ABOUT 79 percent of Filipinos have signified their support for nuclear power as another source of energy for the Philippines, according to a survey commissioned by the Department of Energy (DoE).

The agency had tapped research company Social Weather Stations for the conduct of a nationwide survey to gauge public opinion on adopting a nuclear energy program.





The survey aimed to determine who the strongest endorser of the idea for the Philippines to go nuclear would be, as well as the reaction of the people to items in the survey concerning nuclear energy.

The DoE survey, with a sample size of 4,250 respondents, covered thousands of respondents from all regions of the Philippines.

In a speech, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi reported that 79 percent of Filipinos favor nuclear power.

“Sinasabi sa survey (The survey revealed that) 79 percent would follow or would believe the decision of the President. Pinakamalaking (The biggest) endorser [of] nuclear [energy] would be President [Rodrigo] Duterte,” Cusi said during the hand-over ceremony for the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“The only problem is that [they] do not want to have a nuclear power plant in [their] own backyard,” he added, referring to the respondents.

The Energy department has adopted a technology-neutral approach to tap all available energy resources, including nuclear, to ensure uninterrupted, secure, reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity across the archipelago.

The DoE, through the Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization (Nepio), crafted and submitted the proposed national policy, as well as executive order on the adoption of nuclear energy.

On Wednesday, the Energy department received the Official Phase 1 Mission Report of the INIR Mission.

The report contains the IAEA’s initial findings on the country’s existing good practices, improvements undertaken, as well as the agency’s recommendations and suggestions for the DoE- Nepio’s preparation of the Integrated Work Plan.

The work plan will answer all IAEA concerns should the government decide to pursue the utilization of nuclear power as a potential source of energy for the country.

The IAEA conducts such activities to assist its member states in evaluating the status of the 19 infrastructure requirements for the development of a national infrastructure for nuclear power.

These requirements are national position, nuclear safety, management, funding and financing, legal framework, safeguards, radiation protection, regulatory framework, electrical grid, human resource development, stakeholder involvement, site and supporting facilities, environmental protection, emergency planning, nuclear security, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, and industrial involvement and procurement.