Aboitiz group plans $3.6 Billion USD fund raising for Coal Fired Plants

The Aboitiz Group is preparing to raise debt to fund three coal-fired power plants with an estimated cost of $3.6 billion.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures chief finance officer Stephen Paradies told reporters they are finalizing project financing for three plants located in Davao, Subic and Quezon.

Paradies said the company is likely to fund 75 percent of the required total investment for the three power facilities from the local debt market.

 "We hope to close a deal with banks for at least one project before the year ends," he said. The balance of the required investment will come from equity.

Paradies said AEV had cash of around P30 billion as of end-June this year.

The planned 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant that will be built by Aboitiz Power subsidiary Therma South in Davao is expected to cost around $650 million.  The group plans to secure P18 billion to P20 billion in debt to fund the project.

For the 600-megawatt facility in Subic, a joint venture with power utility giant Manila Electric Co. and Taiwan Cogeneration through Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., Aboitiz Power intends to borrow P36 billion to P40 billion to fund its 25-percent share.  The project will cost about $1.2 billion.

Aboitiz Power may also have to raise $600 million for the 400MW expansion of its coal-fired power plant in Pagbilao, Quezon.  Cost per megawatt is $2 million for a total project cost of about $800 million.

Paradies said the company is confident it would at least match last year's financial performance after posting good first semester results that saw a 16-percent rise in net income.

Aside from power generation and distribution, the Cebu-based Aboitiz clan also has interests in banking, food production and real estate development.

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Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd Japan, Cemedine Co. to Starts operation in the Philippines

Furukawa Electric Company Limited - China

Japanese manufacturers are making a beeline to the Philippines due to its young, English-speaking labor market following a rising yen at home and risk factors like floods and political changes in other hubs.

Electronics firm Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. and adhesives maker Cemedine Co. Ltd. are the latest to invest with a combined 1.016 billion yen in initial capitalization alone. This brought new Philippine investments by major Japanese companies to at least 16.51 billion yen so far this year.

• Fukuwara Automotive System Lima Philippines Incorporated a wholly owned unit of Furukawa Electric's subsidiary & Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc. (FAS) also recently established in the Philippines which will start its operation by March 2013 with a capitalization of 1 billion yen to make wire harnesses for Japan-made automobiles. FAS said in a report that increasing demand for its products made it put up a "first step" export hub in the Philippine for its Asian expansion.
• Cemedine Philippines Corporation of Cemedine is another  new Japanese firms to be established in the country with a capitalization of 16 million yen to manufacture and sell adhesive, ceiling and related products by April 2013.

Also setting up the following new facilities by 2013

• Bandai, the toy maker of Power Rangers and Gundam fame (744 million yen)
• Fujifilm Corporation which will make optical lenses for digital cameras, projectors and surveillance cameras in Laguna (2.3 billion yen);
• Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd - electronics components maker. (620 million yen).

Expanding their Philippine presence are Canon Inc. and Brother Industries Ltd., which are set to make printers with initial investments of 6 billion yen and 4.23 million yen, respectively.

These companies are targeting Asia, Latin America and Europe for exports, according to the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines (JCCIP), which has 500 member-companies. As Japanese manufacturers locate in the Philippines, their suppliers will follow suit. This would create a supply chain that would attract a wider range of manufacturers and suppliers, JCCIP vice president Nobuo Fujii said.

Analysts said the Philippines has high-quality labor with lower cost and more stable growth compared with China or Vietnam. Transportation distance to Japan is also shorter from Manila and while Thailand has been a traditional choice for manufacturing expansion, the flooding that further hit supply chains that suffered from the triple tragedy in Japan in 2011 has made companies seek alternatives.

To nurture the Philippines' supply chain, Trade and Industry Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio said in a phone interview that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) helped in marketing not only the major manufacturers but also their suppliers in a bid to nurture the Philippines' supply chain. Exports zone locators also get incentives such as income tax holidays and exemption from duties on imported capital equipment.

Fujii also expressed hope that Japanese firms would soon be able to monetize billions of tax credits that were due way back in 2002 and 2003. He said the JCCPI was awaiting the schedule and rates to be provided by the Bureaus of Internal Revenue and of Customs. A tax credit is a rebate or refund of import taxes and duties paid to the government by a firm or manufacturer registered with the Board of Investments for raw materials, supplies and semi-manufactured products it has brought abroad to produce the goods it will export thereafter. To facilitate the refunds, the JCCPI has long been urging the Philippine government to implement a more flexible tax rebate system by allowing cash refunds, cross utilization and fast releases at par with those of other Asean economies.

The DTI and the Japanese Embassy have jointly reported that despite "difficult situations" the two countries faced, particularly in 2011, trade volume between the Philippines and Japan increased to ₱382.7 billion from ₱335.4 billion in 2010. Japan remains the biggest investor in the Philippines, with total investments of ₱77.4 billion last year, ₱19.1 billion more than ₱58.3 billion in 2010.

