Steel Connect

Unpredictable US tennis Open

2009-09-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Last night, I watched the replay of the ladies final between former champion but now unseeded Kim Clijster and Danish teen sensation and 9th seeded Caroline Wozniacki. The former is trying a comeback after more than 2 years of leaving the tennis scene in favor of marriage and motherhood. The latter, fresh and good looking, trying to enter into big time and make a name despite her already top ten ranking. Who would have thought that these two ladies would make it to the finals, particularly kim who admitted that she was just trying to feel again the big scene therefore not expecting much. But as the tourney progress, and her march also progressed, it was evident she still has what it takes to be a champion. And who else could beat the Williams sisters in the same tournament? And this is the story of the US open, unpredictability as in making history. With her victory, Kim became the ist mother champion since Evonne Goolagong of Australia in 1980. And Caroline made Denmark in the world map of tennis by becoming the first Dane to reach a final in any major.

Clijster may not really be an unseeded player to win this Open. She was a wild card but her seeding defied her true stature. Remember Goran Ivanosevic of Croatia? Also a top player in his time but never won big until Wimbledon of , was it 2002? He was also unseeded, barged into the tourney proper as a wild card. But he went on to win that tournament in a historic marathon 5 set match that left him and his opponent ( just forgot who was it) truly exhausted after rthe match.

The unpredictable again happened this morning. I woke up past 6 in time to see del Porto taking the tie break in the 2nd set with Federer, a hands down favorite to win a record 6 consecutive Open, taking the upper hand in the ist. Then the crucial 3rd set, close as it is, but with del Porto serving and giving the set to Federer through 2 successive double faults. I thought that was the sign and soon it will be over and the usual face raising the champions cup. From 2-4, Federer came back to take the lead at 5-4. At del Porto's serve, it came to 15-30 and the suspense was seemingly coming to a climax. Two points more and it will be over. But even at that moment, del Potro still appeared dangerous with his power serves and crosscourt passes and Federer appearing vulnerable. And it indeed came to another tie break which the young Argentine also won. T'was already 8 and time to go to office. By the time I arrived at the office at 9, came my wife's message: del Potro dethrones Federer. Oh no! But yes. Finally, the inexperienced but talented big man from Argentina won his first ever major title and also the first for Argentina since their great Guillermo Vilas won in 1977. Fittingly, Vilas was in the stands, witnessing history in the making. For this moment, Argentina will cry for them no more.

Drama, controversy, history... well that just make the US Open great. How I wish in the near future, I could watch it live at Flushing Meadows.

25 Years Ago in Moscow, USSR

2009-07-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

July 20, 1984
Moscow, USSR

Twenty five years ago today, the world celebrated the 15th anniversary of man's landing on the moon, and Miss Gloria Diaz's crowning as the first Filipina to win the Miss Universe crown. There was no such celebration much more euphoria that day when we arrived in Moscow from Zaporozhye (Ukraine). It was after all, the age of space race, and this time around, Russia lost to America in their race to put man in the moon. We were homeward bound, after 4 months of in-plant training in Zaporohztal Works and other big steel plants all over USSR. By the graciousness of our hosts, (UNDP, Moscow), they book us last to leave, a good one week stay at Rossia Hotel with nothing to do but count the days and explore the city.

Moscow was all white when we came in March, the minus 10 degree C considered already as spring time, not winter time. Now the city is in bright summer, the boats merrily cruising along Moscow River, passing the walls of the Kremlin. This is the sight we always watched every afternoon.

Moscow is big and beautiful, rightfully the capital of the mighty Soviet Empire. Here lies the greatest symbols of its power; the Kremlin and Red Square, and the famous Lenin Mausoleum, where its top leaders stand and view the greatest parade they perform every year, in celebration of the Great October Revolution, marking the communist rise to power from the czars. Red Square, ancient as it is and deriving its name from the Russian word, "grazeba", meaning beautiful, is the mother of all squares in this world's largest country. It continued to amaze us, enclosed by St. Basil's cathedral at the south end ( this cathedral is itself a beautiful work of art and architecture), the Kremlin and the seat of power at the westside, the GUM shopping mall ( Russia's largest) in the east, and the north entrance where downtown Moscow starts. From the restaurants in Rossia Hotel, we would view its splendor in the night, with another famous attraction, the changing of the Red Guards at Lenin's tomb.

Everyday then, we would accompany our co-trainees to the airport for their flight home, to Brazil, India, Peru, Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Mozambique, Laos, Egypt, etc. When it was our turn, there was nobody left to bid us goodbye.

We left Moscow on a bright summer afternoon on July 26, 1984 for our trip back home via Bombay (India) and Singapore. I was at the window seat, the sight of the city from above I kept on staring. Images of our 4 month stay keep on flashing; predicting that in the near future at the turn of the century, something big which will rock the country and the world will happen. Finally, just as our Aerofloat plane was about to be lost in the clouds, I muttered in silence, "Dosbedanya, Russia. Spaseeba, Spaseeba Bolshoi." (Goodbye, Russia. Thank You. Thank You Very Much)

Tennis in my Steel Life

2009-07-08T02:31:00.000-07:00

Tennis was and still is an important part of my steel life. And this holds true also to many of my former steel colleagues who also got hooked in this beautiful game.

Tennis was introduced to us at National Steel Corporation (Iligan City, Philippines) sometime in the early 1980's by the then newly appointed NSC President, Jose Ben R. Laraya, JBL to us. Many of us, men and ladies, instantly got hooked that the first tennis court built was just not enough to accommodate these budding and aspiring tennis players.

It's funny to recall that we would quarrel, argue, or what not on the time slot, pairings, etc. On Saturdays, some would camped out overnight just so they would have the first crack of slot the next day. Then, another court was added. Still it wasn't enough. By then, tournaments were held on different class levels. We were then in awe and got inspired by the first class players every time they played. Bettings, in kind or cash, was not unusual.

Everytime JBL would come to Iligan, tennis in the evenings was a required schedule. Meetings were adjourned at 6pm and would resume after he would finish playing. At first, he played against the other managers and executives. But as a serious competitor himself, he could not somehow get satisfaction from these officers with their limited skills to match his and his passion to a good, real tennis game. In due time, he chose the first-class players as his partners and opponents where he could really enjoy the game. That time, too, tennis, together with other sports, like NBA, would be our language, in and out of work.

On rainy days, JBL and us got disappointed. So he approved the construction of a roof where we could play anytime and uninterrupted, come rain or shine. We were proud to say then that our shell clay court was the best tennis court in Mindanao. Then a third court was added.

