DOST: Radiation threat a ‘very very new’ situation for PHL

Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo on Tuesday admitted that the radioactive threat from a quake-crippled nuclear plant in Japan “is a very, very new situation" to the Philippines, despite the assurance that the country is ready for any eventuality. At a press briefing in Malacañang, Montejo assured the public that the government will review what needs to be done in situations such as the one Japan is facing now. “This is a very, very new situation. Talagang bago sa atin talaga ito [This is really new to us] and we will review again kung ano ba iyong kailangan natin [whatever we need to consider]," the head of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said. “If we need to procure additional equipment or testing facilities, then I think we will recommend," he added, stressing that “[the government is] prepared for any eventuality." In the same briefing, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) director Alumanda de la Rosa said they have state-of-the-art equipment to detect alpha, beta and gamma radiation. “We were able to upgrade our equipment through the assistance of the United States-Department of Energy and Australia. So, dahil nga matagal na rin kaming nagpre-prepare for an emergency that may occur either through natural events [or] through terrorism, I could say that at the moment we have the state-of-the-art equipment," she said. The PNRI said it has five emergency response teams, and is now is now monitoring the radioactive level in Metro Manila four times a day. “We are doing the monitoring at the moment [on our] air environment. This is ongoing, this is a regular function actually [of] PNRI, and we increased the frequency of monitoring since Sunday. So, we have data to show na kung meron mang increase ng level ng [should we see an increase in the level of] radioactivity in our atmosphere. We will give a regular updates on the level of radioactivity in our air," Montejo said. Suspension of classes 'outrageous' On another issue, Montejo described as “outrageous" the decision of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines to suspend its classes amid hoax text messages warning about the imminent threat of radiation to the country. “I don’t know the right word, maybe outrageous. Paano tayo magsususpend ng [Why should we suspend] classes when the classes in Japan [are] normal. The government in Japan, their offices are operating normally and they are on the site," he said. Montejo added that everybody is aware of what is happening in Japan through the mass media. “Hindi namin maintidihan kung saan binase [We can’t understand the basis of the suspension. Everybody is aware naman, alam naman na normal ang buhay [that life remains normal] in most parts of Japan except [in the] calamity areas," he said. He said the public and the schools should keep themselves abreast with the updates issued by the government so that they are more informed and guided about the current disaster situation in Japan. “We will be issuing bulletins, we have issued our first bulletin last Sunday and everyday we will issue bulletins based on recent developments. There’s an incident in Japan this morning so we will talk again and we will prepare our latest bulletin based on current information that we have," he said. Montejo also said DOST will talk to the Commission of Higher Education (Ched) and Department of Education (DepEd) to instruct universities schools under their control to follow recommendations of the department. On the other hand, De la Rosa said the PNRI is continuously closely monitoring the Fukushima-Daiichi power plant’s situation, while the agency’s website and the agency’s Twitter account DOST_PNRI also post updates and government measures on the nuclear emergency. PNRI also strongly advised the public to call the PNRI trunklines with telephone numbers 929-6010 to 19 and 920-8787 or refer to the DOST PNRI website and STII website for further advisories. It also advised the public to access the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) website for the latest developments. The IAEA is the United Nations’ international watchdog tasked to issue verified information on nuclear accidents and emergencies such as that in Fukushima Worst-case scenario Asked about the effect of radiation on the Philippines in a worst-case scenario, Montejo said he didn’t see direct physical harm to people but the country’s agriculture may be affected as well the safety of imports from Japan. Montejo also made an assurance that Fukushima’s nuclear fallout will not reach the Philippines because the current wind pattern is not moving towards the country but eastward, or towards the Pacific Ocean and away from the Philippines. This wind pattern will last up to the middle of May, Montejo said. De la Rosa meanwhile explained that the PNRI is continuously monitoring the environment to detect any rise in radiation level, but hasn’t started checking on imports from Japan. The Philippine government will have to do extensive assessments and testing before coming up with a recommendation whether to impose ban imports from Japan or not, she said. De la Rosa said the Philippines National Radiology Emergency Preparedness and Response (RAD) Plan has been in place since 2000, and the National Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Council (NDRRMC) and the PNRI “can put [it] into action." The RAD Plan establishes the country’s capability for an organized emergency response for radiological incidents or emergencies. Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that in a worst-case scenario, the DOH is ready to purchase large amounts of iodine to counter the effects of high radiation. “Let me be very clear that we don’t see a necessity for that. However, we know where to get it if necessary, we even know the price but we are not going to order it yet," Ona said.—JV, GMA News