By Elizabeth Angsioco | Posted on Aug. 17, 2013 at 12:01am
Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla warned of an impending Luzon power shortage crisis particularly because the Mindanao problem is already being addressed.
On the other hand, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad removed the measly P50 million allocation for the maintenance of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. The BNPP, a $2.1-billion US dollar investment fully paid for by people’s money has been mothballed since the presidency of Corazon Aquino. It was ready to run in 1986 when EDSA happened.
The plant, a project of the then highly unpopular Ferdinand Marcos, was rightly or wrongly hounded by corruption and safety issues.
Since then, the world has continued to rapidly go nuclear. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA, March 2013), “there are 435 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries, plus Taiwan…”
Leading and progressive countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, and Sweden have been on nuke for many decades now. Many are presently increasing their capacities to meet demand.
WNA also says that, “60 reactors are under construction in 13 countries; most reactors on order or planned are in the Asian region although there are major plans for new units in the USA and Russia…”
Some of the Asian countries with existing nuclear power programs are: Iran, India, China, Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan, and Japan. China has 15 operating nuclear reactors and 26 more are under construction. India, on the other hand, already has 20 and at least five (5) more are being or about to be constructed.
Outside of these, the June 2013 WNA paper “Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries” lists the following Asian countries as among those with concrete plans to use nuclear energy: Turkey, Vietnam, Belarus, Poland, and Jordan. Surprisingly, even the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are in the list.
The paper also names over 45 countries as “seriously considering nuclear power” at various stages. Asian countries included are: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, and Sri-Lanka. The Philippines, because of the mothballed BNPP, as well as the bills filed in relation with it, is also listed among these countries.
Clearly, the world has gone nuclear pero patuloy tayong naiiwan sa kangkungan (with all due respect to kangkong).
We complain of electricity costs that are among the highest in the world, yet many refuse to heed the solution that for decades has been proven effective by many developed countries.
We lament the fact that investments do not come our way and employment opportunities are scarce, but refuse to see the direct correlation of these with our very high energy costs — a big disincentive for manufacturing, and consequently, job creation.
We continue to be caught in a web of political and ideological maneuverings and discourse coupled with ignorance about solutions that stare us in the face. Hindi naman tayo bobo.
I admit, I was among those who, after Marcos, never bothered to study the BNPP but took a strong opposition to it because it was “politically correct” to be anti-nuke. I do not, and cannot, in a hundred years claim expertise on the matter but I now know more than enough to say that I was wrong.
Challenged by former representative Mark Cojuangco, THE nuclear energy advocate, I joined the BNPP trip twice to see for myself. Though still harboring anti-nuke sentiments, Mark’s passion intrigued me. I am glad that I and others went. It was quite enlightening. The BNPP stared at us as if saying, “See, I’m good! It’s time to make me work for the people.”
Former President Cory Aquino’s Executive Order no. 55 of 1 October 1986 made sure that the BNPP is well-maintained. When we went there, even after almost 30 years of being idle, everything was spic and span. It is obviously very well cared for by people who know that running it will be good for the country.
This huge, seemingly indestructible, impenetrable fortress, together with the Nuclear Village (another control area, and a security and safety requirement also meant to house BNPP engineers and staff), and the rest of the 365-hectare property is presently cared for by only 93 people including 36 janitors and 42 security staff.
After the trip, everyone was asking the same question. Why do we continue to waste this opportunity to really advance and make life better for our people?
And then the budget department removed the plant’s maintenance allocation from the proposed 2014 budget. EO55 has not been repealed or superseded by any other policy. The DBM’s scrapping of the plant’s budget may be violative of the EO’s Section 4 which clearly states:
“Until the National Government or its duly designated government agency shall have studied and ultimately determined the disposition of the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant I (PNPP-I), the National Power Corporation is hereby designated as the caretaker thereof, undertaking the necessary and requisite preservation, maintenance and security program therefore with the expenditures necessarily connected thereto to be shouldered by the National Government for which purpose there shall likewise be an annual appropriation of such sums out of the General Fund in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.”
Could DBM’s action be considered as abuse of discretion? Did the department singlehandedly decide on the fate of the BNPP contrary to what EO55 says? Energy Secretary Petilla claimed he did not know why the budget was deleted and only learned about it through newspaper reports.
While the world is building new nuclear plants and reactors, we are throwing away one that if built today will cost about SIX BILLION DOLLARS. This is ridiculous!
The 50 million BNPP maintenance budget is peanuts compared with the billions allocated to other government agencies. It is millions less than the pork barrel budget of ONE legislator. It is nothing compared to the alleged ten billion peso pork scam involving people’s money.
In the face of an impending power crisis and the possibility of wasting a huge people’s investment, it is understandable why Pangasinan Representative Kimi Cojuangco, principal author of the BNPP bill in the fifteenth congress and supported by 189 members, threatened to block the DoE’s budget if the BNPP maintenance allocation is not restored.
At the very least, government must follow its own policies. At the very least, BNPP should be maintained and experts should determine its viability. Without the budget, the country is wasting an asset that many other countries would want to have.
Restore the P50-million BNPP budget. source
bethangsioco@gmail.com and @bethangsioco on Twitter
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