Breakthrough in Filipino shipbuilding, aided by govt policy, global developments

THE story of the Josefa Slipways Inc. of Navotas exem

what spurred the BFAR to have its own surveillance ships was the Philippine territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. The two MMOV vessels were finished in 2017 and are now operational.

Among other ships built by Josefa Slipways are: the

the and the

Its latest achievement is the completion of the first roll- onrolloff ship made by a Filipino shipyard, the Isla Simara, on Aug. 20, 2017.

However much the company takes pride in having built Isla Simara, Louie de Dios, president of the Shipbuilders and Ship Repairers Association, and Engineer Arturo S. Balahadia, manager of Josefa Slipways, pointed out that further development of the industry is hampered by a lack of construction materials and heavy machinery, most of which need to be imported from China.

The Philippines needs to coordiUniversity Ship Equipment & Technology Co. Ltd. ( Heuship) initiated a collaboration to train Filipino engineers and naval architects on maritime research and engineering — a step in the right direction.

This story, among thousand others, also shows the centuriesold and continuing influence of Asian entrepreneurialism, ecosystems and networks on our successes today, and how we can continue to benefit from cooperation amid the disputes.

Now, we ask this question: What are the factors, skills and kind of support needed to go up the next level? Southeast Asian arts and culture: Ideas, forms and societies.

thrill-seeking wildlife hunters. Give it to Defense Secretary

sound the alarm the minute he was informed of the alleged sinking incident. It was his priority concern to secure the country from external aggression.

Give it also to Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo that he should immediately register his protest, demanding that China investigate the incident and punish the Chinese culprits as reported. But down the line, reactions to the incident take on the characteristics of movements in a fugue, whereby each, though taking place separately from the other, is an integral part, with the other movements necessary for pushing the entire symphonic sweep into the desired climax. As to what that climax is, nothing was

It was the uniform inclination characteristic of those expressing the reactions that betrayed what

Witness:

Former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario: What is obvious is that Goliath, the neighborhood bully, will continue to rear its ugly

China’s leadership accountable.

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio: The Filipino people must send a strong signal to China that any new “gray zone” offensive of ramming

Philippine Sea will mean a break of diplomatic ties with China.

Jay Batongbacal, director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs

- ing vessel) clearly ran through and

for themselves and possibly die.

Richard Heydarian, GMA 7 analyst and a fellow at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan: The critics of Duterte’s China policy are going to seize on this unfortunate incident to cast a shadow of doubt over his approach to the South China Sea (SCS). This is

China and could possibly sink Duterte’s ability to convince the people of his approach to Beijing.

***

If confined to the bounds of internal Philippine concerns, the positions stated above are well in place. They appear to uphold Philippine interests, particularly the safety and well-being of the Filipino people. Question is, is it true? That the del Rosarios and the Carpios, the Batongbacals and the Heydarians — do they all speak for the Filipino people? If they do, then it should behoove the President during that peak of the boat sinking crisis to take up that one single cry: avenge the injustice done on fellow Filipinos, to war with China!

If it were a street brawl where President Duterte found himself up against a throng of his enemies, he didn’t even attempt to deliver a counterpunch. He just took a beating from wherever it came.

Watch out against hidden thugs

This reminded me of an episode back in the early ‘60s when, together with other singer aspirant classmates, we would go for an audition for Eddie Ilarde’s "Student Canteen" on Chronicle Broadcasting Network, then housed in the building now occupied by

One evening we were on our way home from the

powerful. But that was Intramuros, a slums community, which, at the time was a notorious hideaway of the and and

Those street urchins would not have had the guts to confront me without prodding from the big hoodlums hiding in the dark. I had the presence of mind to realize that had I so much as offered a token of resistance, mean, big toughies would come swooping down on me and render me God knows what kind of terrible punishment. So I just stood there, taking the beating from the little kids. At the intercession of girl companions, even castigating my young assailants for their attitude, the boys stopped and hurried back into the dark. And we resumed our walk to the safety of the lighted Plaza Lawton.

The silence of the strong

Why was President Duterte so quiet that whole week of the explosion of the boat sinking crisis? Who are the del Rosarios and the Carpios, anyway, and the Batongbacals and the Heydarians whose punches could never be match to the awesome powers of the Philippine presidency? Yet, as the President’s critics derided him in unison, he didn’t even voice a squeak. Why? Because he realized that once he hit back, that would be the excuse for sending in the hoodlums hiding in the dark slums of geopolitics and thus, take

Here they are:

US State Department: China’s efforts to assert its expansive and unlawful maritime claims — including by using coercion and intimidation against other claimants and users of the SCS, undermines the stability of the region.

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim: We are totally committed to the obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty and we will live up to those

our defense leaders in Washington and Manila understand what is at stake and that when we encounter situations that will require our commitment to come to reality, I think we will deliver.

Collin Koh, a maritime security research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore: Beijing will have to cope with the chorus of outcry from the Philippine public. The pressure from this incident looks set to heap upon the Duterte administration to seek accountability from Beijing.

The President speaks

President Duterte broke his silence on the sea crisis: It was a simple maritime accident.

This was a complete reprise of China’s explanation of the incident.

Needless to say, the President fell

between the US and China over the South China Sea, “I am for China.”

As I said in my column yesterday, nothing is over until it is over. The President’s enemies appear intransigent in their desire to see him done in and so are non-stop in scheming things to bring about his damnation. To the President’s

— keeping his right senses. In yesterday’s issue of

the banner read, quoting the President: “Seeking US aid could lead to war.”

He won’t do it.