Around Iligan, tennis also flourished. Big games were held in Bacayo Courts in Rosario Heights, in Benitez courts in Palao, In mSU-IIT, in Sanitarium hospital, in Tubod, etc. Camoy Palahang, who later became a stand out in the Philippine team was just then a promising young boy. Many outstanding players were noticed. Surprisingly, they came from towns in Linamon, Tubod, Bacolod, Kapatagan, and even across Misamis Oriental.

It was the era of Borg and McEnroe, then Lendl and Wilander, Becker. Until Agassi and Sampras came. For women, there was Navratilova, Austin, Seles and my favorite, Steffi Graf. Now it's Federer, Nadal, Murray, and company. In the women's draw, the Williams sisters, Henin, Cljisters, Sharapova, Ivanovic, Safina, Dementieva and other Russian ladies.

Tennis is indeed royalty. I do not play it anymore, though I hope I could in the near future. There is a tennis court near our neighborhood and it's just a matter of going back to it. Meantime, I do not miss the games on TV especially the Grand slam events. I grew up with it as I grew up in my world of steel.

Michael Jackson, The Steelworker's Son

2009-06-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to learn from CNN that the father of Michael Jackson, the man who drove them to music, is a retired steel worker. And when it was further revealed that he was born in Gary, Indiana, wow, I said to myself, there goes Michael Jackson's steelconnect.

I could easily surmised that Joe Jackson, the father, had worked in US Steel, Gary Works. Fifteen miles from Gary Works is Bethlehem Steel, Burns Harbor Plant. This is where we stayed and trained from February 28 to May 9, 1986 in the operation of Blaw Knox 5 Std cold rolling mill which our company. In fact, days before our training ended, some of our co-trainees from the production group were allowed to visit the Gary Steel plant. When I learned that I was not included on the list to go there, I decided to visit my relatives in New Jersey. I took a Greyhound bus from Howard Johnson in Portage for a short trip to Chicago's O'Hare airport. I could not forget that ride, for I rode alone, and I remember too well where we made a one city stopover: Gary, Indiana.

Gary, Indiana is a steel city near the border of Illinois (near Chicago) and Indiana. It is in fact a city built by steel. It was named after Elbert H. Gary, then the president of US Steel who in 1900's, built this steel mill along the sand dunes of Lake Michigan. Soon after, four other big integrated steel mills, namely, US Steel, Bethlehem Steel, Inland Steel, LTV, and National Steel were built along the shoreline of Lake Michigan stretching 50 miles between the Illinois Stateline and Portage.

I have fond memories of this tiny county, Portage. During our stay there, our official address was 164 Oak Tree Park, Portage, Indiana, a subdivision of mobile houses where mostly retired and old Americans live.

In those early years of steelmaking, steel was king in Indiana. In its heyday, Gary Works accounts for a little more than half of US Steel group total operating production. For many years, it was also the center of automobile industry, not Detroit, Michigan whom we knew is home to the Big 3 auto companies.

I don't know if these steel mills are still there and operating. Starting in the 80's, US steel industry has declined and until now, it has not yet recovered to its once lofty position as one of the world's greatest steel manufacturer.

MJ's father, Joe Jackson, may have seen the writings on the wall early; just as we also experienced and felt in our days the downfall of National Steel Corporation. So he jumped ship and dedicated his time and effort to developing his children and making one of them, Michael Jackson, a music icon, a pop legend. How he pushed his son(s) to stardom is another story.

Michael Jackson of My Time

2009-06-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

It's not difficult to relate to the worldwide outpouring of grief and tributes to the fallen music icon whom they call the " king of pop". After all, he lived in my time and I grew up with his music and artistry. He was 5 and I was 8 when he started to anchor as lead singer of a "brothers act" known as the Jackson 5. The rest is history.

In my teenage years, we would mimic his falsetto voice and studied in guitar their songs which we would sing in private and in gatherings, including caroling. To cite my favorites, Happy, La la la Means I Love You, I'll Be There, Ben, Maybe Tomorrow, Music and Me, and of course Little Drummer Boy, and Give Love on Christmas Day which I would still sing every Christmas.

His One Day in your Life came out in my senior year in college, at the time when we were grappling with the thought that soon we'll be entering the real world and part with friends. His melancholic " Out of My Life" somehow reflected my own love life in those days, so how could I not feel sad and sentimental when now it is being played and replayed all over again?

Then came the 80's and by now going solo, Jacko hit the top. Discos were filled with his signature danceable hits, Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller, the highest selling album of all time, with over 50 million sold out copies. To me he revolutionized or even originated the MTV.

As a young professional by then, we hooped and wooped it out. They say he broke up the barriers of race and culture, black and white, as his songs transcended all these. He also somehow broke up political ideologies. I was in Communist Soviet Russia in 1984, the year the Thriller album was released. Anything Western, including music, especially American were of course a disdain to the Communists. But I would often hear Billie Jean in the air waves, and that alone was already phenomenal.

Heal the World, the song he said he would dedicate to the Filipino people was a message universally addressed to the world (in addition to the 1984 We Are The World Single of USA for Africa which he and Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones composed). Heal the world, make it a better place for you and for me. This is the song which our group, Philipine Institute of Chemical Engineers (PIChE) , Iligan Bay (Philippines) Chapter sang with glee and passion during the fellowship night of the PIChE National Convention which we co hosted in Cagayan de Oro City.

I write this tribute to Michael Jackson, not the man (for I didn't like his private life) but the musical genius who had touched those of us who lived in his time. He was up there in the hierarchy of music legends, along with the other genius whom I adore, the Beatles.

We've been together for such long time in music. Now he's out of our lives. His was not a small way to change the world. We'll surely remember him and his place, one day in my, in your life.

The Beginning of My Journey to Steel (Life)

2009-04-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

It all started 33 years ago today on April 21, 1976 when barely a month after my graduation in college with a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, I, together with 25 other young engineering graduates from prestigious schools in Visayas and Mindanao were formally welcomed to National Steel Corporation in Iligan City. We were selected from among thousands of other engineering graduates who survived the tough written and panel interviews. We were officially called Industrial Engineers assigned to the Industrial Engineering Department, an elite think tank of the company doing standards, methods, and economic analysis in practically all aspects of the business and operations of the company.

