The Pangasinan State University (PSU), led by President Dr. Elbert M. Galas, actively participated in a symposium on nuclear energy awareness held on August 28, 2025.
The said event that transpired at the Levo Hotel, Urdaneta City was also participated in by faculty members and personnel of PSU-Urdaneta Campus along with the spearheading agency, Department of Energy (DOE).
In his welcome remarks, University President Dr. Elbert Galas emphasized the role of the academe in shaping the country’s energy future.
“This symposium, therefore, is not merely an academic exercise. It is a step toward aligning our educational pathways with the urgent demands of our time, cultivating a workforce ready to harness the promise of nuclear energy for the common good,” he said.
DOE officials urged participants to break misconceptions about nuclear science, stressing that misinformation fuels unnecessary fear. They pointed out that nuclear energy should be understood as a viable and sustainable energy source.
Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo for DOE and Vice Chairperson of Nuclear Energy Programme Coordinating Council (NEP-CC), served as the keynote speaker and stated that the Philippines has made significant progress in addressing the recommendations from the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR).
The event was organized in partnership with the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC) and attended by representatives from the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization (NEPIO), and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Anchored on the theme “Steering the Academe Towards Careers in the Nuclear Industry,” the symposium brought together students and faculty from the civil, electrical and mechanical engineering departments to deepen their awareness of nuclear energy as an alternative and sustainable energy source, as well as its career opportunities.
The symposium also featured series of lectures presented by Atty. Patrick T. Aquino, CESO III (Sources of Energy: Nuclear Energy and How it fares in the Whole Energy mix), Ms. Maria Cecilia Sofia P. Baldos (Overview of Nuclear Energy Program and Human Resource Infrastructure), Atty. Manuel Luis B. Plofino (The national Power Corporation and the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) Experience), Dr. Carlo A. Arcilla (Breaking the Myths – the Truth About Nuclear Science and Technology).
