The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Monday, March 7, welcomed the signing of the Executive Order (EO) no. 164 which would establish a nuclear energy program for the Philippines.

"Nuclear power is envisioned to bring down the cost of electricity and to contribute to energy security considering the various limitations now being encountered in the other sources which include natural gas, geothermal, hydro, coal," DOST said in a statement.
"The global value of fossil fuel for example has significant impacts on the country's energy security. Nuclear power which has benefitted several countries across the globe for more than six decades is now considered an option to address these local energy concerns through EO 164," it added.
DOST, a member of the Nuclear Energy Program Interagency Committee (NEPIAC), said a national position is the "first of 19 milestones" compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations agency overseeing countries planning to use nuclear energy.
"The EO anchored on IAEA prescriptions on nuclear power, which focuses primarily on the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear energy, to ensure that the country will apply the highest standards in the implementation of a Nuclear Energy Program," DOST said.
Meanwhile, the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), which is tasked to protect the health and safety of radiation workers and the general public, was also cited in the EO.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) were also cited to support the EO implementation by vetting potential locations of nuclear power plants.
DOST likewise vowed to encourage the development of the nuclear workforce through scholarships for nuclear engineering and science, as well as reactor technicians training.
DOST-PNRI initiated nuclear education programs at the University of the Philippines and Mapua University in 2019.