The Energy Department is hoping that President Rodrigo Duterte will soon sign the executive order for a national policy on nuclear power development.
“It’s near. We were talking about the national position, because the other agencies are now interacting. We are looking at an expanded NEPIO [Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization],” Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos said.
The DOE-NEPIO was created by virtue of Department Order DO-2016-10-0013 and was tasked to produce a comprehensive study and prepare national infrastructure for the first nuclear power plant.
The EO will expand the NEPIO to include other government agencies such as Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“The draft EO is being farmed out by Malacañang to other agencies, so the EO is moving along,” Marcos said.
Marcos said the Energy Department would take the lead under the expanded NEPIO.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi also said the Philippines would need a legal framework to proceed with the nuclear power program.