Philippines Shortlists 3 Sites for Nuclear Power Plant, Bataan Peninsula Among Top Choices

The Philippines is eyeing the Bataan Peninsula and two other areas as prospective sites for the country's first nuclear power plant, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced. This comes days after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed the need to "revisit" nuclear energy as a power source. DOE Secretary Sharon Garin confirmed that Bataan is among the three shortlisted areas, though she declined to name the others pending final evaluation. "We're shortlisting about three areas. I just don't really want to mention yet because wala pa yung evaluation na final. But Bataan is one of those three," Garin told reporters. President Marcos Jr. had previously stated in his State of the Nation Address that the administration is working to revisit nuclear energy, highlighting its existing applications in medicine, agriculture, water filtration, and plastic upcycling. The DOE emphasized its commitment to stringent safety measures, assuring that the project will be compliant with international standards, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring the process. "We will make sure that we are compliant because we don't want a nuclear power plant na hindi safe dito. We want the most perfect we can build as a first nuclear power plant," Garin stated. However, the department cautioned that the realization of the country's first operational nuclear power plant could take approximately a decade. "Hopefully, we can have it in the next decade. Because you cannot build it by just permitting, building, and the construction. It will take time. It will be longer," Garin explained. Despite the President's push, Malacañang reiterated that the initiative will not proceed if it poses a risk to public safety. Last September, Marcos signed into law Republic Act 12305, the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, which establishes the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) to oversee nuclear energy regulation. It is worth noting that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was initiated by the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the 1970s but never became operational due to safety concerns and other issues.