Proudly Cebu made: Balamban shipbuilder launches first-ever pure car, truck carrier

Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Incorporated launched its first Pure Car and Truck Carrier - Single Screw Roll On/Roll Off Car carrier last November 3, Friday, in Balamban town.

The Pure Car and Truck Carrier has a capacity of 5,100 cars or 4,300 cars and trucks. It has 12 decks and has a service speed of 19.3 knots. Its length is 170 meters, breadth of 32.2 meters, depth of 34.8 meters, full loaded draft of 9.6 meters and a gross tonnage of about 52,400 tons.

The car carrier is not something that gets ordered everyday. It is quite expensive to construct, and there aren't very many of them plying the seas, this was learned from officials of Tsuneishi. Like the other ship launchings prior to that of last Friday, the event took place just as the tide was at its highest level for easy launch. Even the wind speed had to be monitored to the last minute. With Divine Providence, everything went out smoothly as planned.

Such event was significant because the last time a Pure Car and Truck carrier was launched, the ship reportedly haplessly tipped to its side. So, when Tsuneishi did it right the first time last Friday, its engineers went wild with glee cheering at such a feat.

The ceremony began with the playing of the Philippine National Anthem, followed by Norway's and that of Japan's. Norway is the country of the company that ordered the ship from Kambara Kisen Co., Ltd. of Japan with Mr. Makoto Kambara as chairman. Mrs. Sachiko Kambara, the wife of the chairman, did the cutting of the ceremonial line.

Foreign dignitaries and several officials from the Naval Forces Central Command and the Central Command, along with their families, attended the launch so to witness a significant moment in Philippine shipbuilding history.

As Tsuneishi launched its first-ever Pure Car and Truck Carrier, the global shipping industry took notice. And as a fitting footnote, Tsuneishi is now working on its second order.

While it is true that the technology employed as well as part of the capital outlay came from Japan, workmanship and craftsmanship are purely provided by Filipinos, and noted to be distinctly a masterpiece of Cebuanos. - Clarence C. Martinez and Alfonso V. Alvarez/MEEV