02 September 2016 — Philippine Resident Representative to the IAEA, Ambassador Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson chaired the Conference on the Prospects for Nuclear Power in the Asia Pacific Region in Manila from August 30 to September 01.

The conference was organized on the initiative of the Philippine Mission in Vienna and hosted by the Department of Energy.  It was co-organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC).

Over 150 delegates attended the three-day conference.   The conference covered a comprehensive range of topics on the various aspects of a nuclear power program for countries planning to or considering the establishment of nuclear power plants.  Experts from around the world engaged in a productive dialogue with conference participants who came from the government, civil society, the academe, media, and business sectors.

In their keynote addresses, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi both underscored the importance of the conference as a step in the right direction in securing a stable energy supply for the country.

IAEA Deputy Director General Dr. Mikhail Chudakov acknowledged Asia as the driver for nuclear power in the world today. Dr. Alex Burkart of IFNEC stressed the importance of states to explore mutually beneficial approaches to ensure the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, proceeds in a manner that is efficient and meets the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation.

The conference accelerated the momentum of public consultations being conducted by the Department of Energy to determine whether there is substantial public support for a nuclear power program in the Philippines. It also led to the re-activation of the inter-agency group on nuclear power. 

Conference participants agreed that transparency, consultations with stakeholders, careful planning of and establishment of, among others, the necessary financial, regulatory, physical and human resources infrastructures are key elements in ensuring a successful nuclear power program.  The IAEA Milestones Approach was cited as an important guide in this regard. END