COUNTRY REPORT FOR THE PHILIPPINES
Corazon C. Bernido
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute

1. Basic Data on Human Resources
In the 2002 HRD workshop, we had presented some basic data on human resources inthe nuclear field in the Philippines. These data form the basis for formulating the HRD
strategy for the country, with the additional assumption that there is no plan for a nuclear
power program in the near future. A projection of the energy needs of the country shows awindow for the introduction of nuclear power only in the year 2025 and beyond. The figure
below summarizes the breakdown of users of radioisotope applications according to different
areas.
Figure 1. Breakdown of Users of Radioisotopes

Users of Radioisotope Applications

Commercial
13%

Industrial
56%

Research
4%

Medical24%
Educational3%

The distribution shown in the figure would signify that the HRD strategy should address,
foremost, the needs of industry, and then the needs of the medical sector.
The Philippines had constructed a nuclear power plant which was unfortunately
mothballed in 1986 because of strong anti-nuclear sentiment after the accident at Chernobyl.
In preparation for any future nuclear power program, there has to be a comprehensive nuclear
science education program for the young generation in order to minimize the negative attitudeof the general population against nuclear power. So the HRD strategy in the nuclear field has
also to address this need for nuclear science education, especially in the high school level.
The young generation now in high school will be decision makers ten to twenty years fromnow.
Another indicator of the present status of human resources would be the data on
academic associations and societies in the nuclear field. This additional data is shown in thefollowing table.

Table 1. Academic Associations and Societies
in the Nuclear Field in the Philippines
Academic Associations& Societies

YearEstablished
1959

Number ofRegular
Members350

Number ofStudent
Members_Radioisotope Societyof the Philippines
Philippine Organizationof Medical Physicists(POMP)
Philippine Association
for Radiation Protection(PARP)
Philippine Society for
Nuclear Medicine(PSNM)
Philippine Society for
Non-Destructive Testing(PSNT)Samahang Pisika ng
Pilipinas (Physics Soc.
of the Philippines)

