By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter
A BILL seeking to establish a national regulatory body and a national framework on atomic and nuclear energy use has been filed in the Senate.
Last Dec. 5, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian filed Senate Bill No. 2506, aiming to establish a legal framework that ensures the safe and peaceful utilization of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation in the country’s pursuit of tapping into this power source.
Under the proposal, the government will establish the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulation Commission to oversee licensing, protection, safety and other activities related to the development and use of nuclear energy.
“By establishing a comprehensive legal framework in the Philippines, with strong transparency and governance provisions, we ensure that the complex risks accompanying activities involving nuclear energy and ionizing radiation are addressed and public trust and cooperation are built,” Mr. Gatchalian said in the bill’s explanatory note.
He said the government must use state-of-the-art technology in pursuing the development of the nuclear industry to ensure safety in harnessing the energy source.
Last month, the House of Representatives passed on final reading a bill that would establish a similar body called the Philippine Atomic Regulatory Authority that will “have the sole and exclusive jurisdiction to exercise regulatory control for the peaceful, safe and secure uses of nuclear energy and radiation sources.”
Earlier, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said the proposed legislation would aid the Philippines’ path toward energy security.
The Philippines and the United States on Nov. 17 signed a deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology to Manila so it can develop a civilian nuclear energy infrastructure.