HEAD building tennis ball plant near Cagayan de Oro

TAGOLOAN, Misamis Oriental — PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority said it expects HEAD, which makes racquet sports equipment and skis, to start building a plant for tennis balls in Misamis Oriental next year.

“We are expecting… HEAD (to produce) 10 million balls each year,” Franklin M. Quijano, PHIVIDEC administrator and chief executive officer, told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new Gardenia Bakeries Philippines, Inc. plant here on Thursday.

“Our rubber can be brought directly to the company and be used (in its products),” Mr. Quijano said, noting that the plant represents a value-added activity for the Philippines.

According to Mr. Quijano, PHIVIDEC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HEAD, which is currently engaged in engineering and technical planning for the plant.

“This year is technical, next year hopefully is construction,” Mr. Quijano said.

He said that the industrial estate just outside Cagayan de Oro is about “one-half” full. The PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental (PIE-MO) is 3,000 hectares.

Mr. Quijano said HEAD is expected to take up four to five hectares for its plant.

PHIVIDEC is also expecting a Chinese firm to set up an integrated steel plant in the area next year, to occupy about 300 to 400 hectares.

“Not in out history have we produced steel from an integrated plant,” Mr. Quijano said.

Last year, San Miguel Brewery (SMB) started constructing a plant in PIEMO, which will have the capacity to produce 1.5 million hectoliters of beer. —