Government pursues illegal Chinese workers on vessels

The Philippine Coast Guard, along with other government agencies, is investigating the alleged illegal entry into the country of some Chinese nationals on board three vessels.

The PCG, along with the Bureau of Immigration, Maritime Industry Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, on 20 March inspected the Chinese vessels MV Huagan, MV An Da Kang and MV Shingping and found various violations of Philippine laws.

The MV Huagan had multiple violations, including the absence of Chinese nationals on board despite a vessel calendar showing seven Chinese crew members as of 19 March.

Moreover, a review of the logbook revealed that eight Chinese nationals “mysteriously disembarked before dawn on 20 March 2025.”

Despite Marina regulations limiting foreign crew member roles for a single voyage without a prolonged stay on board, all Chinese nationals were assigned official designations, the PCG said.

Aside from this, the PCG said further findings included: DoLE-flagged misrepresentation issues; the vessel’s master denied the presence of Chinese nationals, contradicting logbook records; and a missing Domestic Shipping Operation Certificate and a non-functional CCTV system that raised safety and security concerns.

For the MV An Da Kang, the authorities discovered multiple regulatory breaches, finding that nine Chinese nationals were improperly assigned as crew members, despite Marina regulations allowing only supernumeraries for knowledge transfer; DoLE-flagged contract violations, as Chinese crew members were authorized to work in Zambales but were operating in Manila waters; the crew failed to follow proper turnover procedures, with outgoing personnel abandoning their posts before the arrival of replacements; and the vessel lacked a valid Domestic Shipping Operation Certificate.

Finally, the MV Shingping’s inspection revealed the presence of 12 Chinese nationals whose official designations as “technicians” did not match their Alien Employment Permits (AEP).

“The DoLE had warned that this discrepancy could lead to the revocation of their AEPs. Other findings were the vessel mirrored the same manning irregularities found onboard the An Da Kang,” according to the joint report.

The PCG and its partner agencies said they remain steadfast in ensuring compliance with Philippine maritime laws.