PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Tuesday that South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Philippines, Inc. will nearly double Philippine shipbuilding capacity when it starts operating the yard in Subic.
“With Hyundai Heavy Industries investing in Subic, our shipyard capacity will significantly increase from 1.3 million to 2.5 million deadweight tons, from handling four to five massive oil tankers to about eight of those ships,” Mr. Marcos said at the inauguration ceremony.
The President noted that between 2014 and 2018, Philippine shipyards produced 1.2 to 2 million gross tons of ships annually, before output fell in 2019.
Hyundai Heavy invested $130 million in its Philippine operations and employed 1,200 workers as of July 2025. Investments is projected to hit $180 million by year’s end and $230 million by 2030, creating up to 4,300 jobs.
“That equates to thousands of families with food on the table, thousands of workers with dignity in their craft,” Mr. Marcos said.
To meet demand for labor, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority partnered with Hyundai in November to set up an off-campus training facility in Subic. Twenty-four trainees have completed welding programs and joined Hyundai’s workforce, with over 100 more in training.
“We now have 16 training programs covering every discipline — from marine electricity to welding — so that the skills forged here meet the standards of any shipyard around the world,” Mr. Marcos said.
Malacañang said the shipyard underscores Hyundai’s “gratitude for the central government’s policy support” and aligns with the administration’s goal to make the Philippines a key player in global shipbuilding.
The President was joined at the inauguration by Public Works and Highways Secretary Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon and Secretary Frederick D. Go, the special assistant to the President for investment and economic affairs, Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa and US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