Asian Development Bank senior country economist Norio Usui has said in a presentation that manufacturing investments are good for the Philippines as these create more jobs than other sectors.

Nomura Research Institute's Kengo Mizuno and Yoshihiko Iwadare have recommended that the Philippines target non-semiconductor electronic products (printers, multifunction peripheral, projectors, scanners, digital cameras, etc.) makers, shipbuilders, and their suppliers as potential investors.

Japan International Cooperation Agency economist Toru Yoshida said that although foreign direct investments across Asia plunged in 2009 during the global financial crisis, the Philippines lagged behind its neighbors in terms of attracting investors. However, the Philippines could take advantage of rapidly changing global conditions (labor issues in traditional manufacturing hubs, supply chain disruption due to Asian floods, hyper-appreciation of the yen that made firms look for new sites) to present itself as a new growth area.

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Philippines Master Class crowned - 2012 China Open with a Brilliant 11-9 Win over Taipe’s Lu

 

A PROMDI pride, son of a poor fisherman born and raised in Bislig, Surigao del Sur Eastern Mindanao, Philippines;  the Champion - Dennis Orcollo making another Asian wave in the International Pool competition at Shanghai China's 2012 Open.

Island of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines is also a home of the World Famous Boxing Champ Manny Pacquiao, International beauty Miss Shamcey Supsup and many other world titles crowned from the land of Promise "The Mindanao.

With a grand finale performance that spoke of true greatness, the Philippines Dennis Orcollo capped an amazing week in Shanghai, winning the 2012 China Open Sunday afternoon with a brilliant 11-9 win over never-say-day Lu Hui Chan of Chinese-Taipei in front of several hundred people at the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium arena.

Anyone who witnessed Orcollo's efforts out on the TV table today realized soon enough that they were watching a virtuoso at work.  Brilliant creative shot making, tenacious offense and defense, terrific concentration and the ability to absorb pressure were all on display from the 33 year old Filipino. The match nearly became a runaway but the fact that it wasn't spoke more of the courage of Lu, who did himself proud by battling back when it looked like he was finished.

But the beauty of Orcollo's massive victory in China didn't emanate from this one match. Orcollo spent the last four days grinding out some of the most hard core wins of his career. The field that descended on Shanghai was deep and at every turn players were leaving pieces of themselves out on the tables.  Orcollo actually lost his first match in the group stage 9-8 and had to win two tight matches on the losers' side to make it to the round of 32.

In the knockout stage which began Saturday, Orcullo put in yeoman's efforts in taking down three top Chinese players, all of whom brought their A-games to the arena. Today in the semi-final, Orcollo whipped Taiwan's red hot Chang Yu Lung.  And when it came time for the final, the Filipino was primed and ready. And so was Lu.

The match was high quality from the start as the pair split the first six racks, complete with two break and runs each and with both players potting extremely difficult balls.

It was then that Orcollo decided to put his foot to the floor as he went on a seven rack tear, executing creative combinations, kisses, rail first kicks and pots. Up 9-3 he was clearly in the zone and putting on a master class.   

Chan could have easily given up hope but he stood his ground and managed to get two back to move the score  to 9-5. He then cleared when Orcollo scratched off the break, and then broke and cleared to get the score to 9-7. Orcollo countered to get to the hill and then so did Lu. Lu applied serious heat when he forced Orcollo into a foul and cleared to make the score 10-9.

With the pressure mounting Orcollo sucked it up and waited for his chance, which came in the 20th rack after Lu left the two ball showing.  The run out wasn't easy but since nothing this week had been it seemed only fitting.  When Orcollo sank the final 9 ball, he looked skyward, then bent over with his face down on the cloth for a few seconds as the emotions--exhaustion, elation, disbelief--came pouring out. 

Clearly overjoyed, Orcollo afterward knew he had taken his game to another level this week in Shanghai. And he planned on making sure to remind himself and others for a long, long time.

"I feel great. This tournament is definitely more difficult to win than others that I've played in. It's really hard. There are so many good players here. You have to play consistently to win. I played really good all week. I was comfortable, I had good concentration, a good plan. I made sure not to show my emotions.

"This is the first time I played almost perfect from beginning to the end of a tournament. I lost my first match 9 - 8, then I win my next match 9-7, then qualified by winning 9-8. So when I qualified, I have a lot of confidence after that because I played good against good opponents.

"This is the first time I win a pro event in China. This is a big day for me, a wonderful day. This is the most special win of my career. It is amazing and I will never forget this. This trophy is going to go right in middle of my living room."

For winning the 2012 China Open, Orcollo pocketed $40,000. Lu took home $20,000.

Final Result

Dennis Orcollo(PHL) 11 - 9 Lu Hui Chan(TPE)

*The World Pool and Billiard Association(WPA) is the governing body of the sport of pocket billiards. The 2012 China Open is being sponsored by Star Tables, Andy Cloth, Fury, Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong.

By Ted Lerner, WPA Press Officer - 2012-09-16

AZBilliards.com 

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