Josefa Slipways

Josefa Slipways, Inc. is a Philippine shipbuilding and ship-repair company based in Navotas, a city with long-standing connections to fisheries, ports, and maritime commerce. Established in 2005, the company was created to provide local vessel construction, docking, launching, maintenance, and repair capacity for shipping companies and maritime government agencies. Its intended customer base has included passenger and freight operators, fishing companies, energy and mining businesses, port-construction contractors, and civilian maritime agencies operating around the Port of Manila and other Philippine ports. The company operates two slipways in Navotas, allowing vessels to be taken out of the water for construction, inspection, repair, and refitting and then relaunched after work is completed. It also operates a larger shipbuilding and repair facility in Sual, Pangasinan, which opened in 2017. The expansion broadened the company’s ability to undertake larger vessel programs and was linked to planned construction for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Josefa Slipways’ construction portfolio includes landing craft, ferries, patrol vessels, fisheries vessels, and small cargo ships. It has also worked on government and quasi-government maritime requirements, including vessels intended for fisheries-law enforcement. The company employed experienced Filipino shipbuilding personnel and has been described as the first Filipino shipbuilding and ship-repair company to build hulls using high-tensile steel in compliance with standards associated with the International Association of Classification Societies. That capability positioned the company as a domestic alternative for vessels requiring more demanding structural specifications. A major turning point came in 2016, when Josefa Slipways was selected through a competitive Philippine government bidding process to construct two 50-meter multi-mission vessels for BFAR. Australian marine engineering and design firm Incat Crowther designed the vessels. Josefa Slipways built and launched the ships, later named BRP Lapu-Lapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy, in August 2017. Following sea trials, both were delivered to BFAR in February 2018 for fisheries-law-enforcement duties. The company subsequently expanded its commercial ferry work. It built MV Isla Simara, a 72-meter steel ROPAX vessel for Filipino shipping company Shogun Ships. Delivered on 17 August 2019, the ferry was intended to carry passengers and cargo between Sorsogon and Northern Samar. The vessel was reported as the first roll-on/roll-off ship built in the Philippines since the 1990s, giving the project significance beyond the individual customer contract and highlighting Josefa Slipways’ role in rebuilding domestic capability for larger steel ferry construction. Josefa Slipways is therefore positioned as a domestic industrial shipyard rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its role combines commercial ship construction, government vessel programs, ship repair, and maritime infrastructure support. Publicly available reference material does not establish a broader international network, ownership structure, current executive roster, financial results, or a standalone corporate website.

Josefa Slipways was established in 2005 in Navotas, Philippines. The company was formed to address the need for domestic shipbuilding and repair facilities serving commercial shipping, fishing, port construction, energy, mining, and maritime government customers. Navotas provided a natural base because of its established fisheries and shipbuilding activity and its proximity to Manila’s maritime infrastructure. From the beginning, the company operated two slipways in Navotas for docking, launching, construction, and repair work. It recruited experienced Filipino shipbuilding personnel and developed a portfolio covering landing craft, ferries, patrol vessels, fisheries vessels, and small cargo ships. Its public-sector customer base included agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The company also developed a high-tensile-steel hull-building capability described as complying with standards associated with the International Association of Classification Societies. In February 2016, following several rounds of competitive bidding, Josefa Slipways was selected to build two 50-meter multi-mission vessels for BFAR. The vessels were intended to support fisheries-law enforcement. Incat Crowther, an Australian marine engineering and design company, was selected to provide the design. Josefa Slipways constructed the vessels and launched them in Navotas on 11 August 2017. They were named BRP Lapu-Lapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy and were delivered to BFAR in February 2018 after successful sea trials. The company expanded its physical capacity in November 2017 by opening a larger shipbuilding and repair facility in Sual, Pangasinan. The facility was associated with plans to build ten 50-meter multi-mission vessels for BFAR. This development represented an expansion beyond the company’s original Navotas operations and strengthened its ability to pursue larger public-sector vessel programs. Josefa Slipways also entered larger commercial ferry construction. It built MV Isla Simara, a 72-meter steel ROPAX vessel for Shogun Ships. The vessel was delivered on 17 August 2019 and was intended to carry both passengers and cargo between Sorsogon and Northern Samar. The project was notable because it was described as the first RORO vessel built in the Philippines since the 1990s. The available reference material establishes Josefa Slipways as a Philippine shipbuilder with commercial, government, and repair activities. It does not provide reliable information on the company’s founders, ownership, financial performance, executive leadership, later contracts, or current operating scale.

