HANOI: Almost 200,000 bags of cement from Vietnam worth about US$16 million were imported to Negros Occidental during the last quarter of the year, the highest and the only cement importation recorded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) since 2006. DTI-Negros Occidental records showed that in November, cement distributor Marlusa Construction Supply has imported to the province 95,000 bags of cement amounting to about $8 million.
In the first week of December, multi-national supplier Holcim Cement Philippines has shipped to the province 100,000 bags also from Vietnam amounting to almost the same as the previous importation, it added.
Reginald Hudierez, trade and industry development specialist of DTI Negros Occidental, told Sun.Star Bacolod Sunday that the current cement demand in the province is “so much and above normal” since local suppliers cannot meet the required volume.
“There is really an extraordinary cement demand in the province now, mainly because developers have currently increasing special projects,” Hudierez said, adding that the province therefore, has a flourishing construction industry.
These special projects are mainly private constructions such as commercial buildings including malls and condominium, subdivisions, and other infrastructure projects, Hudierez added. Earlier, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Negros Occidental showed that the province along with Iloilo and Aklan led in Western Visayas in terms of residential and non-residential building constructions last year.
Based on the PSA report, indicating that details may not add up due to rounding, it turned out that Aklan acquired the highest construction value of P5.714 billion followed by Iloilo, P4.317 billion, and Negros Occidental, P3.323 billion.
Hudierez said the DTI is projecting more construction development projects in the province next year with the upcoming cement importations, and possibly a shortage of cement supply like what happened in Iloilo before.
DTI is the lead agency involved in the monitoring and inspection of products like cement, both local and imported, whether it can pass the mandatory guidelines, particularly product standards. “Cement is subjected to laboratory testing. Those locally made should have Philippine Standard markings while imported must have Import Commodity Clearance,” Hudierez said.
He added that the booming construction industry could also impact positively on employment in the province. Aside from the income local enterprises may earn from investors’ expenses, construction investments also increase hiring, particularly of construction workers, Hudierez added.
