Palawan and Basilan are on high alert Tuesday as the Long March 8A rocket, launched by the People’s Republic of China, is scheduled to take off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
According to OCD, this launch, originally set for January 25, has been rescheduled Tuesday with a launch window between 9:22 AM and 10:16 AM.
In preparation for this event, OCD issued an advisory detailing three designated drop zones where parts of the rocket are expected to land. The updated coordinates for these zones are as follows:
DROP ZONE 1: Approximately 85 nautical miles (nm) from Rozul Reef
- N11 54 E116 48
- N12 38 E116 14
- N12 58 E116 40
- N12 14 E117 14
DROP ZONE 2: Approximately 40 nm from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
- N10 19 E117 52
- N11 10 E117 14
- N11 13 E117 49
- N10 45 E118 28
DROP ZONE 3: Approximately 33 nm from Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan
- N06 44 E120 37
- N07 36 E119 59
- N07 55 E120 26
- N07 04 E121 03
OCD Deputy Administrator for Operations officer-in-charge Director Cesar Idio issued a memorandum order on behalf of NDRRMC Executive Director Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, urging government organizations to enforce temporary restrictions.
The memo covers the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (DENR-NAMRIA) to implement temporary restrictions and issue Notices to Mariners, Coastal Navigational Warnings, or NAVAREA XI warnings in the identified drop zones.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) in the MIMAROPA region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are closely monitoring the situation and are expected to provide updates as necessary.
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) likewise cautioned the public against approaching or attempting to retrieve any debris, which may contain toxic substances. If contact with debris is unavoidable, personal protective equipment (PPE) is advised.
Residents and mariners are encouraged to report any suspected debris sightings to local authorities immediately.