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Friday, March 29, 2024

Nuclear power revisited

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THE Philippines is looking to review its policies on nuclear energy and power the Duterte administration’s vision to launch the economy in “a trajectory never seen before,” Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said Tuesday.

While the Constitution only prohibits nuclear weapons and not nuclear power, Pimentel expected a spirited debate on the nuclearization of the country’s energy sector so appropriate legislation will likely be needed to address the matter.

After President Rodrigo Duterte successfully addresses our Law and Order issues, Pimentel said, “We expect the Philippine economy to take off in a trajectory never seen before” after President Rodrigo Duterte addresses the peace and order situation. “That is the change that is coming… Hence, our willingness to search for alternatives to fossil fuel.” 

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

Pimentel said nuclear power has so much potential and many countries have benefitted from it “but it can also have very serious negative consequences, especially in a country located in what is called the Pacific Ring of Fire. Hence, we must study nuclear power carefully.” 

He said our conclusions on this matter must be based on scientific evidence and not on political or ideological considerations.

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“You are here to discuss the prospects for nuclear power in the Asia-Pacific Region. Thank you for choosing the Philippines as your venue. This conference will surely start a debate on the desirability of nuclear power here in our country which can only be beneficial to us as we will be educated on the pros and cons of nuclear power,” Pimentel said.

“Whatever be the outcome of your conference, we will all be the beneficiaries. For we would have shown that change is here. We now have open minds,” he added.

He said nuclear power is a possibility, and “we know that finding alternatives to fossil fuel is a necessity. We can only end up advancing the quality of life of all mankind.”

He said one factor contributing immensely to a high or desirable quality of life is the availability of power and its cost, both to the consumer and to the environment.

“We want an economy which is powered by clean, cheap, and reliable sources of energy to be part of that change. We want our countrymen and future generations to enjoy modern conveniences without sacrificing the purity of the environment,” he added.

The three-day international conference on nuclear power kicked off on Tuesday at the Diamond Hotel in Manila as the Philippine government reconsiders nuclear energy to solve power shortage and the high cost of electricity.

The conference on the prospects of nuclear power in the Asia-Pacific region was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation.

Eighteen countries are participating in the conference, which is being held at the Diamond Hotel: Bangladesh, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines.

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