Our batch was indeed "star-studded". We were all honor graduates, with a summa and a number of magna, and cum laudes. For the next 18 years, I would stay with the company. We were honed and exposed in managerial, technical, human resource, training and organizational development, marketing, corporate planning, and financial and economic aspects of steel business. Many of us were trained abroad sponsored by JICA, AOTA, UNIDO/UNDP and equipment suppliers, plus our own company sponsored trainings and seminars. I myself had the privilege to undergo a four-month training in Russia and a two-month training at Bethlehem Steel in Indiana, USA. During those years, we were not just witnesses to the company's rise and fall but we were in fact actively involved in all of these endeavors, from concept to implementation and maintenance. Those of us who stayed longer spent perhaps our best years in our professional lives.

In the next few years, National Steel Corporation would recruit more IE's (and later on EMT's or engineering management trainees). This was in preparation for a larger operation of an integrated steel plant. This was a dream, conceptualized in the early 1950's by our predecessors and dreamed about by those who came later, us included. Sadly, until now, this remained a dream. And for those of us who experienced those glorious years of expansion and activities, it is utter disappointment and frustration to see how the steel industry in the Philippines has gone on a backward direction when most of our neighbors have gone a tremendous leap towards integration and industrialization.

Many of us are now in foreign soils, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc. A number are still left in the country, many in the Metro Manila area. This dream is the bond that binds us of our past, present and perhaps optimistic that in our generation, that dream will still be realized. THE DREAM LIVES ON.

Holy Week Memories of Russia

2009-04-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

We returned to training class in Zaporozthahl Training Center the day after we arrived from that enjoyable and educational trip to Kiev. Though we've been away only for a short period, so many changes it seemed happened especially in our surroundings. The plants and the trees had grown again and the leaves appeared so full of life compared to those early days of our arrival when they looked dead and lifeless, covered with snow. It was a beautiful springtime and a Holy Thursday. But there is no holy week in Russia.

Before Lenin and the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, Russia was a Christian orthodox country. Testaments to this were the beautiful and grandiose cathedrals with magnificent domes (often gold plated) and exotic architecture. The czars and their empresses were closely related by blood with the monarchs of central Europe and in those olden times, intermarriages between relatives in monarchies were common. Even at present time, it is not uncommon to see women with crucifix necklaces worn publicly, despite the ban on religion.

In our hotel, which is always frequented by tourists from East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, etc. (the so called Communist bloc), I would often see elderly women wearing such necklaces. At one time at the elevator, just to show to these women that I am also a Catholic, I greeted them with the only words I know they would understand: "Viva El Papa John Paul." They were surprised yet fully delighted to return the same compliment.

Still feeling the Kiev hangover and to break the boredom of the training class, Mike and I found a reason not to attend the next day's class. Every Friday, our three Egyptian and one Pakistani classmates would excuse themselves from class before noon and return to our hotel for their Friday noon prayers facing the direction of Mecca. We always tease them about this but we understood and respected it. So we asked permission from our training director, Comrade Soroko, invoking our Catholic faith and religious practice.

So, on that Good Friday, April 20, when everybody in the city didn't seem to know about it, we rested and prayed in our hotel.

Note: Photos of the cathedrals are HERE.

Kiev, April 15, 1984

2009-04-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

My Motherland Statue

Kiev Subway Train Station

Almost a month after we settled down in Zaporozhye, we arrived in Kiev on a beautiful spring morning of Palm Sunday, 25 years ago today, for a 4-day visit to this capital of Ukraine, then the 2nd most prosperous among the 15 republics of the USSR.

Having obviously lost contact with the outside world, I didn't even remember it was already Holy Week. Booked at Hotel Ukraine, our first impression of the city was good. It was clean, with more beautiful buildings and sloping, hilly streets, some of cobble stones

St. Andrews Cathedral, Kiev

Kiev is an old city, and the 3rd largest city of the Soviet Union after Moscow and Leningrad. It is a city of parks (there were 150 of them all), monuments and memorials, just like any other city there. Places we visited were the Arc of Friendship (where Kiev was founded) overlooking the famous Dneiper River, Prince Andrew Cathedral, the Marinsky Palace of the Czar, War Memorial, Ukrainian Parliament, Chekovsky University, a 100,000 sports complex (home of the Kiev Dynamo Football Club), and the vast Exposition of the Industry of the Ukraine. There were no plant visits this time; it was a purely social and cultural trip, which we liked.

But we equally enjoyed our "on our own" adventures in the city, mingling with the people, drinking in bars and cafe's or just standing idly along the street pavements, enjoying the sites of people passing and couples kissing.

At dinner on our first night, we were delighted to hear for the first time, attendants greeting us "Dobre Becher" (Good Evening!). Service however was still the same. Slow.

St. Sofia Cathedral, Kiev

Kiev was more urban, in fact quite Western in some ways, with more foreign tourists roaming , mostly though from the European Eastern Bloc nations.

It was an eventful visit. Events in later years would prove historic for this seat of Ukrainian power after the disintegration of the mighty Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The EU RoHS Compliance

2009-03-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a prospective customer conducted a supplier audit of our company; business process, raw material and finished products, quality control, procurement system, etc. This customer is into the manufacture of electrical equipment mainly exported to Europe, specifically Germany. Thus beside assessing our management systems (our company is certified to both ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 Quality and Environmental Management Systems), focus was also on our being "EU Compliant on RoHS Directive".

RoHS ( Restriction on Hazardous Substances) Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and European Council, published on February 13, 2003, restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It states that by July 1, 2006, products sold in the European Union member states must be made free of these substances.

These hazardous substances were identified as Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Hexavalent Chromium (Cr +6), Brominated flame retardants Polybrominatedbiphenyl (PBB) and Polybrominateddiphenyl ether (PBDE).

The issue on lead actually made headlines sometime ago when it was discovered that the maker (in China) of a popular US toy brand were found to have beyond tolerable levels of lead. Just recently also, on primetime Phillippine news, thousands of slippers for children of a popular brand were cut to pieces and destroyed by government regulating agencies and thousands more were recalled from the market shelves because of the presence of lead used in the paint for the slippers.

When an Indian Steelman Saw Maria Makiling

2009-03-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Our company recently bought a new welder for our Continuous Galvanizing Line (CGL) from Kriton Weld Equipments PVT, LTD, an Indian company based in Makarpura, Vadodara, some 400kms from Mumbai. It is a limited overlap seam welder to replace our old and original Japanese overlap spot welder. Test run was conducted late Saturday afternoon (March 14) and when we resumed operations Monday morning(March 16), our operators were already operating it normally. So far we got what we wanted; a wastage normally due to overlap and zinc drag of only 3-4 inches wide from the previous of more than 1 meter for every weld portion. Over time, we would know its performance as far as weld strip break is concerned.

