Pinugay Earth Station
| Established | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Research type | Satellite ground station |
| Location | Baras, Rizal, Philippines 14°35′04.4″N 121°17′37.0″E / 14.584556°N 121.293611°E |
Operating agency | Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation |
The Philippine Space Communications Center[1] or the Pinugay Earth Station is a satellite earth station in Baras, Rizal, Philippines under the Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation (Philcomsat).
History
The Philippine government had a joint project with the Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation (Philcomsat) to build a ground station.[2] The provisional earth station was established in barangay Pinugay in Baras, Rizal in 1967.[3][4]
On May 1968, President Ferdinand Marcos formally inaugurated a permanent earth station in Rizal.[2][3] The first standard "A" antenna, Pinugay I was set up.[4]
The station enabled people based in Asia to watch the broadcast of the Apollo 11 launch in 1969.[3]
From 1971 to 1983, Pinugay II, Pinugay III and a standard "B" antenna was set up.[4]
In April 30, 1982, Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1845 declaring an 3-kilometer (1.9 mi) security zone around the site. [5][6]
The now outdated Pinugay I was superseded by Pinugay IV in 1989.[4][7]
Despite the declaration the area has been occupied by farmers and in 1992, the Department of Agriculture declared the Pinugay area as under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). A land dispute arises which persisted at least the early 2000s.[6][8]
References
- ^ "Facilities". Philcomsat. Archived from the original on June 10, 2000. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "May 3, 1968 Marcos opens satellite station". Manila Times. May 3, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Welcome to the Philippines' space age: Inquirer". The Straits Times. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "G.R. No. 84818". The LawPhil Project. December 18, 1989. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Marcos, Ferdinand Sr. (April 30, 1982). "Presidential Decree No. 1845". Supreme Court E-Library. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ^ a b Salazar, Tessa Relampagos (January 30, 2002). "Southern Pinugay land dispute continues". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. B10. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ^ Thirty-second Report by the International Telecommunication Union on telecommunication and the peaceful uses of outer space (Booklet No. 41) (PDF). Geneva: International Telecommunication Union. 1993. pp. 90–91. ISBN 92-61-04801-3. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ "DILG urged to stop Rizal farmers' harassment". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 7, 2000. p. 13. Retrieved August 13, 2025.