1. 2019First ROPAX ferry delivered

   Josefa Slipways delivered the 72-meter steel MV Isla Simara to Shogun Ships on 17 August.

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2. 2018BRP Lapu-Lapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy delivered

   The two BFAR vessels were delivered in February after completing successful sea trials.

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3. 2017BFAR vessels launched

   Two vessels built by Josefa Slipways were launched on 11 August and later named BRP Lapu-Lapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy.

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4. 2017Sual shipbuilding facility opened

   Josefa Slipways opened a larger shipbuilding and repair facility in Sual, Pangasinan, to support expanded vessel construction.

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5. 2016Selected for BFAR multi-mission vessel contract

   The company won a competitive Philippine government procurement process to construct two 50-meter multi-mission vessels for BFAR.

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6. 2005Company established in Navotas

   Josefa Slipways was established in Navotas to provide shipbuilding and ship-repair services to commercial shipping companies and Philippine maritime agencies.

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A Philippine domestic shipbuilder and repair provider serving commercial shipping, fisheries, port-related industries, and maritime government agencies, with capabilities in steel vessel construction and slipway operations.

• Landing craftCommercial and utility vessels

  Josefa Slipways builds landing craft intended for moving personnel, vehicles, equipment, or cargo between shore facilities and areas without conventional port infrastructure. The reference material identifies landing craft as one of the company’s core vessel categories but does not specify individual models or customers.

• Ferries and ROPAX vesselsPassenger and cargo vessels2019

  The company constructs steel ferries capable of transporting passengers and vehicles or cargo. Its documented commercial example is MV Isla Simara, a 72-meter ROPAX ferry delivered to Shogun Ships in 2019 for service between Sorsogon and Northern Samar.

• Patrol and multi-mission vesselsGovernment and security vessels2017

  Josefa Slipways constructs patrol and multi-mission vessels for Philippine maritime agencies. Its documented BFAR project involved two 50-meter vessels designed for fisheries-law-enforcement duties, built locally to a design supplied by Incat Crowther.

• Fisheries vesselsWorkboats

  Fisheries vessels form part of the company’s stated construction range and support the operational requirements of fishing businesses and fisheries agencies. Public references do not identify a standardized model range.

• Small cargo vesselsCommercial vessels

  The shipyard builds small cargo vessels for domestic maritime transport. These vessels complement its ferry, landing-craft, patrol, and fisheries work, although available references do not provide model names or technical specifications.

• Shipbuilding and ship-repair servicesMarine engineering services2005

  Josefa Slipways provides vessel construction, docking, launching, repair, and related shipyard services through its Navotas slipways and Sual facility. Its customers include commercial operators and civilian maritime government agencies.

• 2017Expansion into Sual, PangasinanStrategy

  The company sought greater capacity for shipbuilding and ship repair and was associated with plans to construct additional 50-meter multi-mission vessels for BFAR.

  What changed. Josefa Slipways opened a larger facility in Sual, Pangasinan, supplementing its two Navotas slipways.

  Aftermath. The expansion gave the company a second operating location and supported its participation in larger government vessel programs.

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• 2019MV Isla Simara delivered to Shogun Ships

  Josefa Slipways delivered its first ROPAX ferry, the 72-meter steel MV Isla Simara, to Filipino shipping company Shogun Ships for passenger and cargo service between Sorsogon and Northern Samar.

  Product launch
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• 2018BFAR received two Josefa Slipways-built vessels

  BRP Lapu-Lapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy were delivered to BFAR in February 2018 after successful sea trials.

  Product launch
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• 2017Two BFAR vessels launched in Navotas

  The vessels later named BRP Lapu-Lapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy were launched on 11 August 2017 after construction by Josefa Slipways.

  Product launch
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• 2017Josefa Slipways opened expanded Sual facility

  The company opened a larger shipbuilding and ship-repair facility in Sual, Pangasinan, supporting its planned work on additional multi-mission vessels for BFAR.

  Other
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• 2016Josefa Slipways selected to build two BFAR multi-mission vessels

  After competitive bidding, Josefa Slipways was selected by the Philippine government to construct two 50-meter multi-mission vessels for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The ships were intended for fisheries-law enforcement and were designed by Incat Crowther.

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1. Josefa Slipways