Mr. J, the electrical engineer sent by Kriton to train and oversee the commissioning run was just all praises for our production and maintenance personnel whom he said were fast learners. In just a day or two, he declared that he has nothing more to do but wait for his scheduled flight back home this Friday, March 20. A pure vegetarian, he does not have any problem with food either, since another Indian (living near our plant and a friend of our employees) is preparing for him. Somehow, this reminded me of my visit to Kolkata seven years ago and how I cope up with Indian food.

We took him to nearby Los Banos to see Mount Makiling's nature endowed eco-tourism places. We went up to the Philippine High for the Arts and admired its panoramic view of Laguna de Bay and Laguna environs. Makati's skyline in fact were even visible. There at the peak, inside the unfinished amphitheater, we had our Indian lunch of basmati (rice), chapati (bread), dal (monggo), cord (yoghurt) and bengam bharta (vegetable dish).

After that filling lunch, we dropped by Pook ni Maria Makiling, a resort area with cottages and Olympic size swimming pool surrounded by age-old trees and vegetation. The peace and quiet are definitely an attraction.We toured UP Los Banos and I always have this comforting feeling every time I set foot in this school. Then we took our Indian visitor too to IRRI (International Rice Research Institute). We told him that the rice scientists from Thailand and Vietnam credited for the success of their countries' rice production all studied in this institute.

He enjoyed his nature trip but will be going back to India, with his mind boggled about the phenomenon and mystic of the Magnetic Hill. Incidentally and this has to be confirmed by others, especially scientists, we discovered a shorter version of magnetic hill somewhere along the many slopes near the school of arts.

Our last stop was an ice cream merienda at the famous Dalampasigan, a floating restaurant by the lake. Mr. J's place is very far from the sea, and seeing the kids enjoying their summer swim in the lake, murky the waters maybe, somehow, like any foreign visitor, he could see the richness of our country- from the mountains to the sea. They may have "Incredible India" but amazing Philippines have " more than just the usual."

A Day In My Life in Russia

2009-03-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Twenty five years ago today, on March 20, 1984, I arrived in Moscow on a very cold winter morning (7am Moscow time; 12 noon Manila time) to attend the 27th UNIDO/ UNDP Fellowship Program in Iron and Steel Industry at Zaporoztahl Iron and Steel Works in Zaporozhye, Ukraine. I was one of the two engineers representing the Philippines (both of us were from National Steel Corporation in Iligan City) with 15 other engineers from 9 other developing countries attending this 4-month training program. It was my first foreign travel and I traveled alone (my other colleague would follow a week later), and the jitters of experiencing all the firsts in my life I would never forget.

It was a long trip. I left Manila the day before at 3pm bound for Singapore. Here, I would change aircraft, (from Philippine Airlines to Russia's Aerofloat) and had a brief stopover at New Delhi (India) where I was almost left behind. I could not forget the stewardess announcement as we were about to land in Moscow.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in a few minutes, we willl be landing at the Shereyetmevo International Airport. Ground temperature is 10 degrees below zero. Welcome to Moscow."

Below, I could see airport and police personnel on guard, in thick fur coats and hats, the red insignias prominently visible. At the arrival area, for the first time in my life, I felt a sense of helplessness. Nobody spoke English; I could not understand a single Russian word nor comprehend what they were saying. The only word that made sense was "NYET" which I understood to be "NO" because I took out a trolley which the guard prevented me from taking. I was fortunate, a kind European lady helped me in filling out Customs and Immigration papers.

I was expecting and looking for somebody to meet me. But when everyone else had already gone out, I decided to go out also. Just then, a stocky medium height guy approached me and asked "Are you Mr. Delid?" When I answered back, "Yes I am," he offered his hand and introduced himself. "I'm Oleg. I'm from UNIDO. I have come to meet you. Welcome to Moscow." I felt a big big relief.

In the taxi, I asked,"Mr.Oleg, the aide memoir says it's springtime now. But it's still winter." He replied, "Mr. Delid, to the Ukrainians, it's still wintertime. But to the Muscovites, it's now spring." It seemed to me then that Ukraine is far and different from Moscow. Events later will tell that indeed, they are a different people and two different republics.

I stayed in Rossia Hotel, reputedly then, the largest hotel in Europe with 3000 rooms. It was a stone's throw away from the majestic and famous Kremlin and the Red Square. I slept the whole day. In the evening, I joined my classmates from Peru and Yemen for dinner. With the Red Square and Lenin's tomb in the background, we toasted for our safe arrival and wished for our pleasant stay for the next 4 months.

Reaction from Vietnam

2009-03-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

I'd like to share the following comment from a former colleague who is now an expat working in a galvanizing plant in Vietnam.

This is his reaction to my post about Vietnam.

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.

ASTM Standards for Galvanized Steel Products

2009-03-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

Our sales people often ask me a common question among our customers in the construction industry; that is, whether our galvanized steel products conform to ASTM A 525 whose complete descriptive title is Standard Specification for General Requirements for Steel Sheet, Zn-coated (Galvanized) by the Hot-dip Process. Another standard similarly asked is ASTM 446 for Standard Specification for Steel Sheet, Zinc-coated (Galvanized) by the Hot-dip Process, Strucutral (Physical) Quality. The latter is the standard specs commonly quoted for Metal Decks or Steel Decks.

The answer to this is, both standards are not anymore used by ASTM. In my copy of the 1996 edition of ASTM Book of Annual Standards, Volume 1.06 Coated Steel Products, it is thus explained; to wit, "Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee A-5 on Metallic Coated Iron and Steel products, this specification was discontinued in 1994 and replaced by Specification A 924 for General Requirement for Steel Sheet, Metallic- coated by the Hot-dip Process and Specification A 653 for Steel Sheet, Zinc-coated (Galvanized) or Zinc-iron Alloy-coated (Galvannealed) by the Hot dip Process.

In newer versions of this ASTM Book of Standards, such explanation can not anymore be found, leaving those who do not know the background wondering what happened to these standards. On the other hand, it is quite surprising and a pity to say the least that 15 years after these standards were discontinued, awareness and dissemination on the newer applicable standards are left wanting.

