Subsea works, underwater UXO clearance and hyperbaric operations.
SEMTEC, the subsea subsidiary of DEMINETEC Group, brings underwater inspection, marine UXO clearance and hyperbaric works expertise to the port and industrial community of Manila (Philippines). Our Class II commercial divers — certified under French Decree 2011-45 (hyperbaric class B) and trained to NEDEX/EOD standards — operate on harbours, marine structures, ships' hulls and coastal areas contaminated by 20th-century conflicts.
Manila was the theatre of two of the most devastating urban battles of WWII: the Japanese capture of the city in December 1941-January 1942, and the U.S.-led Battle of Manila (3 February - 3 March 1945), in which the city was largely destroyed, with over 100,000 civilian casualties. The Intramuros, the Pasig river crossings, Fort Santiago, Cavite Navy Yard and Corregidor island remain documented UXO hotspots.
Beyond WWII, the Philippines carries pyrotechnic legacies from decades of insurgency (NPA, MILF, Abu Sayyaf), with anti-personnel mines, improvised explosive devices and abandoned ordnance especially in Mindanao. The Philippine Campaign Against Landmines and the AFP Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalions coordinate clearance with international partners.
Greater Manila — Metro Manila Subway, Bulacan New Manila International Airport, North-South Commuter Rail, Manila Bay reclamation projects — together with offshore oil and gas, submarine cables and port expansion in Subic Bay and Batangas, increasingly require UXO desk studies and magnetometric surveys aligned with IMAS standards and French Decree 2005-1325.
In-water survey by qualified divers, ultrasonic thickness through paint, 3D photogrammetry, IACS-class survey report for calls at Manila.
Magnetometer and gradiometer survey, target identification, controlled neutralisation or recovery in coordination with local authorities.
Wet welding, oxy-arc cutting, underwater concreting, sheet-pile and quay repair.
Refloating of sunken vessels, recovery of submerged plant, crane-assisted lifting operations.
On-site recompression chamber deployment, compliant with French Decree 2011-45 and IMCA D guidance.
In the strategic port of Manila, SEMTEC mobilises divers, observation ROVs and marine magnetometers to secure basins, jetties, approach channels and anchorages where 20th-century munitions still routinely lie on the seabed.
SEMTEC operates in Manila and across Philippines from our French bases at La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var) and Wancourt (Pas-de-Calais), our Belgian office in Bruges and our Ukrainian site in Kyiv. Diving spread and naval logistics are mobilised on demand.
Depending on Philippines's history, port seabeds typically conceal sea mines (German EMC, British Mark XVII), submerged aerial bombs (250 kg–500 kg), torpedoes, large-calibre naval shells and depth charges. The preliminary EHT pinpoints the expected typology for Manila.
Our Class II hyperbaric-class-B divers work to 50 m on air, and we coordinate longer-duration tasks down to 90 m through saturation partners. Observation ROVs extend reconnaissance to 300 m.
A standard UWILD/IWS on a commercial vessel takes 8–24 dive hours depending on hull length, complexity, coating condition and class requirements. SEMTEC issues the class report within 5 days.
Decree 2011-45 governs hyperbaric work in France. Internationally, SEMTEC uses it as a benchmark alongside IMCA D standards and the local regulations applicable in Philippines.
The Port of Manila, or Pantalan ng Maynila, is a group of maritime trade facilities and terminals in the Port Area and Tondo districts of Manila, facing Manila Bay. The Philippine Ports Authority operates the port and most public ports in the Philippines; the Government of Manila owns it. The harbour is classified as natural/artificial and covers 137.5 hectares, with 22 berths and 12 piers. Recorded figures include 20,828 vessel arrivals and 75,058,855 tonnes of annual cargo in 2012, 4,523,339 TEUs of annual container volume in 2016, and 72,438,609 passengers in 2017.
The three principal facilities are Manila North Harbor, Manila South Harbor and the Manila International Container Terminal. North Harbor occupies 53 hectares in Tondo, has seven piers numbered 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14, and includes the North Port Passenger Terminal, opened in 2013. South Harbor occupies 80 hectares in the Port Area, has five piers numbered 3, 5, 9, 13 and 15, and includes the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal. MICT lies between the two harbours and is accessed through MICT South Access Road. Berth 6 became fully operational on July 7, 2012, adding 450,000 TEUs to annual capacity. The port is connected by Mel Lopez Boulevard, Bonifacio Drive, Radial Road 1 and MICT South Access Road.
The port faces Manila Bay, whose entrance is 19 kilometres wide and expands to 48 kilometres. Mariveles in Bataan is an anchorage just inside the northern entrance, while Sangley Point was the former location of Cavite Naval Base. Operations involve domestic and international trade, inter-island ferries, container handling and cargo vessels, with recorded vessel arrivals, passengers and cargo tonnage. The harbour is connected to urban roads and expressways used by cargo trucks, including routes serving Northern and Central Luzon. These conditions combine open-bay exposure, anchorage activity, passenger movements, container operations and heavy road-linked port traffic.
The Port of Manila comprises three major facilities: Manila North Harbor, Manila South Harbor and the Manila International Container Terminal. North Harbor is in Tondo, South Harbor is in the Port Area, and MICT is located between the two harbours. The Philippine Ports Authority operates the port.
The North Port Passenger Terminal opened in 2013 and accommodates two to three million passengers sailing on inter-island ferries. South Harbor has the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal between Piers 13 and 15. North Harbor is the main hub of 2GO, the largest inter-island ferry company in the Philippines.
Reference : Wikipédia — Port of Manila
For any survey, inspection or subsea intervention in Manila, contact our teams:
Tel: +33 (0)9 52 51 00 63
Email: contact@semtec-france.com
Read also: underwater UXO clearance · commercial diving services · offshore subsea works.