Senator Risa Hontiveros opposed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s proposal to pursue nuclear energy production in the Philippines, citing concerns over the country’s dependence on imported radioactive materials and the lack of a definite solution for the safe disposal of nuclear waste.

During the State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos urged lawmakers to study nuclear energy as a long-term solution to lower electricity costs and strengthen the country’s power supply.

Hontiveros said the issue of nuclear energy was one of the reasons she became an activist when she was in high school, adding that she remains against the proposal.

“Alam niyo, ‘yung nuclear energy ‘yung naging isyu kung bakit ako naging aktibista noong high school, ako at ang isang teenager at hanggang sa ngayon,” Hontiveros said.

“I’m sorry, hindi ako sang-ayon sa pagse-celebrate ni Presidente tungkol diyan dahil hanggang ngayon wala naman tayong indigenous raw materials para sa pag-generate ng nuclear energy,” she added.

The senator said the Philippines would still need to import radioactive materials needed for nuclear power generation and has yet to establish a reliable method for safely managing nuclear waste.

“Iaangkat pa po natin ‘yan na mga radioactive materials at hanggang ngayon wala pa po tayong siguradong pamamaraan na i-dispose nang ligtas ang mga radioactive wastes,” the senator said.

Instead, Hontiveros pushed for the further development of renewable energy sources, saying the country has abundant natural resources that remain underutilized.

She said renewable energy options are safer and more accessible compared to nuclear energy, adding that the government should focus on improving the integration of renewable power into the country’s electricity grid.

“Napakarami pa po nating potensyal at under-development na renewable energies na likas na dito sa ating archipelago. Libre po sa atin, ligtas kumpara sa nuclear energy,” she said.

Hontiveros stressed that the country should prioritize maximizing its renewable energy potential and address challenges in connecting these sources to the power system.

The Philippines previously built the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant during the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

However, its operation was suspended in 1986 following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the People Power Revolution that ended Marcos Sr.’s presidency.