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The municipality of Morong, Bataan has declared itself a non-nuclear zone, prohibiting nuclear power facilities and radioactive materials within its jurisdiction in a move that anti-nuclear groups said reinforces local opposition to reviving the long-idled Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
The Sangguniang Bayan of Morong approved the Non-Nuclear Zone Ordinance on its third and final reading on Monday, formally banning the construction, operation, and storage of nuclear power facilities and radioactive materials in the town that hosts the 620-megawatt BNPP. Environmental advocates described the measure as a significant victory for community-led efforts against the government’s plans to expand nuclear energy.
The Nuclear-Free Bataan Movement (NFBM), a provincewide coalition campaigning against nuclear power, lauded the ordinance. “The approval of this ordinance marks Morong’s commitment to a future anchored in community safety, environmental protection, and meaningful people’s participation,” the group said, adding that while the measure is an important milestone, it does not end the campaign against nuclear energy projects.
Local Opposition To BNPP Revival
Morong is home to the BNPP, a facility completed in 1984 but never commissioned following years of controversy over its safety, cost, and allegations of corruption during the Marcos administration.
Julito Velasco, vice chairperson of the NFBM, said the ordinance was crafted to prevent the storage of nuclear-related materials within Morong and to address growing public concerns over the environmental and health risks posed by nuclear energy and radioactive waste.
He said the town’s action aligns with broader efforts to establish nuclear-free communities and reflects continuing opposition among provincial officials and various sectors in Bataan to proposals to rehabilitate the dormant facility.
According to Velasco, many residents believe the BNPP no longer serves the interests of local communities more than four decades after it was abandoned.
Widespread Protests
The passage of the ordinance came after environmental advocates, youth organizations, and community groups from the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India, and Australia gathered for the 33rd No Nukes Asia Forum (NNAF), which commemorated the June 1985 Welga ng Bayan Laban sa Plantang Nukleyar.
The historic three-day protest drew more than 33,000 participants who marched from Dinalupihan to Balanga before staging a protest caravan to Morong. The demonstrations effectively paralyzed much of Bataan and highlighted public concerns over the plant’s safety, the foreign debt incurred in its construction, and allegations of corruption surrounding the project built by Westinghouse.
Following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, then President Corazon Aquino decided not to operate the completed power plant, leaving it abandoned for decades.
At this year’s NNAF, anti-nuclear advocates from across Asia reiterated their opposition to rehabilitating the BNPP, citing lessons from their own countries.
Fang Long Shi of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union said Taiwan had already shut down its three nuclear power plants as part of its transition toward renewable energy, citing safety and cost concerns. She added that Taiwan remains closely interested in developments in the Philippines because of its geographic proximity.
Forum participants also raised concerns over the long-term management of radioactive waste. NNAF noted that Taiwan, despite phasing out nuclear power, continues to manage about 4,700 tons of high-level radioactive waste, illustrating the long-lasting challenges associated with nuclear energy.
The forum likewise noted that although Australia, Japan, South Korea and India continue to utilize nuclear technology in varying capacities, public opposition to nuclear energy and nuclear weapons remains strong in many parts of Asia.
Potential Nuclear Program
The local ordinance comes as the Philippine government continues exploring nuclear energy as part of its long-term energy strategy to address rising electricity demand.
The Department of Energy last year outlined plans to develop 2,400 megawatts of nuclear generating capacity by 2032 and has said it remains open to future nuclear proposals from the private sector, although it acknowledged that small and medium-sized modular reactors have yet to become commercially available.
Congress has also seen proposals supporting nuclear energy, including efforts by Pangasinan 2nd District Rep. Mark Cojuangco to revive the BNPP and build a separate 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in Labrador, Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, the government has established the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) under the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act to support nuclear energy development. However, critics have argued that key regulatory frameworks, particularly those governing radioactive waste management, have yet to be completed.
The NFBM maintained that reviving the BNPP could cost taxpayers as much as ₱180 billion despite what it described as structural vulnerabilities and the plant’s location in an area exposed to earthquakes and typhoons.
“The Philippines is not suited to host a nuclear plant, as we have frequent earthquakes and typhoons,” NFBM national coordinator DJ Janier said during the forum. “This is not an ideal condition. There is not a good condition to have a nuclear power plant here at any time.”
Source:
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/06/23/morong-declares-bnpp-area-non-nuclear-zone
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2250931/bataan-town-passes-non-nuclear-zone-ordinance/amp
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2249889/anti-nuclear-groups-oppose-bataan-nuke-plant-revival