Rocket debris warning issued over western Philippines

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 8, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) issued a rocket debris warning over the weekend, after China launched its Long March 8A rocket on Saturday.

In an advisory, PhilSA identified the expected debris drop zones to be at approximately 120 nautical miles away from Puerto Princesa in Palawan, 48 NM away from the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, 31 NM away from Hadji Muhtamad in Basilan and 40 NM away from Pangutaran Island in Sulu.

PhilSA said the Long March 8A rocket was launched from the Hainan International Commercial Launch Center in Wenchang at 3:52 p.m.

According to PhilSA, the details of the rocket drop zone were disclosed through a Notice to Airmen or NOTAM warning of an aerospace flight activity.

The agency warns people against retrieving or coming in close contact with the debris as it may contain remnants of toxic substances, such as rocket fuel.