ASEAN Steel Industry Amid the Global Economic Meltdown

2009-02-25T02:51:00.000-08:00

2008 saw the steel industry in the ASEAN region going in dramatic upward and downward situation. The first half was a significant growth and the 2nd half a massive downturn. Overall for the year however, it still posted an increase, thanks mainly to the high performance in the first half of the year.

According to the SEAISI Newsletter, January 2009 edition (South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute, or SEASI), apparent steel consumption in the first half of 2008 was estimated to reach 25.2 million tonnes, an increase of 10.2% from the 2007 record. The steel output on the other hand was estimated to reach 15.2% or 13% increase year to year. Imports increased by 13% to 15.6 million tonnnes while export was up by 28% to 5.6 million tonnes.

The same article reported that of the 6 nations (ASEAN 6, namely, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines), Indonesia recorded the highest growth rate at 24% to 5.5 million tonnes. Other nations that posted an increase in consumption growth are Thailand (13.6% at 7.45M), Vietnam (10.5% year on year to 5.3M), and Malaysia (5-6% to 4M). On the other hand, Singapore and the Philippines experienced negative growth rates. Singapore's consumption decreases by 12% to 1.8 million tonnes while the Philippines registered a drop by 9.5% to 1.57 million tonnes. Philippine production though increased by 20% to 1 million tonnes but imports dropped by 34% to 0.66 million. When the negative impact of the global crisis started to sink in, i.e, steel prices sharply went down due to weak demand, many steel producers around the world including those in the ASEAN resorted to production cutbacks.

Their report concluded that despite the slowdown in the 2nd half of 2008, overall apparent steel consumption of the ASEAN 6 increased by 4-5% to 45-46 million tonnes, mainly due to the high consumption experienced in the ist half of the year.

How Thick is Your GI?

2009-02-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

I just had a talk with an esteemed former colleague from National Steel Corp (Iligan City). He's now managing a drum-making plant somewhere in Northern Mindanao. Our discussion centered on his query on what could be the technical reasons why for a given GI sheets order, there is a huge and significant difference on prices between suppliers. He is buying GI sheets for their drums and he was comparing the quotations submitted.

I explained the common "technical" reasons relating to price difference. First is on the actual base metal thickness used. While the nominal thickness maybe the same, the actual maybe different and very far in comparison. The use of the old nomenclature describing thicknesses as say Gage 18 for example is misleading. For one, just what is Gage 18 really? Ordinary consumers may not really know what it is really as long as their supplier says it is Gage 18.

In the old book, The Making and Shaping of Steel, Gage 18 is actually MSG ( Manufacturers Standards Gage) Gage No. 18 which corresponds to 1.214mm. But in reality, thicknesses as low as 1.0mm to as thick as 1.4mm maybe passed off as Gage 18. A steel coil with 1.0mm actual base metal thickness will yield more sheets than a coil with 1.2mm actual thickness, thus can command a definite price advantage. This also commonly happens in GI for roofing sheets where the most popular size of Gage 26, which is supposed to be 0.4mm ( originally it is 0.455, then reduced to 0.426mm) would now be 0.35mm and below. With the Metrication system implemented a long time ago, this practice of naming sheets as Gage 18, 31, 26, 16, etc should have been stopped and instead the direct nominal thicknesses as 1.2mm, 0.2mm, 0.4mm, 1.4mm, etc should be used. In the PNS (Pilippine National Standards) and all other international standards, like ASTM, JIS, ISO, etc, the latter is specified

The second factor is on the actual mass of coating. A coating of 100gms/m2 (Z 100) would definitely be price advantageous than a coating of 140gms/m2 ( Z 140). It should be noted that in galvanizing, cold rolled steel coil (CRC) raw material and zinc comprise the bulk of production cost.To get therefore a real comparison, actual apple to apple comparison is needed.

My "Scary" Valentine

2009-02-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

T'was Valentine 2005. My wife decided a simple celebration- a movie date at Glorietta 4 (Ayala Center, Makati); the title of the movie I could not now recall.

I left our plant office a little before 5 for a 1 to 1 1/2 hour drive to Makati. We had hoped to catch an early evening screening time so we still can have a late dinner when the dining crowds thin out. A little past 6 then I was already traversing EDSA Magallanes.

The shortest route would have been to go left to Pasay Road (now Arnaiz Ave) where just a few meters away is the Park Square 1 parking area. Back then however, from 4 to 9pm, traffic here was one way going out to EDSA. So I went straight to EDSA Ayala, made a U turn and turned right on a strip between Dusit Hotel and SM Makati. I passed by a line of buses cramped on MMDA's fence wall, waiting for passengers coming from the back of SM Makati, below the Ayala MRT station. Just as I was about to turn right, some 30 meters away, I heard a very loud deafening explosion. For a moment, I came to an abrupt brake. At that first moment, I thought my tires blew up but I sensed nothing abnormal about the car.

Just then, I saw people running towards the direction of the buses. I then decided to immediately drive away and went up straight to the nearby parking area at Park Square1. Up there, at every floor people were running, cars lining up for exit. I still didn't know what was happening. When I looked down, I was surprised to see streams of people crowding the roads, rushing to the Glorietta malls exits while security guards started to close down the entrances to the malls. The guard at the parking area told me, a bomb exploded at MRT station. By then, I knew my wife was already inside the mall, perhaps at the cinema lobby. I frantically called her to stay where she was while running and rushing past the guards towards the entrance of the mall. I thought I should get inside before they completely close down the mall.

I did not panic, nor at that time felt scared. Somehow, I have borne witness to several bombings when I was still in Iligan City and bomb threats then were not strange. From the food court overlooking the MRT station and the Intercon Hotel, we could see police cordoning off the area, people were shooed away from the site and traffic came to a standstill in that area. There was still no news about the extent and other details. Inside, the shows went on so we still went to our movie date.

After the show, we went towards the direction of Landmark. At a corner store across Shangri-La Makati, we saw people converging, watching TV. Curious, we joined the group, only to find out that it was a news coverage of the bombing.We were aghast to see the damage brought by the bombing. It was no ordinary bombing. It intended to really kill.

The next day, it was all over the news. It was horrible to see the remains of the bus and terrifying to imagine what became of the passengers inside. A car that passed by the bus at the time the bomb exploded was also severely damaged. It could have been me. I missed it by a hairline, thank God. I was at the same spot just 2 or 3 seconds earlier.

It was a terrorist attack, the investigators concluded. A lovely Valentine evening turned bloody.

