The Philippines and the United States concluded their negotiations for the “historic” 123 civil nuclear cooperation agreement during the meeting of President Marcos Jr. and American Vice President Kamala Harris at the sidelines of the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco.
Ahead of the signing of the 123 agreement today, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Ultra Safe Nuclear Cooperation (USNC) on November 15 for the conduct of a joint pre-feasibility study on Micro-Modular Reactors (MMRs), with the aim to explore clean and sustainable energy options in the country.
In a statement released by the White House, Marcos and Harris both welcomed the early conclusion of the negotiations on the 123 agreement which started in Manila in November 2022.
The agreement will deepen the US-Philippines partnership to build a global clean energy economy and strengthen “our shared commitment to improving energy security and advancing the global nonproliferation regime,” the statement said.
“This agreement will provide the legal basis for US exports of nuclear equipment and material to the Philippines, which will support American workers and businesses,” it added.
Prior to the meeting, the President received the copy of the agreement between Meralco and USNC to conduct a feasibility study for the potential deployment of micro modular reactors (MMR) in Meralco sites aimed at enforcing the sustainable energy agenda and to provide affordable and dependable access to power, particularly to the underserved and off-grid areas for economic empowerment.
The study will enable Meralco to obtain an estimate of the environmental and social impact, capital expenditure, and operational costs, among others, related to the siting, construction, and operation of one or more MMR energy systems in the Philippines.
In welcoming the agreement, the President said the Meralco-USNC partnership is a significant step towards exploring clean and sustainable energy options for the Philippines.
Marcos in his first state of the nation address (SONA), the President directed the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to explore the possibility of developing small-scale modular nuclear power plants, subject to compliance with international safety standards and regulations.
The agreement was signed by Meralco executive vice president and COO Ronnie Aperocho, representing Meralco chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, and USNC Founder and CEO Francesco Venneri.
During the event, the President also welcomed the partnership between Filipino firm Lloyd Laboratories and US-based DifGen Pharmaceutic that will result in a $20 million boost to local production of medicines in the Philippines.
The agreement includes the establishment and operation of the first USFDA (United States Food and Drug) approved manufacturing facility in the Philippines.
The signatories were Dr. Lloyd Balajada, Christopher Bamba, Rafael Calinisan, and Atty. Oliver Baclay for Lloyd laboratories and Ramandeep Singh Jaj signed for DifGen Pharmaceuticals.
Another agreement was signed by the Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Maridon Sahagun, and Atmo Inc. Founder and CEO Alexander Levy which covers the
building a high-resolution weather forecasting system for the Philippines using AI technology.
Marcos also welcomed the agreement establishing the first cancer specialty hospital in the Philippines through AC Health and an American firm technology provider.
AC Health will establish the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in the Philippines, which will serve as a network of oncology clinics throughout Metro Manila aimed at providing cancer patients access to comprehensive cancer care utilizing Varian’s state-of-the-art and multi-modality cancer care technologies.
Signatories include Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Corp., AC Health CEO and president Paolo Borromeo, Varian Philippines President and managing director Heinz-Michael Horst Schmermer, and Varian’s Advanced Oncology Solutions vice president Chuck Lindley.
The President also presented the agreement on the Philippines’ first satellite that is solely dedicated to improve internet connectivity in far-flung areas in the Philippines.
Astranis and Orbits forged a $400-million partnership on November 15 that will bring internet connectivity to unserved and underserved areas in the Philippines by launching MicroGEO satellites. The project will be done in a period of eight years.
The project, which will run for eight years, will cover up to 10 million users and 30,000 barangays. It will also employ at least 10,000 people.
Marcos said this project will help bridge “our digital divide and foster our digital transformation.”
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the official name of the first satellite as “Agila,” after the Philippine eagle, to foster the spirit of technological advancements and strengthening international partnerships.
Present during the event were US Commerce Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Pamela Phan, Founder and CEO John Gedmark, Asia Pacific Astranis Space Technologies Corp. commercial sales director Ajmair Heer, and co-founder Augusto Baculio.
