Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, Sept. 17, 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — A group on Monday slammed the Department of Energy's plan of including nuclear power to the country's energy mix by 2032, citing security concerns.
The DOE is aiming to start with 2,500 megawatts of nuclear power in its energy plan.
"It's very horrific that the Department of Energy is pursuing setting up or deploying nuclear in a very problematic country in terms of the implication of security," Center for Energy, Ecology and Development executive director Gerry Arances told ANC's "Rundown".
The group noted the Philippines sits along the so-called "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic activities are common.
"It's just mind-boggling that the Department of Energy is pursuing this," Arances added.
The group said one challenge in using nuclear energy is the disposal of nuclear waste.
"It's in perpetuity that you have to manage it. It's there for generations to come. Who will shoulder the burden of securing that?" Arances said.
The Marcos administration has been vocal about its plan to tap nuclear energy and include it in the country's energy mix.
That as the country continues to deal with power issues like thinning reserves and outages.
Last month, the House Committee on Nuclear Energy voted to approve a consolidated substitute bill for a comprehensive atomic regulatory framework, creating for the purpose the Philippine Atomic Regulatory Commission.
The bill establishes an independent regulatory body to oversee the various uses of nuclear technologies and provides a rigorous physical safety regulatory framework for the safe use of nuclear energy, Pangasinan 2nd District Rep. Mark Cojuangco has said.