Shaping Tomorrow’s City Today

PHILIPPINE NUCLEAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE (PNRI) DIRECTOR CARLO A. ARCILLA SHARES HIS JOURNEY IN BECOMING A SCIENTIST AND HIS EXPERIENCES IN BATTLING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, AND BREAKTHROUGHS BY THE INSTITUTE UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP.

In the heart of Quezon City lies an office complex housing the offices and facilities of an important yet not so known government agency—the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI). The PNRI, one of the research institutes under the Department of Science and Technology, is the sole agency of the government mandated to advance and regulate the safe and peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in the Philippines. It performs a number of functions, primary of which are to conduct research and development activities on the application of radiation and nuclear techniques, materials, and processes; and to undertake the transfer of the results of such research to end-users, including technical extension and training services.

The institute is also tasked to operate and maintain nuclear research reactors and other radiation facilities; and to license and regulate activities relative to production, transfer, and utilization of nuclear radioactive substances in the country. Heading the PNRI is its director, the multi-hyphenate Carlo A. Arcilla, who is a professor, geologist, scientist, and researcher.

THE MAKING OF A PROFESSOR, RESEARCHER, AND SCIENTIST

At age 13, Arcilla moved from his hometown in Virac, Catanduanes to Metro Manila after being accepted into the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) main campus in Quezon City. The son of a high school principal mother and engineer father, the young Arcilla was a lover of reading and learning. His love for science grew even more as he spent time in the school’s various facilities and laboratories. In his fourth year of high school, Arcilla developed a love for biology and became one of the best biology students in his batch. He recalls that his love for biology made him want to pursue medicine but financial difficulties at that time made him consider other options. An opportunity came his way when he was offered a scholarship to take up geology courtesy of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). He thus took up geology at the University of the Philippines (UP), graduating cum laude in 1981. Arcilla worked at the MGB for a few months even as he immediately started teaching at the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) in UP Diliman. After nearly three years of teaching, he decided to move to Cebu where Opus Dei, a Catholic prelature, was setting up a center. Sticking to his scientific path, the young professional joined Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation where he did research aside from his duties as senior geologist. After four years with Atlas Mining, Arcilla applied for a Fullbright scholarship and pursued his master’s and doctorate degrees in the United States.

He graduated with a Master of Science in Geology majoring in Petrology and Tectonics, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences majoring in Petrology and Geochemistry from the University of Illinois, Chicago. After completing his doctorate, Arcilla needed to come home to the Philippines to take care of his mother. He rejoined NIGS as a professor and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the institute’s director in 2007.

HELPING SHED LIGHT ON ISSUES

Arcilla has been instrumental in shedding light on a number of issues in the country. Two of these are the Payatas landfill leachate and the 2010 Makati pipeline leak incident. The Payatas landfill in Quezon City had been filling up with about 6000 tons of municipal solid waste per day from 1995 to 2000. When Arcilla came back in 1998, he started conducting research in the landfill. He saw the problem of the landfill being beside La Mesa Dam, a major source of drinking water for Metro Manila. He and his team found out that in a few more years, the leachate coming from the trash may seep into the dam. Through the same research, they found that about 50 to 60 percent of the garbage being dumped in the area is made up of organic materials and produces methane when it decomposes.

This results in fires that burn plastics that may also cause toxicity. The research led to the Quezon City government’s establishment of a small power plant that runs on methane—the first garbage-run power plant in the country.

Meanwhile, in 2010, Arcilla and his team discovered an oil pipeline leak in Barangay Bangkal, Makati. About 100 families needed to leave the affected area at two in the morning because there was a leak in part of the 117-kilometer pipeline running from Batangas to Sta. Mesa, Manila owned by the First Philippine Industrial Corporation. The team discovered that in a bend, a patch had failed and about two to three million liters of fuel had spilled. Among the dangers caused by this was the residents’ exposure to benzene, which is a harmful chemical. Arcilla’s team helped the local government of Makati ensure that the company abides by the Supreme Court’s ruling to fully clean up the leak and ensure the safety of the residents.

