Friday, February 27, 2009

Reactions from Vietnam

I am posting here Dannie's reaction/comment on 2 older posts as some of you might miss them.

1) On post titled My Steel Life - Nov. 27, 2008

Comment :
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 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.


2) On post titled Nursing, Anyone? - dated January 7, 2009

Comment :
Bong,

Daghan biya nga ex NSC nanguha ug nakatiwas pud sa nursing sama nila ni Vicente Lim, Dr. Vamenta ug Jojo Dulay. Pipila ra ni sila sa akong nabal-an. Naa pay lain siguro diha nga wa nako nabal-i. Naa puy daghan nga nakatiwas sa caregiver nga course. Busa di pa ulahi kung gusto ka naay second career.


Best regards,
Dannie

5 comments:

  1. Philiipines is not really a strategic place for steel business( for domestic use is ok but for export---?)Unlike other emerging asian neighbors are connected to each other,The handling,shipping of either raw materials and finish products is less expensive + the Bureauratic process and politics in the philippines(read the world bank report) is the reason big investors(US&Europe) are hesitant to come,
    Yes It's true that we had all the great talents & skill of our Kaibigans in steel manufacturing. at least we (filipinos) have demonstrated and shared our expertise and knowledge that we learned from our Beloved NSC.

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  2. What a painful realization in the way our talents were wasted and being used by others.

    Bong S.

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  3. Dan, these past years, I had the opportunity to visit steel plants in the region, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Korea, Australia, and the latest is Vietnam. To say deeply disappointed seems an understatement. Layo na gyud ta. While these countries advanced, we deteriorated. And that dream has turned into a nightmare. I actually have a detailed report of all the plants I visited in Vietnam. One of these days, I'll put it in my blog. Can I post your comment and photo in my steel connect blog?

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  4. Steelroller and Bong,
    As the old cliche goes..."where did we go wrong"?
    Nono,
    Looking forward to that blog in relation to Dannie's comment.
    Dannie,
    Thanks for your comments and allowing us to post it here.

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  5. Nono,

    My apologies for my much too delayed reply. Not to make this as an excuse, but there was no flag to prompt me into replying. Only now did I notice that there was a reaction.

    Anyway, you can cite my comments.

    BTW, the other steel plant I forgot to name is ESSAR that was supposed to put up a 2 MTPY hot and cold mill plants. Before I left Vietnam for good early this year, ESSAR was advertising for the hiring of personnel in Vietnam.

    There were other steel companies (other than the ones I mentioned) interested in putting up steel plants in Vietnam but to my knowledge, they were still in the feasibility study stages then.

    Emarene,

    Always a pleasure to add comments on your blogs.

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