A Chinese vessel runs aground near Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group, West Philippine Sea on June 7, 2025 due to rough sea conditions. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will launch an environmental damage assessment after a Chinese vessel ran aground near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), West Philippine Sea (WPS) over the weekend.

PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said the vessel, a suspected Chinese maritime militia with bow number 16838, hit the shallow waters of Pag-asa Reef 1 last Saturday, June 7.

“At present, the PCG, in collaboration with other relevant organizations, is preparing to carry out an environmental damage assessment on the reef caused by the unlawful presence of the Chinese maritime militia in the Philippines' territorial waters,” he said on Monday, June 9.

Tarriela said the Chinese vessel was likely driven into the reef, located approximately one nautical mile from Pag-asa Island, due to adverse sea conditions, with waves reaching two to three meters and strong winds pushing the ship into shallow waters.

“The goal of this assessment is to evaluate any potential ecological impacts resulting from this situation,” he added.

The PCG said that its personnel stationed at Pag-asa Island reached out to the grounded vessel to evaluate its condition and render support for its removal. He said this aimed to prevent additional harm to the coral reef and territorial waters of Pagasa.  

“Unfortunately, the vessel did not respond to the PCG's inquiries,” the commodore shared.

The Chinese vessel managed to refloat and leave the area after three hours with the help of a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship with bow number “5102” and two smaller fishing vessels.

Earlier, local fisherfolk in Palawan expressed alarm due to the presence of the stranded Chinese vessel.

Larry Hugo, a fisherman on Pag-asa Island, feared that the Chinese vessel was deliberately grounded on Pag-asa Reef 1 similar to how the Philippine Navy intentionally ran aground BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in 1999.

Aside from the PCG, the Philippine Navy (PN) also reached out to the stranded Chinese vessel but the latter’s crew did not respond.

Pag-asa Island is located 270 nautical miles west of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is the largest of nine features occupied by the Philippines in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

In recent years, the military has observed that Chinese vessels are inching closer to Pag-asa Island as residents express worry about their creeping presence.

China claims several features in the WPS despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its dash-line claims within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.