SHIPBUILDING firm Austal Philippines Pty Ltd. is tapping Aboitiz Construction, Inc. as its local contractor, once the former bags the contract to build vessels for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The company said in a statement Wednesday it recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the local unit of the Australian shipbuilder. Under the contract, Aboitiz Construction will be the local contractor of Austal should it win the project from AFP.
“We believe that we can pursue the bid with Aboitiz Construction as our preferred local contractor for this endeavor,” Austal Philippines President Wayne Murray was quoted as saying in the statement.
Austal earlier said it expects the AFP to decide by the end of the year on its bid to provide six offshore patrol vessels to the Philippine Navy.
For the partnership, Aboitiz Construction said it will handle the cutting and fabrication of the steel hulls of the vessels that Austal will build.
Aboitiz Construction President and Chief Operating Officer Alberto A. Ignacio, Jr. said the company’s record of repeat international orders for its fabrication services will prove its capability to deliver for the project.
“We are equally optimistic about this partnership as we further demonstrate our growing capability as a trusted local contractor for international customers, further enhancing our brand promise to advance business and communities,” he was quoted in the statement as saying.
Last year, Aboitiz Construction and Austal also entered a partnership for the expansion of the latter’s shipyard in Cebu, which covered the design and build of six assembly bays for the facility. The project was completed last month.
Aboitiz Construction is targeting to boost its revenues by the end of the year to P6.5 billion from P5.5 billion last year, driven by the continuous expansion of its client base. — Denise A. Valdez