BPS Technical Committee on Flat Steel Products

2009-02-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

The Technical Committee on Flat Steel Products, otherwise known as TC 64 was finally convened for the first time this year last January 30 at the Bureau of Product Standards Conference Room, 3/F Trade and Industry Building, 361 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City. The main agenda was the formulation of the work program for 2009, but most important in this program is the final resolution and adoption of product standards for galvanized roofing.

The technical committee is the technical arm of the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) in charge of formulation, review, and development of product standards. When promulgated, such standards become a Philippine National Standard (PNS) which will govern the production, distribution, and sale of such product. The TC 64 is composed of representatives from various sectors, namely, the manufacturers, government agencies, testing centers, and the academe. When needed, other sectors like the consumers, and other authorities are likewise consulted.

The manufacturers are represented by Filipino Galvanizers Institute (FGI), Puyat Steel, Union Galvasteel Corp., Steelcorp/Philsteel, Sonic Steel, Tower Steel, Galvaphil, and AC steel. Government agencies include the National Housing Authority(NHA), DTI- Construction Industry Authority of the Phil(CIAP), Metals Industry Research Development (MIRDC). Mapua represents the academe and SGS Phil represents the private sector testing center. A BPS Project Manager serves as the overall coordinator of the group.

So far, the committee has approved the following product standards ready for promulgation.

PNS 127:2004 Cold-reduced steel sheet of commercial and drawing qualities- Specification
PNS 1990:2004 Hot-dip zinc coated carbon steel sheets
PNS 2003:2004 Continuous hot-dip zinc/5% aluminum alloy coated steel sheets
PNS 1993:2004 Continuous hot-dip 55% aluminum/zinc-coated steel sheet of commercial,drawing and structural qualitites.For resolution and promulgation is PNS 67:2008 Hot-dip metallic coated steel sheets for roofing-Specification.

I have been a member of this committee since 1998 and the chairman of its Working Group subcommittee.

Australia Still On My Mind

2009-02-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

I love Melbourne. To my mind, it is the most livable city. It is an urban city yet laid back, not similar to the razzle and dazzle of many urban cities. It is clean, green and generally peaceful. Its shops close early at night; its night life is tame compared to even Manila's nightlife. Its architecture is magnificent, typically classical European, specifically French and British inspired. It is a city abundant with fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products, including meat, of beef and lamb variety. Outside the city, I saw vast green lands on both sides of the highways, cattles and sheep grazing, with only a few vehicles going along or opposite our direction.

I underwent training orientation on the operation of atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) at Varian Techtron's main plant and laboratory at Mulgrave, Victoria, outside Melbourne. Our company bought a unit which will be used to analyze aluminum, zinc, and other elements of our kettle bath of our then newly operated continuous galvanizing line. There were 5 of us and my co-trainees came from Makban (Laguna and Tiwi, Albay) Geothermal Plants and Cebu Water District. All these companies also bought new Varian Techtron units, and our training was part of the package.

I also had the opportunity to visit the Pasminco office (Pasminco was once our suppliers of zinc ingots and a major supplier in the Southeast Asia region) where I had an educational technical discusion with Mr. Mike Ainsley, Pasminco's head of technical services in our region. Pasminco was once the world's biggest zinc producer supplying over ten percent of the global output.

My Pasminco visit was capped by a trip to their zinc smelter plant in Hobart, Tasmania, a small island down south of Melbourne.There I learned that the first exiles from England arrived and settled there before eventually moving to the mainland. And that the famous Tasmanian Devil could not be found in Tasmania. It was in Hobart though where I ate the biggest oysters I had ever seen. Over lunch at a restaurant by the wharf, after engaging a large plateful belatedly knowing it was just an appetizer, I could not have imagined how I managed to still take the main course. Perhaps a bottle of wine each for us with Mike Ainsley proved helpful. Another adventurous sidetrip was a car drive to the island's highest mountain, Mt. Wellington. It was amusing to see the tall pine trees along the curved road becoming smaller and shorter as we went up, ultimately becoming a bonsai up there.

Outside Melbourne, I visited the Furphy Metal Center, a steel fabrication plant specializing in the fabrication of galvanizing kettles. Their company slogan of "Good, Better, Best" was prominently displayed on their plant's walls.l I evaluated their capability to supply us with our requirement; mainly from the technical/quality point of view. I examined their quality records, from mill test certificates of their steel and electrode chemical composition to non-destructive tests, e.g. ultrasonic tests, magnetic particle and dye penetrant tests, etc. I was also able to observe their fabrication process, especially the cold bending process where plates as thick as 50mm(2 inches) are bent and how they were subsequently stress relieved.

There was also this zinc ash recycling plant which i visited within the city itself. It is interesting to note that our zinc wastes, namely, dross and ash, are converted and recycled into high value raw materials for rubber, paint and even pharmaceuticals. At that time, our dross and ash generation were significant in volume and their zinc content still high which made it favorable for this plant. However over the years as we gained experience and knowledge and skill our dross and ash generation were drastically reduced that exporting them to Australia became not feasible.

The last days of my stay in Melbourne was spent with a close friend and fellow Jaycee from Iligan City who settled there 5 years before. We then had a great time roaming Melbourne, from toboggan skiing to mall visits, to boat ride along the Melbourne river and going to the Victoria market for some famous cheese.

The day I left Melbourne, a Saturday, thousands of visitors from nearby New Zealand were roaming the streets, riding the city trams, boozing in sidewalk bars, etc. It was said that almost 30% of New Zealand population descended to Melbourne. They were there for the much awaited rugby match later in the evening between their New Zealand All Blacks team against the Aussies Wallabies team. It was all in the papers. The people in the market were talking about it. It was a great sporting event at that moment.

I took a Sunday midnight trip back to Manila via Qantas Airways. As I approached the check-in and pre-departure areas, I thought the place was noisy, booming, and seemed crowded. I found out that they were the Kiwis who went to see the game and were now going back home. I saw big, wide bodied, tall and seemingly brown skinned (but definitely not white) people. I was told they were from the race of the original natives of their place. The kind, we here in the Philippines and also Australia call aborigines.

Australia On My Mind

2009-02-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Two events dominated my time and attention over the weekend; and both involved only one subject, Australia, otherwise known as the country Down Under. First was the just concluded Australian Tennis open Championship and the second, the movie simply titled Australia.

The first was a great and historic sporting event, capped by the scintillating win of power playing 2nd seed American Serena Williams over a hapless 3rd seed Russian Dinara Safina and finally a classic 5 set thriller in the men's final, won by Spaniard Rafael Nadal, the world's current No. 1, over No. 2 Swiss Roger Federer, not too long ago the dominant player in the tennis circuit.

