(Photo above) IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (middle), Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the IAEA (left) and DOST-PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla (right) during the roundtable discussion (photo below) with members of the academe at tbe Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria on February 9, 2018.
Officials from the IAEA, DOST and DepEd pose for a group photo after the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony for the implementation of an IAEA regional technical cooperation project for nuclear science education on February 8, 2018. IAEA Director General Amano (5th from left), Secretary Fortunato De La Peña of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) (4th from left), Undersecretary Tonisito Umali of the Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd) (5th from right), Ambassador Natividad (3rd from right) and PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla (4th from right).
IAEA Director General Amano Visits the Philippines Early in 2018
Highlighting the country’s strong engagement in Atoms for Peace and Development, Director General Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visited the Philippines from February 7 to 10, 2018.
The IAEA top official’s visit started with a high-level meeting on February 8 with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and other officials from the Department of Energy (DOE), which is currently preparing for the development of nuclear power as a long-term part of the Philippines’ energy mix.
The DOE’s recommendations on a national position on nuclear power, which will be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte, is based on several energy planning studies with IAEA assistance.
After the meeting with DOE officials, Director General Amano also met with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato De La Peña and other DOST officials to discuss the current and future engagements with various IAEA technical cooperation projects.
The Director General emphasized the role of the IAEA in spearheading the use of nuclear science and technology to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These projects and technologies include food irradiation to increase the shelf-life of export products, cyclotrons for producing radiopharmaceuticals for early cancer diagnosis and sterile insect technique to control the population of mosquitoes which serve as vectors for various diseases.
Director General Amano was also one of the distinguished guests on February 8 during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between DOST - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) and the Department of Education (DepEd) on the implementation of the IAEA technical cooperation project on nuclear science and technology education for secondary schools in the Asia-Pacific region.
The project aims to help increase the interest of students in the Asia - Pacific region regarding science and technology in general, eventually leading to future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
On February 9 Director General Amano met with several heads and representatives of Philippine universities, colleges and members of the academe for a roundtable discussion and open forum. Several officials from IAEA, DOE, DOST and other government agencies were also present during the forum, which was facilitated by DOST-PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla. The academic institutions brought up the possibility of obtaining support from IAEA and DOST-PNRI towards building their capabilities in the study and development of nuclear and radiation applications.
The Director General’s visit to the Philippines was the second leg of his Asian tour early this 2018, which also includes Indonesia and Thailand.
