TARLAC CITY, Tarlac — The staunch critic of the Pax Silica project in New Clark City has voiced his opposition to plans to of installing a nuclear power plant in Capas town.
Capas Mayor Roseller ‘Boots’ Rodriguez has firmly opposed the proposed nuclear power plant project in his municipality, highlighting safety hazards tied to the region’s volcanic topography.
“Unless BCDA is able to present to us options, we are opposed to a nuclear power source because Mt. Pinatubo is in Capas. If we are talking about nuclear power plant, nandyan yung fault line at nandyan yung risk. Very serious ang reservation namin in so far as nuclear power plant and nuclear,” Rodriguez said.
The municipal mayor emphasized that no formal dialogues or proposals have been established between local stakeholders and developers regarding the venture.
Last week, the Department of Energy said that it is considering a nuclear power plant to fuel the controversial Pax Silica high-tech hub in New Clark City. A large area of the 1,619-ha. US-backed Pax Silica project is inside the geographical boundaries of Capas.
In July and August this year, protests were staged to oppose the project as it might lead to the displacement of hundreds of local residents and farmers. The local government of Capas even asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to intervene in the project.
Weighing in on the controversial proposal during the inaugural 1st Tarlac Energy Summit at the Diwa ng Tarlac Convention Center, Governor Christian Yap adopted an exploratory stance, noting that nuclear energy is widely utilized internationally for its cleanliness and lower cost per kilowatt.
“Sa ibang bansa ang nuclear naman ay ginagamit na dahil malinis, lower cost per kilowatt. Makikinig kami sa mga proposal. Ang importante dyan ay kung accepted ng community,” Yap said. (In other countries, nuclear energy is already being used because it is clean and offers a lower cost per kilowatt. We will listen to proposals. What is important there is whether it is accepted by the community.)
The differing stances between the local officials unfolded at the sidelines of the energy summit as Tarlac navigates its broader economic and infrastructural road map. Representatives from the Department of Energy, National Electrification Administration, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and the three major power distribution companies in the province served as speakers.
Provincial leaders including Vice Governor Estelita Aquino, Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap, and LMP President Doña Tesoro gathered alongside energy sector executives to confront skyrocketing kilowatt-hour expenses, grid vulnerabilities, and the high-stakes demands of industrial investors.
