QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — The opening of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant may be tackled in the 35th Association of South East Asian Nations Ministers on Energy Meeting.
According to Department of Energy Undersecretary Felix Fuentebella, the Philippines is still in the process of determining whether the Philippines will support a nuclear policy. He clarified that there are still many steps to be undertaken before the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant could be opened.
“As far as the Philippines is concerned, we are still in the process of determining whether or not we will go with a nuclear policy. It’s just a policy, not yet a project. So that is the first phase out of the 19 milestones identified for any country to come up with a nuclear program,” he said.
“It involves the meetings with government representatives, government officials and scientists. (Energy) Secretary (Alfonso) Cusi, before reporting to the President and to the Filipino people, instructed the Department of Energy to be very comprehensive, very cautious and very careful because it involves a technology that … as we all know it’s a long term commitment for any country to go into a nuclear program,” Fuentebella explained.