Legarda strongly opposes nuclear power plant in Antique

Metro Manila, Philippines - Senator Loren Legarda has firmly opposed the proposal to construct a nuclear power plant in her home province of Antique, urging government agencies to abandon the idea entirely.

“I am not in favor and I am not alone. I will block it every step of the way. Whichever government agency is studying it, do not waste your time and your resources,” Legarda said during a hearing on the 2026 budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Thursday, Oct. 9.

Legarda questioned Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla, then energy chief, about which agency was spearheading the plan. She warned that she would oppose the budget of any agency that continues to push for the project.

Lotilla said an inter-agency committee, led by the Department of Energy, is studying the potential for nuclear energy. He added that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) is identifying potential sites for nuclear power plants.

“If the government, and that's through Congress, does move ahead with nuclear power… before such permits can be issued, there has to be an ECC (environmental compliance certificate) that has to be issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Lotilla said.

He said such a certificate would only be granted if international safety and environmental standards are met. Legarda, however, called on the DENR to withhold the ECC and submit the inter-agency study.

“I can speak for the people. They will not approve any nuclear facility in our province. You know that, binabaha tayo, may katutubo, may yamang lupa pero hindi dapat doon at hindi bagay [we experience flooding, we have indigenous communities, we have natural resources. It’s not the right place for it],” she said.

“Hindi kailangang pag-isipan sa siyensya. Hindi papayag ang mga tao [This isn’t something that should be debated scientifically. The people will not agree],” she added.

Lotilla said the inter-agency committee will consider all relevant scientific data, but noted that he needed to review the details before making a firm commitment.

After the mothballed Philippine Nuclear Power Plant in Bataan that was saddled with foreign debt, the country is now working on its nuclear energy roadmap, which aims to have commercially operational nuclear power plants by 2032.