1986

40

1252

1962200_200

1966

40

_40

1979

520_520

1979

200

_200

Total
350

The data above shows that the majority of members in associations and societies in thenuclear field come from the industrial sector.
2. The HRD Strategy
2.1 Objective of the HRD Strategy
The HRD strategy will have the objective of ensuring sufficient human resources forthe activities outlined below, of ensuring radiation protection and the safe utilization ofnuclear techniques, as well as the implementation of nuclear regulations.
Activity Areas:(a) Radioisotope applications in industry, medicine, research, and other fields
including commercial activities(b) Nuclear science and technology education(c) Regulatory activities of the national nuclear regulatory body(d) Human resources in support of the Philippines’ research reactor and in support ofa future nuclear power program
In (a) there is a need for training users of radioisotopes, and for training radiation safety
officers and medical physicists, as required by regulations. There is a need for M.S. and Ph.D.
holders in Medical Physics. In (b) there is a need to enhance and upgrade nuclear science andtechnology education in schools and universities in the secondary (high school) level and inthe tertiary (university or college) level. This means training the teachers, and revising highschool and college curricula to include nuclear science subjects. Addressing the needs inactivity area (b) will greatly contribute to the social and political climate necessary for a
future nuclear power program. In (c) there is a need for enough trained personnel in theregulatory authority to enforce the national regulatory programme – to update the regulations,codes of practice, regulatory guides; to implement the licensing, inspection and enforcementof regulations to assure safety in the uses of radioisotopes; and to maintain preparedness incases of radiological emergencies. In (d) the need is more long-range in nature, but the more
immediate need is in the area of public acceptance and public awareness of nuclear scienceand technology, as well as graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) holders in Nuclear Engineering.
2.2 Framework of the HRD Strategy
The national human resource development strategy in the nuclear field will include:(1) the conduct of local training initiated by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, andwhich may be conducted in cooperation with national societies in the nuclear field; (2)nuclear science and technology education in schools and universities; (3) role of international
cooperation, i.e. training abroad through linkages with relevant institutions and organizations
in foreign countries; (4) new techniques for education and training; and (5) preservation ofexpertise – how to address brain drain and retirement of personnel with expertise in nuclear
S&T.
2.2.1 Role of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute
Several training courses are made available and conducted by the Philippine Nuclear
Research Institute (PNRI) locally, and some of these are in cooperation with national societies
in the nuclear field. These training courses, as well as other training done outside the country
through PNRI’s linkages with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and otherforeign institutions, are able to meet most of the HRD requirements. However, the PNRI isacutely facing a shortage of technical personnel to replace those due for retirement and thoselost through brain drain. The problem of preservation of expertise has to be addressed, andthis problem exists not only in the nuclear field, but in other fields of science as well. ThePNRI also needs to increase the present personnel complement through hiring of newpersonnel, but it is limited by budget constraints.
2.2.2 Nuclear Science and Technology Education
There is a pressing problem of enhancing nuclear science education in the secondarylevel as well as in the college or university level. There is a need to coordinate with theappropriate government agencies in charge of secondary and tertiary education to revise theschool curricula and introduce more topics on nuclear technology. There is also a need totrain and educate a great number of teachers and educators in the basics of radiation andnuclear technology. The agency responsible for secondary or high school education is theDepartment of Education (DepEd), while that for tertiary education is the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED). Successful implementation of the HRD strategy needs thecooperation of these two agencies, and close coordination among the PNRI, the Departmentof Science and Technology (DOST), DepEd and CHED.
The infrastructure for the offering of graduate academic programs in nuclear scienceand technology in the Philippines needs to be developed and improved. The possibility offorming a consortium or cooperation among three or four universities in the offering ofmasteral or doctoral programs has to be explored.
2.2.3 The Role of International Cooperation
The role of international cooperation is an important component in the HRD strategy
in the nuclear field, in order to meet the needs in the Philippines. In addition to training
courses, workshops, on-the-job training as well as exchange programs made available throughthe IAEA and bilateral agreements, academic programmes leading to M.S. or Ph.D. degrees
will be needed. The Philippines looks forward to regional cooperation in the area of academic
training in the nuclear field.
During the FNCA Ministerial Meeting in October of 2002 held in Seoul, Korea, Dr.
Estrella F. Alabastro of the Philippines, and Dr. Helen Garnett of Australia, proposed thesharing of expertise for HRD in the region, making extensive use of IT or online learning(cyber learning).
2.2.4

New Techniques for Education and Training

There is a need to develop training materials and visual aids such as videos,computer-aided instruction, and simple equipment. Distance learning (CD-ROM based), andonline learning through the internet will play an important role. The infrastructure forinternet-based learning is growing in the Philippines. In addition, the in terconnectivity ofcountries in the region is being enhanced through regional projects and regional cooperation,for example through the activities of the IAEA/RCA.
2.2.5

Preservation of Expertise

The government through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has
revived the Balik Scientist Program, a program to encourage Filipino scientists working
abroad to return to the Philippines through the granting of some incentives. Ways and means
to strengthen this program have to be implemented, in order to counteract brain drain. Due tothe shortage of experts in the area of nuclear S&T, in the future a mechanism could beprovided to grant more incentives to retired scientists who will be hired as consultants.
2.3 Implementation of the HRD Strategy
For effective implementation of the national HRD strategy in the nuclear field, it has
been proposed that an interagency body or committee will be formed to oversee and monitor
its implementation. The committee will be composed of representatives from the Departmentof Science and Technology, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the Department of

Education, and the Commission on Higher Education. The time frame for implementation
will be ten years.
3.0 Other Activities
Our report in the previous HRD workshops stressed the need to train high school
science teachers on the basics of radiation and nuclear science. We are glad to report that on
March 3 to 7, 2003, through the Radiation Application Development Association (RADA), a
Course on Dissemination of Nuclear Knowledge was successfully conducted in Japan. This
training was sponsored by MEXT of Japan, and was one of the series of training courses
under the International Seminar on Nuclear Safety 2002. The participants were fiveteachers/educators from the Philippines, and they will be trainors of other high school
teachers in nuclear science.