PUSHING FOR NUCLEAR POWER

One of Arcilla’s advocacies is the use of nuclear power in the country. He points out that using nuclear power could lessen the effects of global warming by lessening carbon dioxide emissions. Global warming, he says, causes the melting of polar ice sheets at the South Pole and can cause the sea level to rise, thus endangering the life and properties of people residing in low-lying areas. Thus, there is a need to minimize carbon dioxide emissions and nuclear power would help a lot in this. As of the moment, electricity in the Philippines is generated through coal (about 60 percent), natural gas (about 18 percent), and geothermal. The director points out how much energy nuclear power could give without direct carbon dioxide emissions.

Arcilla stresses that the use of nuclear power would not only lessen global warming but electricity costs as well. “Nuclear power is four million times more potent or energetic than solar, gasoline, natural gas, or coal,” he explains. With nuclear power, the cost of electricity could lessen as well and this will entice manufacturing businesses to operate. Arcilla mentions how nuclear power has enabled South Korea to have cheap electricity and increase production. The director also mentions that there will be costs for maintenance but such could be easily recovered in a few years, as Korea did in six years.

Arcilla points out the limitation of solar power as opposed to nuclear power, placing it this way: “What’s the issue with solar? It’s intermittent. When you have rain, you don’t have solar. At night, there’s no sun. Worldwide average, the best thing that you can get from solar availability is 30 percent. In the Philippines, it’s 15 percent. Which means, who is delivering your power 85 percent of the time? Solar is cheap when the sun is shining. But when it stops shining, the energy with which you will replace solar is the expensive one. That’s called baseload.” Arcilla explains that the baseload is actually from coal, 90 percent of which the Philippines imports from Indonesia. This is the reason why electricity is still expensive despite solar power being installed, as coal is used during non-sunny days or if households use much power at night. Another reason is that there are certain requirements that have to be present for solar power to be generated and made available to end-users. For instance, to make 620 megawatts of electricity, we will need 600 hectares of flat land. This is also why despite the availability of solar power, Arcilla still promotes nuclear power.

LOSSES DUE TO NON-USE OF NUCLEAR POWER

Arcilla notes that local manufacturers have been on the losing end because of the non-use of nuclear power in the country. He points out that despite the scarcity of important metallic minerals in China, it is still the world’s biggest steel manufacturer, accounting for a little over half of global production. Steel production makes use of iron, nickel, and chrome which China does not have. China imports nickel and chrome from the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Philippines is a net importer of steel, with the local steel industry practically unable to take off. One of the reasons for this is the high cost of electricity. Lower electricity cost brought about by the use of nuclear power could thus help steel manufacturers fill the supply gap.

Much of the resistance to the use of nuclear energy is due to fears regarding the safety of such form of energy. The PNRI, however, has taken a multi-pronged approach to the issue of using nuclear energy. The institute, together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Education, the DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines, and the Philippine Nuclear Science Foundation, hosted the first International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO) for high school students in Clark, Pampanga last August 1–6, 2024. The event, according to DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., “is more than just a test of knowledge; it is a platform for exchanging ideas, forging friendships, and inspiring the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers.”

ARCILLA HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR NUCLEAR POWER AS IT COULD PROVIDE EFFICIENT, DEPENDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE POWER. THE USE OF NUCLEAR POWER, HE SAYS, WOULD ALSO LESSEN THE COST OF ELECTRICITY AS NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ARE COST-EFFECTIVE OPERATIONALLY.

