By E.H. EDEJER | July 15, 2025

MASINLOC, Zambales — Authorities in Zambales warned fishermen and residents of coastal communities late Monday to take immediate precaution against potential falling debris from a Chinese rocket scheduled for launching from Hainan, China sometime between July 15 and 17.

The Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Monitoring Office (PDRRMO) urged fishermen and boaters in the province to avoid all seafaring activities in designated drop zones during the three-day launch window.

“Residents, particularly fisherfolk, are urged to take immediate precautions,” the PDRRMO advised, relaying a July 14 advisory from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

A DILG briefer identified the drop zone to be in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, which is 124 nautical miles from Zambales.

Local fishermen venture into waters near Bajo de Masinloc, although Chinese militia boats have enforced a 40-nautical mile perimeter around the shoal since June last year.

The PDRRMO also asked coastal residents to be aware of any unusual object falling from the sky, and asked local government units to activate disaster plans and give warnings to their constituents.

An advisory from DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Marlo L. Iringan said parts of the Long March 7 rocket are expected to drop within 33 nautical miles off Bajo de Masinloc, 88 nautical miles off Cabra Island in Occidental Mindoro, 51 nautical miles away from Recto Bank northeast of the Spratly Islands, and 118 nautical miles off Busuanga, Palawan.

However, noting the location of the estimated drop zone, the DILG said rocket debris “are not projected to fall over any land feature or inhabited area within the Philippine territory.”

While the DILG said the risk of untoward incidents and damage from falling debris in Philippine territory is relatively low, it nevertheless urged all concerned local chief executives “to consider temporary restrictions” in the identified drop zone to ensure public safety.

It also cautioned the public against retrieving or approaching any rocket debris to minimize the risk of exposure to toxic substances such as rocket fuel remnants.

The Chinese Long March 7 rocket, which replaced the Long March 2F variant, is said to be the workhorse of the Chinese fleet for around 70 percent of all space launches, including those for the Chinese space station “Tiangong”, which is currently in low Earth orbit.

The forthcoming launch will be from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, the DILG said.

After lift-off, rocket stages like rocket boosters, payload fairing, and core-stages are expected to be shed over the drop zone, which is usually over bodies of water to minimize hazards of falling onto populated areas. 