Agila Subic Shipyard

Coordinates: 14°49′01.4″N 120°12′20.2″E / 14.817056°N 120.205611°E / 14.817056; 120.205611
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Agila Subic Shipyard
Map
Location
CountryPhilippines
LocationSubic Freeport Zone, Subic, Zambales
Coordinates14°49′01.4″N 120°12′20.2″E / 14.817056°N 120.205611°E / 14.817056; 120.205611
Details
Opened2006
Operated by2006–2019:
Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines
2022–present:
Agila Subic
Vectrus
Philippine Navy
Owned by2006–2019:
Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines
2022–present:
Cerberus Capital Management
Statistics
Website
www.agilasubic.com

Agila Subic Multi-Use Facilities (also known as Agila Subic Shipyard; formerly the Hanjin Subic Shipyard) are a shipyard in Subic, Zambales, Philippines. It is located along the coastline of the Redondo Peninsula in Sitio Agusuhin.[1][2]

It was formerly owned and operated by shipbuilding firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines.

History[edit]

As Hanjin Subic Shipyard[edit]

A 20.766 TEU container ship (CMA CGM Louis Bleriot) and oil tanker (Levantine Sea) being constructed at Dry Dock no. 6

The Subic Shipyard was built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC–Phil), a subsidiary of the South Korean firm Hanjin Heavy Industries. HHIC–Phil received its first order to build a ship at the Subic Shipyard in 2006.[3] Construction of the shipyard began in early 2006[4] and its facilities were complete by 2009.[3] The first ship built at the Subic Freeport Zone, the MV Argolikos, was inaugurated at the Hanji Subic Shipyard in July 2008, in a ceremony attended by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The ship was also the Philippine-made container ship.[5][6]

By 2015, the Hanjin Subic Shipyard became one of the top ten top 10 shipbuilders in the world in terms of orderbook.[3] At one point, the Philippines is the fifth largest shipbuilding nation in the world, largely owing to the output of the Subic shipyard.[7] At its peak in 2016, the shipyard employed 35,000 people.[8]

Riddled with debt, HHIC–Phil filed for voluntary rehabilitation under Republic Act 10142, otherwise known as "An Act Providing for the Rehabilitation or Liquidation of Financially Distressed Enterprises and Individuals" on January 8, 2019 and laid off 10,000 of its employees retaining only 300 employees in the shipyard by January 2020.[7][8]

Agila Subic[edit]

Australian shipbuilder Austal and US-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management considered launching a joint bid to takeover the Subic shipyard.[9] Austal would later drop its bid to have a stake in the shipyard.[10]

Agila Subic became Cerberus' new partner, taking over the operations of the shipyard in March 2022.[11] Agila Subic is a Dutch venture consisting of four companies that are affiliates of Cerberus.[12] Accordingly the shipyard was renamed as the Agila Subic Multi-Use Facilities.[13]

The Philippine Navy began leasing the shipyard's northern section in May 2022.[14] American defense contractor Vectrus also moved in.[15]

Cerberus completed its acquisition of the shipyard by April 2022.[16] In November 2022, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority officials welcomed United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson and indicated they wanted to see American military forces return to the Philippine naval base.[17]

South Korean shipbuilding firm Hyundai Heavy Industries expressed interest to use the facilities within the Agila Shipyard for its commercial shipbuilding purposes.[18] They also have plans to establish a maintenance facility for the Philippine Navy ships within the shipyard, intended to maintain warships bought from the shipbuilder like the Jose Rizal-class Frigates and Philippine Navy HDC-3100 Corvettes.[19]

Facilities[edit]

The Hanjin Subic Shipyard covers an area of 300 hectares (740 acres) within the Subic Freeport Zone. As of 2015, it has a 500 m × 135 m (1,640 ft × 443 ft) dock, gantry cranes and an automated assembly line with 600,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) of annual shipbuilding capacity.[3]

Philippine Navy base[edit]

Naval Operating Base Subic
Part of Agila Subic Shipyard
Subic Freeport Zone, Subic, Zambales in the Philippines
TypeNaval base
Site information
OwnerPhilippine Navy
Site history
Built2022 (2022)

The Philippine Navy occupies the northern yard of the shipyard.[14] The portion is referred to as Naval Operating Base (NOB) Subic.[20] The navy has previously considered turning the shipyard into a submarine base.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bayarong, Anthony (March 25, 2006). "Hanjin builds $1-B Subic shipyard". Manila Times. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "Hanjin Shipyard Subic". JSLA Architects – Architectural Design Firm.
  3. ^ a b c d Remo, Amy R. (January 6, 2015). "Hanjin books $5B in sales in 5 years". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Empeño, Henry (December 10, 2008). "Hanjin launches 2 more container ships in Subic". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Sapnu, Ric (July 4, 2008). "GMA leads launch of first Subic-made container ship". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "First RP-built cargo ship inaugurated in Subic Bay". ABS-CBN News. July 4, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Empeño, Henry (January 19, 2020). "Hanjin, A Year After". BusinessMirror. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Venzon, Cliff (January 31, 2019). "Hanjin shipyard bankruptcy poses dilemma for Duterte". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  9. ^ "Austal, Cerberus team up to eye Hanjin's Philippine shipyard". Reuters. October 9, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "Former Hanjin Subic Bay Shipyard in Philippines Being Sold to Cerberus". The Maritime Executive. March 9, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  11. ^ "Cerberus-Agila taking over Hanjin Subic shipbuilding facility". Manila Bulletin. March 7, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  12. ^ Empeño, Henry (September 16, 2022). "Subic redux". BusinessMirror. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Fadriquela, Jerome (August 31, 2022). "PH-UAE defense industry at ship building partnership pinag-aaralan". TFC News (in Tagalog). ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Mangosing, Frances (May 26, 2022). "Navy makes strategic move to Subic shipyard facing WPS". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  15. ^ Verdejo, Genivi (June 1, 2022). "SBMA sees Agila Subic's takeoff". The Manila Times. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  16. ^ "US-based Cerberus acquires Hanjin shipyard in Subic Bay". CNN Philippines. April 22, 2022. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  17. ^ "U.S. military poised to return to Subic Bay, counter China's presence". Kyodo News. November 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "South Korea's Hyundai in talks to expand Subic Bay ship business". Nikkei Asia. May 15, 2023. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Details Regarding HD Hyundai's Plan on Setting Up Maintenance Facility in Subic". Pitz Defense Analysis. July 9, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  20. ^ Nepomuceno, Priam (June 29, 2022). "SoKor shipbuilder eyes maintenance depot in Subic: DND". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  21. ^ Nepomuceno, Priam. "PH Navy eyes Hanjin's Subic shipyard as submarine base". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved May 26, 2021.