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.
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