A total of 55 contestants, 27 team leaders, and 14 observers from 20 Asian countries participated in the INSO. Mohammad Nur G. Casib of the PSHS campus in Baloi, Lanao del Norte in Mindanao received the title “Nuclear Ambassador” for obtaining the highest overall score in the olympiad. Consistent with the INSO’s aim of inspiring the youth to become leaders and change-makers in the field of nuclear science and technology, Arcilla dreams for Casib and other youngsters to educate their family on nuclear energy. The need to educate the people about the peaceful uses of nuclear energy remains clear, especially since one common misconception still remains today. “Some say that when you have nuclear energy, you will produce nuclear weapons, but that’s only been proven for a small number of countries. Our constitution prohibits nuclear weapons but not nuclear power,” Arcilla clarifies.

The government is also bent on ensuring that enough safety nets are in place. Improved safeguards for the use of nuclear power are expected to be implemented once the proposed Philippine Nuclear Regulation Act is signed into law. The bill provides for the creation of the Philippine Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which “shall exercise authority over all aspects of safety, security, and safeguards involving nuclear materials and other radioactive materials, facilities, and radiationgenerating equipment.” Arcilla underscores that at present, the PNRI performs both regulatory and promotional functions, such that for example, if PNRI builds something, it will also be the one to license such. Arcilla hopes for the enactment of the proposed law so that there will be enough safeguards to make sure that the agency does not fall into the creation of nuclear weapons, and nuclear energy will be used in accordance with law. The bill has already been approved by the House of Representatives, and the director hopes that the Senate will soon do the same.

PNRI BREAKTHROUGHS

The fruits of PNRI’s efforts are being used not just in the field of power generation but even in agriculture. Among these are a plant growth promoter and new technology on the use of irradiation. Arcilla is actively promoting the use of the plant growth promoter that the agency developed in cooperation with the National Crop Protection Center of UP Los Baños—a breakthrough for agriculture. The plant growth promoter is a foliar spray that strengthens the stalks of rice plants, making sure that these don’t fall during inclement weather. The director proudly shares that the product has been tested on thousands of

acres of land. According to Arcilla, the formula could bring about at least a 20 percent increase in the yield of rice. If applied to mung beans, bananas, and leafy vegetables, it can increase yield by approximately 40 percent. Meanwhile, PNRI is at the forefront of promoting the use of radiation processing in order to ensure that agricultural and processed products meet international standards for health and safety. Irradiation involves cutting edge technology to inhibit spoilage and extend the shelf life of agricultural products. For instance, Arcilla mentions that Philippine mangoes are the best in the world; however, they will rot if exported to Europe. Through irradiation, however, all spores are killed, therefore extending shelf life. This could also mean that even seafood could be exported. He also speaks fondly of the results of their work on hemostat, or hemostatic radiation, which promotes blood clotting and makes it easier for wounds to heal.

WHAT’S NEXT: NUCLEAR MEDICINE TO BEAT CANCER

There have also been significant progress in PNRI’s research on nuclear medicine to beat cancer. Launched under Arcilla’s leadership, the studies show that about 70,000 Filipinos die of cancer each year. According to Arcilla, once you have felt cancer and once it has been detected in the scans and is diagnosed, it is already too late. “Cancer cells have a voracious appetite for sugar and so it means that they starve all the surrounding cells,” he explains. “Your own cells aren’t aware of the bacteria that have come inside and now your own cells are working against you.” Doctors usually have a hard time knowing exactly where the cancer cells are, but through nuclear medicine, sugar inside the cancer cells can be tagged in order to set off a series of reactions. Once the compound produced through the process is injected into a cancer patient, doctors can use positron emission tomography (PET) scan and computerized tomography (CT) scan to see exactly where the cancer is.

“They will be able to identify a three-dimensional address,” Arcilla says. “This will give the doctors a map that identifies exactly where the cancer is and oncologists no longer need to resort to a shotgun approach. Instead, there’s a target. So you can catch cancer early and the chances of saving lives are much higher. We have that technology here in the Philippines.” Through the above and its other projects, PNRI has quietly but constantly contributed to progress in various fields of endeavor. With a clear vision and mission and a leader who is ready to talk nuclear, the PNRI is expected to contribute even more to the improvement of the quality of life of Filipinos through safe and innovative nuclear science and technology.