The Philippine military has expressed "serious concern" over reports of black sand mining in areas near the West Philippine Sea (WPS), citing its potential environmental and security implications.

“We have received these reports and have been monitoring them for the past. We are taking this very seriously, considering that black sand and rare earth minerals have military technology applications,” Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday,

Monitoring and concerns

Trinidad refrained from providing further details, deferring the matter to “appropriate government regulatory and law enforcement agencies” responsible for such issues. He emphasized that aside from environmental degradation, the extracted rare earth minerals from black sand could be used for military purposes, amplifying the seriousness of the matter.

The military has reportedly been monitoring black sand mining operations in the country. This activity is linked to the depletion of fisheries, severe flooding, and land erosion in coastal areas.

“What is more concerning is not only the extraction of black sand but its military application once rare earth minerals are extracted,” Trinidad warned.

Tulfo's Senate revelation

The issue resurfaced last week during the Senate deliberation on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) proposed 2025 budget. Senator Raffy Tulfo raised concerns about “illegal shipping” of black sand to China, claiming the extracted minerals were taken from provinces like Ilocos, Cagayan, and Zambales.

Tulfo alleged that excess sand was dumped in the WPS, citing a list showing some ships from Zambales transporting black sand directly to China rather than Manila Bay.

“Once it arrives in a location outside the country, the sand is filtered to remove the black sand, and the remainder will be unloaded in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Trinidad also highlighted the damage caused by reclamation activities in the WPS, including the destruction of the seabed, corals, and other natural formations near key features like Escoda Shoal.

He noted the continued presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, the China Coast Guard, and the maritime militia “all over the expanse” of the WPS.

“Again, their presence is still illegal. Their prolonged stay will not justify their presence. We have monitored them, we challenge them each time we have a maritime activity,” he said.