UNDER SCRUTINY | The presence of these Chinese-manned international cargo ships in the waters off hom*onhon Island, shown in this photo taken on May 16, 2024, is being monitored closely by the Philippine Coast Guard, which has set up a station on the island. —Photo by Roel T. Amazona, contributor
TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has established a station on historic hom*onhon Island in Guiuan town, Eastern Samar province, to monitor the movements of Chinese cargo vessels docked along its waters.
Cmdr. Elgene Gregorio, acting deputy commander of the PCG in Eastern Visayas, clarified that the presence of these Chinese vessels in the waters off hom*onhon is legal since these are international cargo ships that have permits to transport minerals produced by the mining firms operating on the island.
ADVERTIsem*nT
However, he said, the PCG needed to “ensure that they will not engage in any illegal activities.”
FEATURED STORIES
GLOBALNATION
Missing Indonesian woman found inside belly of python
GLOBALNATION
Vietnam speeding up island-building in SCS, says US think tank
GLOBALNATION
Thailand to drop unpopular tourism fee proposal, PM Srettha confirms
READ: Chinese Navy ships seen off Basilan; ‘innocent passage,’ says AFP
“Our course of action is to put up a unit on hom*onhon to help us monitor their activities and ensure compliance with the law,” Gregorio added.
The PCG station on hom*onhon was established on May 20, said Gregorio.
At least four mining companies owned or affiliated with Chinese firms operate on the island to extract chromite or nickel.
These companies are Emir Mineral Resources, Techiron Resources Inc., Global Min-Met Resources and Verum Terra Geoscience Inc.
The minerals being collected from these mining firms are directly transported to China, their primary market.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Monitoring job
Gregorio said the decision to establish a unit on the island, where Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed in 1521, was mainly part of their mandate to monitor foreign vessels entering Philippine waters.
“We are doing our best to safeguard our territorial waters and ensure that no foreign vessel will enter our area to conduct any illegal activities,” he said in an interview.
According to Gregorio, the presence of the Chinese vessels, mostly manned by Chinese nationals, has raised concerns among villagers.
He said he could not give yet the exact number of Chinese vessels docked in the waters of hom*onhon at any given time.
Last April, Bishop Crispin Varquez of the Diocese of Borongan, the provincial capital, raised concerns over the “escalated mining operations” on hom*onhon Island.
He appealed to authorities to carefully study the mining projects on the island to ensure that these will not have devastating effects on the environment and the local residents.
“We call on our government leaders and concerned agencies to take action on this matter and to consider primarily the preservation, safety and welfare of the affected areas and its residents,” he added.
The 20-kilometer-long island, which is prominent for its vast deposits of nickel and chromite, has been grappling with open-pit mining since the 1990s.
The Diocese of Borongan has been spearheading campaigns to preserve and protect the island’s remaining biodiversity, asking authorities to stop the mining operations on hom*onhon Island.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
The requests, however, remained unheeded.
READ NEXT
Zubiri meets Pope, advised to ‘protect the family’
Thailand to drop unpopular tourism fee proposal, PM Srettha co...
EDITORS' PICK
PH in front line of global push for open governance
Carlo Aquino, Charlie Dizon marry in Silang, Cavite
Prague by castles, palaces, and old-timers
World War II veteran just married bride near Normandy’s D-Day beaches
New Zealand’s Deputy PM to visit PH this week to boost diplomatic ties
San Francisco Bay Area all set for PH Independence Day celebrations
MOST READ
Cop, 2 others arrested in Parañaque over ‘rent-tangay’ scheme
Missile strikes cargo ship off Yemen
Carlo Aquino, Charlie Dizon spark wedding talk
Padilla: No law violated by Rodrigo Duterte in COVID fund transfer
PH in front line of global push for open governance
entertainment
Carlo Aquino, Charlie Dizon marry in Silang, Cavite
lifestyle
Prague by castles, palaces, and old-timers
globalnation
World War II veteran just married bride near Normandy’s D-Day beaches
globalnation
New Zealand’s Deputy PM to visit PH this week to boost diplomatic ties
usa
San Francisco Bay Area all set for PH Independence Day celebrations
NEWSINFO
Cop, 2 others arrested in Parañaque over ‘rent-tangay’ scheme
GLOBALNATION
Missile strikes cargo ship off Yemen
ENTERTAINMENT
Carlo Aquino, Charlie Dizon spark wedding talk
NEWSINFO
Padilla: No law violated by Rodrigo Duterte in COVID fund transfer
BUSINESS
BIZ BUZZ: Another ‘PITX’ in Parañaque
OPINION
Temper hope for lower rice prices
TAGS: Chinese cargo ships, Eastern Samar mining, PH-Chinese relations
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.