PRRD distributes lands to North Cotabato farmers

KIDAPAWAN CITY - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the distribution here of the Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of North Cotabato province on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 29, 2018), telling beneficiaries to use the land so they could get out of poverty.

Public Attorney's Office won't use PNP autopsy report on Santillan case

MANILA - The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) will not use the autopsy report conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) over the slain security aide of former Biliran representative, Atty. Glenn Chong, once it files a complaint against policemen involved in the slay.

Iliganon family remembers tragedy 7 years after 'Sendong'

ILIGAN CITY - Seven years after surviving the tragedy that killed his three children, Andres Lasquite is now serving as a lay minister in San Roque Parish in Barangay Hinaplanon here, one of the 33 villages that were badly hit by tropical storm "Sendong" (Washi) on December 17, 2011.

China firm to invest $4.4-billion in Mindanao steel plant

Photo shows the officials of the project proponents after the MOU signing: (Seated from left) are HBIS chairman Yu Yong, Huili Investment Fund chairman Meng Xiaosu, Trade Undersecretary for Industry Development and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and Steel Asia chairman and CEO Bejamin Yao.  Winessing the signing are: (Standing from left) Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (center), China Embassy of the Philippines counselor Jin Yuan (fourth from right) and Hebei Provincial Government of Chine vice governor Li Qian (fourth from left).

MANILA, Philippines (15 Dec. 2018) - One of the world's largest steel makers from China, HBIS Group Co. Ltd., is set to invest $4.4-billion to build an integrated steel complex in Mindanao.

During the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) yesterday for the implementation of the project, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the amount to be spent by HBIS would be the biggest industrial investment from China to the Philippines.

The MOU was signed by HBIS Chairman Yu Yong, Huili Investment Fund Co. Ltd., Chairman Meng Xiaosu, Steel Asia Manufacturing Corp., Chairman and chief Executive Officer Benjamin Yao, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and Board of Investments managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

HBIS, a whole-state-owned company in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, is the second largest steelmaker in China and third largest in the world, producing appliance grade and automotive grade steel products.

Huili Fund, meanwhile, is a private equity firm based in Beijing, China, specializing in investing in real estate, finance and industries with a competitive edge.


Steel Asia, a top rebar producer in the Philippines, has six production units located in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The project to be implemented by the parties, will occupy a 305-hectare land inside the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Mindanao, with Atty. Franklin M. Quijano, as Administrator and Chief Executive Officer, at its helm.

It will have facilities related to port operation, sintering, coking, pelletizing, iron-making, steel-making, and steel rolling.

Phase 1 of the project covers the production of 4.5 million tons of hot rolled coils (HRC) and 600,000 tons of slabs with $3-billion worth of investments, while Phase 2 involves increasing the steel manufacuring capacity to eight-million metric tons.

Construction and ramp-up period of the project is expected to take three to five years.

Lopez said the project would create 10,000 jobs in the first phase, and about 40,000 jobs in the next phase.


"This project is very important to our industrial development and will allow us to pursue President Duterte's vision of having a globally competitive integrated iron and steel industry to support the growing economy, alleviate poverty, and to create jobs for every Filipino," Lopez said.

He said the project would also help reduce the trade deficit by as much $2.3 billion in Phase 1 and up to $4.4-billion in succeeding phases.

"With this integrated steelmaking facility, the country will be able to capture a large part of the value [chain] for the manufacture and assembly of appliances, automotive assembly, construction materials, shipbuilding, heavy equipment manufacturing, among others," he said.  [Louella Desiderio, The Philippine Star]

Congress grants extension of martial law in Mindanao until Dec 31, 2019

QUEZON CITY - For the third time, Congress on Wednesday approved the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to further extend the implementation of martial law and suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in the island of Mindanao for one more year.

Balangiga Bells now in Japan, en route to Manila

MANILA - All three Balangiga Bells are now in Japan on the eve of its official return to the Philippines on Tuesday, December 11, 2018, the United States embassy in Manila said Monday.

Duterte asks Congress for martial law extension in Mindanao

Metro Manila - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has asked Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year upon the recommendation of the military, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed on Friday.