Nostalgia or Necessity?

During his working visit to Singapore, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. openly expressed disappointment over the closure of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) four decades ago. His remarks come at a time when Filipinos are grappling with some of the highest electricity rates in Asia, juxtaposed against the looming threat of an intense El Niño crisis. 

The President’s lamentation forces us to confront a uncomfortable but vital question: Was the mothballing of the BNPP a monumental historical mistake, or a necessary shield for public safety?

On one hand, the economic logic supporting nuclear energy is increasingly difficult to dismiss. With traditional coal-fired power plants facing massive environmental backlash and local gas reserves rapidly depleting, the country desperately needs a stable baseline energy source. 

Nuclear power offers cheap, high-yield, and low-carbon electricity that could dramatically reduce household energy bills and boost industrial productivity.

Furthermore, the Philippines already trained a highly specialized nuclear scientists and engineers in the 1970s and 1980s—experts who have spent decades waiting to put their advanced degrees into practice. 

To ignore this potential while small businesses and poor families suffocate under exorbitant electricity bills seems short-sighted.

However, historical skepticism is deeply rooted in legitimate trauma, not just political rivalry. The BNPP was mothballed in 1986 following the ouster of the elder Marcos and the catastrophic Chernobyl disaster, which exposed the terrifying, generational risks of nuclear energy. 

Beyond global anxieties, the Bataan facility carries localized red flags: it sits near a major tectonic fault line and the dormant Mount Natib volcano. 

Critics also rightfully point out our systemic regulatory weaknesses. If the government historically struggles to implement standard safety compliance in basic public transport and infrastructure, can the public truly trust bureaucratic institutions to manage highly volatile nuclear waste without cutting corners?

So, now what? Nostalgia cannot power our grid, nor can lingering trauma dictate our future. Reviving a decaying, 40-year-old facility in Bataan is likely a financial and logistical nightmare. 

Instead, if the administration is genuinely committed to a nuclear future, it must move past old regrets and look forward. 

The focus should shift toward modern Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and rigid, independent regulatory frameworks completely insulated from corruption. Action, rigorous safety auditing, and transparency—not mere political pining—are what the Filipino people need to finally see the light.