It was a heartbreaking loss for Federer who entered the match favored by many past champions to equal Pete Sampras' all time 14 Grand Slam Championships. He broke down unabashedly during the Awards Ceremony, watched by an appreciative and roaring full house crowd in and out of the Rod Laver Arena and viewed by millions of tennis fans all over the world. It was a scene which also made my 9-year-old kid cry in sympathy, despite the fact that all throughout the tournament and the final game, he was rooting for his favorite, Rafa Nadal.

Friday evening, while Nadal was struggling against fellow Spanaird and Davis Cup teammate, Fernando Vesdasco in a gripping and epic 5-set-semi-final thriller played in a record 5 hours and 14 min (the longest match in Australian Open history) , my wife and I were watching at a Greenbelt 3 moviehouse one of the most talked and awaited movies, Australia, starring our favorite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, themselves both Aussies.

The movie was a touching story about Australia's aboriginal history and its past separation policy, not unlike the slavery and apartheid issues of the US and South Africa. It was only last year, as the movie's epilogue took note, that the Australian government thru its Prime Minister formally apologized to its aboriginal people for the treatment and this policy. It should be remembered that Cathy Freeman, a champion runner of aboriginal ancestry, who lit the Olympic flame 8 years ago during the opening of the Sydney Olympics, a symbolic gesture of Australia reconciling with its past.

I was in Melbourne many years ago doing several job-related missions for our steel company. My 1-week stay there during the cold winter of July 1997 was the connection of the two recent events to my steel journey.

Stay tuned!

Woody Manner and His American Dream Car

2009-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Flashback: 1986: Bethlehem Steel, Burns Harbor Plant, Indiana, USA

Woody Manner was a retired cold rolling mill operator of Bethlehem Steel and was working as a BIEC/USX consultant. (Bethlehem International Engineering Co./ US Steel Consultants). Standing at over 6 feet and well past 60, he's from Baltimore who spent the best and the longest years of his life in a steel plant.

We met Woody Manner in spring of 1984. We were sent by our company, National Steel Corporation to train on the operations of Bethlehem's 5std cold rolling mill which we bought. From March to May, daily except on weekends, we would meet Woody in a mobile house converted to training center inside the steel complex. He was our lecturer, trainor and mentor.

Woody drives a big American car, a Chevy 6 cylinder (or was it 8 cylinder?) with wood grain dashboard and interiors. He loved this car---big, long, spacious, but most of all, fast and powerful. He would brag to us about this to which we would always sneer and reject. "But Woody, it's gas muzzzler. And why would you like a fast and powerful car when you can't run it at top speed because you have speed limits. Bring it to the Philippines and you can run it to your heart's content. The limit there is just according to you to your limit."

But Woody then would not budge. To him, Americans love big American cars.

Woody's story somehow reminds me of the crisis American car companies are facing today. His attitude in fact sadlly reflected why the Americans lost their grip in the automotive market to the more efficient and convenient Japanese cars. Moral of the story? Well, look up continuous improvement and what does this really mean.

Pittsburgh and Iligan: A tale of Two Cities

2009-01-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

They were once called the steel cities, Pittsburgh in the US and Iligan in southern Philippines.They were cities built by steel. Iligan started in the 1950's and Pittsburgh a century before that. As steel is considered the backbone of the nation, they have contributed tremendously to the progress of their countries and heavily impacted on the lives of many citizens. People from all over flocked and migrated in these cities. They were then the boom cities. Sadly, not anymore today.

I was part of that history. I spent the best years of my life in Iligan. We lived and breathed steel then. Like many who came before and after us, I was a migrant hooked up to the world of steel. I joined National Steel Corporation in the mid 1970's right after earning my chemical engineering degree. I thought I would eventually retire there. We were then the toast of the company. We dominated the social and economic life of the city by our sheer number and financial capability and our youth's adventurous activities. True, there were other major industries there: cement plants, coconut mills, refractories, power plants, chemical industries, etc. But Iligan was National Steel country. When NSC sneezed, Iligan caught pneumonia so to speak. That was the roaring 70's and the 80's, our time.

Is there life after steel? While Pittsburgh is undergoing a successful transition from its fabled steel past, Iligan seemed to live still with its past. Now owned by the Ispat group of India headed by the "other" Mittal, NSC was renamed Global Steel. But it is only in name that it seemed global. It is only a shadow of itself; a far shadow in fact. Gone are the hustle and bustle of men, machineries, equipment, transport both land and sea, etc. Hundreds of its best and brightest are now in Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and the Midlle East. A significant number settled in Manila and neighboring cities and those who remained in Iligan can do only so much.
It was a lost glory.

Sadly, its present state reflects the state of the steel industry in the Philippines. Instead of moving forward like what our neighboring countries did, it went the opposite. The dream of an industrialized Philippines via iron and steel integration appeared hopeless and lost. The steel industry in the Philippines is and had not been a priority in the country's state of affairs. Quo vadis?

The Russia-Ukraine Gas Row and My Russian Diary

2009-01-28T06:12:00.000-08:00

The recent feud on gas supply between the Moscow and Kiev governments which threatened and affected Europe's own gas supply amid the cold winter season evoke memories of my unforgettable experience in this once mighty superpower called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). I once attended the 27th UNIDO (UNDP) Training for Iron and Steel engineers in Zaporozhye, (Ukraine), USSR from March to July 1984. I was with a group of 17 other engineers from 10 developing countries and one of the two Filipino engineers representing our country.

It was post Brezhnev and pre-Gorbachev time. Glasnost and Perestroika were then unheard. It was Tavareesh(Comrade) Chernenko's era. When I arrived Moscow on a cold freezing day of March in 1984, I couldn't forget the voice of the stewardess of out Aerofloat flight originating from Singapore with New Delhi as stopover.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just landed at the Shereyetmevo International Airport. Ground temperature is 10 degrees below zero.Welcome to Moscow."

In our taxi to our hotel, (the Rossia Hotel, just overlooking the Red Square, at that time was reportedly Europe's largest hotel with 3000 rooms), I was complaining to Oleg, the UNIDO guy who fetched me. "Mr. Oleg, but I thought it's already spring as per the aide memoir!" His answer was strikingly remarkable, as it dawned on me that not all people in the USSR were Russians. "Mr. Delid, to the Ukrainians, it's still winter time. To the Muscovites, it's now spring."

