House Committee on Nuclear Energy Chairman Pangasinan 2nd district Rep. Mark Cojuangco says the Marcos administration must consider entering into bilateral agreements with the United States (US) in order to help the local nuclear energy program get off the ground.

Cojuangco had this to say during the nuclear Panel’s first ever panel hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 7. This special committee was formed only last August and is tasked with deliberating on the viability of the country’s nuclear program.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/09/house-forms-special-committee-on-nuclear-energy-find-out-who-was-named-its-chairman/

“We need to discuss how nuclear plants will be financed. At the moment with the high fossil fuel prices, the ROI of nuclear plants is very, very short so it's a very opportune time to be embarking on a nuclear buildout in the Philippines,” Cojuango said on Sept. 7.

He then got into the nitty-gritty of international nuclear law. Specifically, he cited the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and Title 10 of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Code of Federal Regulations.

“We also need to discuss our bilateral agreements with the United States (US), most specifically, Article 123 of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act of America, which mandates that the US cannot discuss nuclear technology with any other country unless we have a treaty agreement with them regarding Article 123,” the solon noted.

Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act is titled “Cooperation with other nations.”

It says that “no cooperation with any nation or regional defense organization pursuant to sections 54, 57, 64, 82, 103, 104, or 144 shall be undertaken” until the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the Department of Defense submits the proposed cooperation agreement. The proposal must be approved by the US President, and that the approved proposal must pass through a joint committee of the aforementioned agencies.

“We also need with them a bilateral agreement on the US 10 CFR Part 810 which classifies us as a generally acceptable country as far as nuclear technology exports is concerned,” Cojuango continued.

The committee chairman then asked members of his panel to file a House resolution urging the Marcos administration to act immediately on the proposed US cooperation.

“I would request this committee to consider that we pass a resolution of the House urging the administration and the Senate who will finally ratify these agreements to move expeditiously on these because US technology is good technology and we want to have access to that,” he said.

One of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’s key energy plans is kickstarting the Philippines’ nuclear program.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2022/07/25/presidents-energy-plan-includes-nuclear-power-plants-renewables/