Construction firm EEI Corp. is expecting its order book to increase to P60 billion in 2024 from P45 billion at present as it eyes more projects both here and abroad.
EEI president and chief executive officer Henry Antonio said in a recent interview the company is looking at infrastructure projects in the Philippines including two more packages of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).
It is also looking at P175 billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project, which is a mega inter-island bridge project in Luzon.
The bridge, which will cross Manila Bay, starts from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan, crosses Manila Bay and ends in Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite.
Antonio said the group is looking at 3 to 4 oil and gas-related projects in Saudi Arabia.
He said the company remains bullish in Saudi Arabia despite ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
EEI entered into a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia-based Samsung Engineering NEC Co. Ltd. (SENEC) in October to collaborate and work on projects based in the Middle East.
SENEC is a joint venture company of Samsung Engineering and Al Rushaid Petroleum Investment Corp. It aims to provide engineering, procurement and construction services initially within Saudi Arabia and into other markets at a later stage.
Meanwhile, EEI has been present in Saudi Arabia since 1993 through its a joint venture partnership with Al Rushaid Construction Company Ltd. (ARCC).
ARCC engages in general construction and has participated in various major developments in KSA particularly in the construction of refineries and petrochemical plants, power and desalination plants, mining and industrial facilities.
ARCC employs 4,965 Filipinos among its 8,341 workforce and is set to add more with the EEI-SENEC partnership.
To meet the increase manpower requirements for various projects in the Philippines and abroad, EEI is currently constructing a 500-person training facility in Tanza, Cavite with the aim of upgrading labor skills in the fields of masonry, carpentry, electrical, welding, equipment management, warehousing, steel fabrication and other construction-related crafts.
The facility is targeting to train at least 2,000 Filipinos a year and more than 15,000 workers in the next five years.