We were based in Zaporozhye, a large industrial city in the southwestern part of Ukraine, with Zaporohtahl Iron and Steel Works as our base plant. This was an integrated steel complex with about 20,000 workers. All throughout our 4-month stay however, we traveled far and wide the soviet territory to such cities as Kiev, Krivoi Rog, Zdhanov, and Odessa, all parts of Ukraine and Moscow, Liepitz, Cherepovets, and Leningrad, all parts of Russia. Many of the largest steel mills in the world were found in these cities. In all of these visits, one of the things that stuck to our minds was the abundance of gas and minerals. So abundant that even in our written and verbal reports and informed discussions, we would then report that there was no such thing as energy conservation there. There was no need for it. They had lots of it; excess in fact. And we were not referring only to our usual enercon programs of shutting down lights and airconditioning when not in use. We were talking about energy usages on big and various reheating furnaces, etc.

I bid goodbye to Russia on a warm sunny afternoon in July 1884. But as I looked out of the plane's window, trying to catch a last glimpse of this beautiful city by the river, I could then sense that in not too far future, something big will happen that will transform again this country, something in the scale when the October Revolution of the early 1900 took place. Finally, when all I could see was a blurred vision of the city, I closed my eyes, took a long deep breath, and silently told myself; "Doshbedanya, Russia. Spaseeba. Spaseeba Bolshoi." (Goodbye, Russia. Thank you. thank you very much.")

That was 25 years ago. Now they have split up into two different nations under different leaders. Obviously, they have to split up too these resources. But they are still interconnected with pipelines that stretch far and wide to Europe. Fortunately enough before the dispute erupted into a full blown crisis, diplomacy worked and the situation hopefully will return to normal as before.

Philippine National Standard for Galvanized Products for Roofing

2009-01-26T01:54:00.000-08:00

There is now a new director in charge for the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) in the person of Atty. Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba who came from DTI's Consumer welfare and Protection. He replaced long time BPS Director Eng'r. Jesus L. Motoomull as a result of reshuflling of assignments at DTI.

Last January 21, Atty. Dimagiba convened the industry representatives and technical committee ( TC 64) members for a get-to-know-you session, at the same time discuss the status of the product standard for galvanized steel for roofing application. For a long time now, this standard was not yet settled, hence implementation and enforcement apparently is also on hold.

Last June 28, 2008, the former BPS director already signed the standard recommended by the TC 64 but implementation was put on hold since no implementing rules and regulation (IRR) among others were promulgated.

During the meeting, discussions were again made especially on the issue of total coated thickness (TCT) vs. base metal thickness (BMT), mass of coating and service life on the instance of Steelcorp which persistently endorses the BMT approach , as contained in their recent memo ( dated last week) to the the new director in charge.

As a long time member of the TC 64, this seems to me a repeat of the many and countless instances in the past years that this was tackled and agreed upon by the TC members. Nevertheless, the meeting ended with a positive and promising note as clearly proclaimed by the new director.

The new director wants this product finished, approved, promulgated and implemented in 2 months time. He therefore instructed the TC 64 to immediately convene next week to proceed and finished this long overdue product standard.

Vietnam’s (Steel) Outlook

2008-12-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

The 10 million MT local demand was forecast by the government to reach in 2010 but this was already achieved in 2007. The next target is 20 million MT in 2020. Going by their rate of expansion, and barring major and prolonged market crisis, this is very much achievable.

At present, the government has already given a go ahead business permit approval (including the necessary environmental permits and clearances) to 5 big companies to undergo and build integrated iron and steel plants by way of blast furnaces. These are PT Essar and Tata Steel from India, POSCO from Korea and the Tycoon Group from Taiwan. It has likewise given mining permits to develop and extract iron ores in at least 2 different locations identified to have enough reserves of this raw material.

Downstream, all the plants we visited and similarly the others too are poised to go on further expansions. Their sites are ready, their plans are in place but got stalled only by the present global financial crisis. By their own admission however, they are upbeat that there will be turnaround sooner that most expect.

Consider this, just days ago, at the height of the crisis, Ton Nan Kim (which we visited) just bought and put up a company in New York and immediately listed it in the Dow Jones Stock Exchange. This new company now will be their mother company while their plant operation is in Vietnam.

With such optimism, vision, political will, etc., Vietnam indeed will become one of the tiger economies in this part of the world.

Philippine Productivity Quality and Safety Foundation (PPQSF)

2008-12-05T06:22:00.000-08:00

I attended the PPSQF meeting at the Department of trade and Industry (DTI) Building in Makati yesterday, Dec 4. PPSQF is an NGO with companies and industry association as members whose objective is primarily to uphold productivity, quality and safety in industries and consumer products. Right now it is at the forefront of product standard enforcement , assisting the Bureau of Product Standards and the regional DTI’s in this undertaking. Lately, it has been holding meetings and dialogues among members and stakeholders on the issues and concerns regarding product standard enforcement, i.e., going after sub standard products and their manufacturers and sellers.

Yesterday’s meeting focused on GI sheets, steel bars, angle bars, flat glass, and sanitary wares. I was there representing our industry, GI sheets, together with other representatives from other GI sheets manufacturers. Unlike however with the other mentioned products whose concerns were the problems met during monitoring, inspection, and sanctions against erring companies, our industry is not yet on this stage. The reason- GI sheets have no standard yet.

The old standard formulated in 1986 and amended in 1987 (PNS 67) is not anymore applicable and for years now, the Technical Committee (TC) on Flat Steel Products had been trying to come up with a new standard, especially GI sheets for roofing, but until now is unsuccessful in reconciling the different views of the members. The complication arose from the fact that there are now, technically speaking, 3 different types of metallic coated sheets in the market now (generically called GI sheets), namely, the Zinc coated, the 55%Aluminum-zinc (Galvalume and Superlume brands) and the zinc-5% coated products. Each of this product has its own functional characteristic relating to its corrosion and structural integrity performance while in use; commonly called service life. That comparability can not however be yet reconciled; specifically on the minimum mass of coating.

The agreement in the meeting was that, the new BPS Director Atty Vic Dimagiba ( replacing Director Jess Motoomull effective December 1) will reconvene the technical committee where it is hoped that the issue will finally be resolved and a new standard be approved. Pending that, the GI industry, fairly or unfairly is under constant complaint from the public and other groups due to the proliferation of thin sheets with low zinc coating , not only of locally produced materials but also form exports, mainly from China and perhaps Vietnam.

Photo: Stock.Xchng