**At least three steel manufacturing facilities with Chinese ownership or significant Chinese management/involvement have been raided by Philippine authorities in 2026 after radioactive materials were detected in their processes, equipment, and finished steel products that were being produced and distributed commercially; references exist to additional prior cases, but no single official nationwide tally has been published.**
These cases involve the detection of isotopes such as uranium-238, thorium-228, thorium-232, and (in one instance) radium-226 by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), often linked to imported scrap metals, along with findings of substandard reinforcing steel bars that failed Philippine National Standards testing (e.g., mass variation requirements). Authorities have ordered shutdowns, seized materials valued in the billions of pesos in at least one case, rescued workers from hazardous conditions, arrested Chinese and Filipino personnel, and referred matters for potential violations of nuclear safety, environmental, hazardous waste, consumer protection, and related laws. Products from some of these plants had already entered commercial channels, and tracing efforts continue.
The confirmed facilities include:
- **Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corp.** (Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental): Described as Chinese-run; radioactive materials found in scrap (reportedly linked to China in some accounts), production areas, and finished steel bars. Approximately 69 Chinese nationals were arrested. It has been linked to Chinese businessman Tony Yang (an incorporator/stockholder in earlier records). The Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a cease-and-desist order and cancelled its environmental compliance certificate.
- **Chuangxing Steel Inc.** (also referred to as Chuanxing; Magalang, Pampanga): Explicitly described as Chinese-owned. Authorities seized over PHP 3 billion worth of radioactive-bearing materials, contaminated equipment, and substandard finished steel products. Chinese nationals were among those arrested or present as workers/officers. The NBI has stated this was the fourth steel bar manufacturer caught producing substandard products in its series of actions.
- **Davao Mighty Steel Corp.** (Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District, Davao City): Radioactive isotopes detected in the plant, production materials, and commercially sold reinforcing bars; half of tested market samples failed mandatory standards. Ten Chinese nationals (described in reports as including incorporators) and four Filipinos were arrested.
PNRI specialists and other reports have noted that two similar factories in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces had previously been shut down after hazardous radioactive isotopes were found in their production lines, using comparable outdated processes. Exact ownership details and current status for those earlier cases are less comprehensively detailed in available public reporting.
Some company representatives have stated that any radioactive materials present are naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) commonly associated with scrap-based steelmaking worldwide and were not deliberately added, and that operations held required environmental permits. Regulators, however, determined that levels were elevated, that facilities lacked the necessary licenses to handle radioactive materials under the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, and that the steel failed structural standards, leading to the enforcement actions.
No comprehensive official count from the NBI, PAOCC, PNRI, or other agencies enumerates every steel mill nationwide that both sells radioactively contaminated product and has Chinese owners. The figure of at least three (with indications of more) reflects the publicly reported raids and related findings as of mid-August 2026. Investigations remain active, including efforts to identify products already in the construction supply chain and any additional responsible parties.
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