  shipbuilder sa gobyerno para humanap ng investors na may kakayahang mag  take over sa operation ng  shipyard sa Subic gayundin ang  pag ayuda sa mga mangagawang maapektuhan ng kanilang financial problems.