BBM move boosts renewable energy drive

We are glad that President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. has remained focused on addressing the country’s major concerns even as the noise in the legislature, fueled by controversies, goes on at higher decibels. This is both inspiring and assuring. The President has shown that he is not distracted by the political noise and that he continues to attend to the nation’s priorities.

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Among these priorities is energy sufficiency and the country’s bid to move away from traditional power generation technologies and expand our adoption of renewable energy.

Last week, the President signed Republic Act No. 12305 or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. The law provides for the creation of the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority. This is the regulatory agency that will oversee the establishment and operation of nuclear power plants in the country.

According to the President, the creation of the regulatory body will ensure that “people and the environment are protected from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, issuing licenses for nuclear-related activities, and ensuring compliance with international commitments such as those with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

With this move, the President has sent clear signals that the country is now ready to adopt and use nuclear power technology in the generation of much-needed electricity for homes, industries, and businesses. Once again, the President has underscored that the direction of the energy sector is to move away from the use of coal and fossil fuels in power generation.

It is both interesting and historically significant that the President should be reigniting the vision formed by his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., under whose administration the Westinghouse nuclear power plant in Morong, Bataan, was built in the 1970s.