Thursday, November 27, 2008

My Steel Life - by E Delid

Standing L-R: Jim Toledo, Wilque Esteves, Boy Lee, Dennis Saniel,
Nono Delid, Boy Blanco, Jun Valdellon
Sitting L-R: Sammy Marohombsar (+), Alvin Gravador, Fred Galvan


Unfortunately or fortunately, steel is still my life.

I transferred to Manila, and got more immersed in it. While in NSC we were more production focused, this time it is the whole scope of the steel industry that I am involved. While I manage one of our Production lines, I'm active sa market, and sa DTI BPS. I circulate in this world, including policy formulations, product standards, DTI hearings, and foreign supplies, together with price and technology movements. Besides getting inside information from Global steel, we are updated because we also monitor this. Pirme kami gabanggaan sa mga $#@* nga mga Indian diri sa Manila. Wish I can tell you what is happening there at Global and what they're doing. It is a sad story.

I also have a blog I named steelconnect kay sa steel pa gihapon ko. 2 weeks ago, I was in Vietnam and visited some plants there, including a cold mill. Incidentally that plant is near Bluescope steel where other former NSC employees are working. I was not able to meet them though.

We, the manila based are in touch still especialy pagme balikbayan mag abot. Nia diri si Bibi A., Gigi and Francis P., Fred M.,, Wing, Meong M.,, Doods C., etc. Sa Batangas, sina Vince E., Mike A., Andre E. Sa Steelcorp si Soriano, Hynson, Sanoy. Last August, Makati Mktg organized a 1st ever reunion of Makati, Pasig and Iligan NSC. Laraya, Narciso, Gomez, Robles, Dizon, Soriano, Manseras, Monsada, and a lot of others attended. Daghan nag attend especially Makati people. Bibo. Sana nga daw maulit uli.

6 comments:

  1. Nono,
    Thanks for this entertaining piece. All the rest I will keep as a secret. LOL.
    Hopefully, ang imong mga kauban dire sa picture mo respond/comment and will keep the ball rolling.
    Emma

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  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  3. Rey,
    I moved your piece to the posting.
    Thanks a lot.

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  4. Tnx for posting the picture. That was taken inside the complex of Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Burns Harbor Plant, Portage, Indiana; spring 1986. Oh, memories!

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  5. Nono,

    I had a look at your other blog in "steelconnect". Unfortunately, there was no mention of any details on your visit with the other other steel plant (presumably Phu My Flat Steel) near BlueScope Steel which Antit Macatol and yours truly worked.

    Anyway, just to give a little perspective on the status of the steel industry in Vietnam, the following are some of the latest updates:

    1. Korean owned POSCO Vietnam located within the general area of the Phu My 1 industrial zone which you visited is currently commissioning a continuous pickle line dovetailed to the 5 stand 6-high tandem cold mill, continuous annealing line and a recoiling line. The reported capacity of this new 5-stand cold mill is 2 million tonnes per year (MTPY). Target commercial run will be on September 2009.
    2. A single stand reversing cold mill is currently being put up beside the Phu My Flat Steel in partnership with Vietnam Steel (owner of Phu My Flat Steel) and 2 other investors. The capacity is about 350,000 tonnes per year.
    3. Another hot mill & cold mill complex is planned to be put up by an Indian investor (the company name escape me at this time) with about the same capacity as POSCO Vietnam of 2 MTPY.

    Why am I enumerating this? This just shows how far the Philippines has lagged from other Asean neighbors. If others are "naghihinayang" about what happened to the erstwhile NSC, I am very deeply disappointed. Whatever happened to our plan to put up an integrated steel plant is now nothing but a dream and continues to become a nightmare as we regressed our development. It won't be long when we really will be the sick man of Asia.

    Should there be a gathering of former NSC colleagues soon, I'd certainly try to be there.

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