Chapter 173: Prelude to Nuclear Energy in PH

June 27th, 2028Department of Energy – Executive Planning Conference Room

9:40 AM

The room wasn’t large.

Just a rectangular table, built-in projector, glass walls overlooking Energy Center, Taguig. No media. No senators. No dramatic speeches.

Only people who actually needed to be there.

The invitation list was short:

DOE – Undersecretary Manuel Salcedo (Energy Policy)

DTI – Atty. Lora de Guzman (Investment Policy, Ease of Doing Business)

National Economic Council – Director Pamela Torres (Infrastructure & Fiscal Planning)

Office of the President, Transition Team – Policy Adviser Rafael Montemayor

TG Energy Systems – Timothy Guerrero, Engineer Jose Reyes, and two legal officers

Senate Technical Representative – Senior Legislative Officer for Committee on Energy, Engr. Feliciano Lim

There was no formal greeting. No photo ops.

Undersecretary Salcedo simply clicked on the projector and began.

Slide 1: Proposed Establishment – NUCLEAR REGULATORY AUTHORITY (NRA)

Independent Agency.

Technical in nature.

Single permitting channel.

Strict safety oversight.

Not under DOE control.

Not under political office.

A silence lingered for a few seconds. Then Salcedo spoke.

"This is not a company’s idea anymore," he said. "After last week’s Senate hearing, this is now a government mandate. The question is not if we create an NRA—the question is how."

He looked at Timothy.

"You wanted it technical, independent, and fast. That’s what we’re trying to figure out today."

Timothy nodded.

Not excited. Just attentive.

Because now, this wasn’t presentation anymore.

It was policy building.

—

Slide 2: Problems with current system

Multiple agencies needed for permits: DOE, DENR, DOST, PNRI, PNP, AFP, LGUs, HLURB, NWRB, NEDA, BOI.

Average processing time for conventional plant:

18 months–3 years (paperwork) before land acquisition.

"Too slow," Jose said quietly. "By the time approval finishes, the technology is already different."

Salcedo nodded.

"That’s why we need the NRA. But forming a regulatory authority means one thing—"

He looked around.

"Congress will need a bill. And that bill needs to be jointly written—not just by legislators, but by engineers, economists, policy lawyers, and nuclear practitioners."

Everyone’s eyes moved to the only two people in the room who weren’t part of government.

Timothy and Jose.

It wasn’t an order.

It was an invitation.

—

Senate lawyer Engr. Lim opened his folder.

"The Senate has approved preliminary drafting," he said. "But before we proceed to legislation, we need to design the structure. Scope. Powers. Funding source. Reporting chain. Whether it’s independent, commission-level authority, or an attached bureau."

He paused.

"Mr. Guerrero—since you’re the first to formally request this entity—how should it look?"

All eyes on Timothy.

He didn’t stand up.

He didn’t give a speech.

He just spoke.

"Make it boring."

The officials exchanged confused looks.

Then Timothy continued.

"Don’t make the NRA flashy. Don’t make it political. Make it procedural. Make it technical. Make it so boring that politicians don’t even want to interfere with it."

That caught their attention.

He continued.

"The moment the NRA becomes a political office, we lose. The moment someone uses it for campaign speeches, we lose. The moment it becomes a favor-granting agency— we lose."

Then he pointed to the projector.

"The NRA should not approve projects based on opinions. It should approve them based on formulas."

Jose added quietly, "No emotional debates. Just standards."

Silence.

But this time—it wasn’t confusion.

It was agreement.

—

Slide 3 appeared: Key Structure Proposal

Independent Commission (like SEC or ERC), not under any department

Board Members: 5 - engineers, nuclear physicists, energy economists, safety compliance, legal

Chairperson must have engineering or nuclear regulatory background (not a politician)

Permitting: single-window

Oversight: Senate Committee on Energy and Science, not Office of the President

Technical officers hired via qualification exams, not political appointment

Funding: regulated from licensing fees, not annual government budget

Director Torres (Economic Council) leaned forward.

"So it’s like having our own Philippine version of the US NRC?"

"No," Timothy said calmly. "Better."

That was bold—but not arrogant.

He meant it.

He explained.

"NRC is built for a country already experienced in nuclear. We are entering it for the first time. We need something simpler. Clearer. Faster."

Jose nodded and clicked to the next slide.

Slide 4 – Internal Divisions

Reactor Safety and Compliance Bureau (RSCB)

Site Assessment and Environmental Risk Agency (SAERA)

Nuclear Training and Licensing Center (NTLC) – certification for engineers, operators

Security Monitoring & Incident Response Unit (SMIRU)

Legal & International Nuclear Standards Office (LINSO)

Engr. Lim studied the chart.

"This is realistic," he said carefully. "It’s lean. It’s efficient. But it will need strong legal how-do-we-stop-it-from-being-politicized provisions."

Timothy answered, "Term limits for commissioners. Fixed, non-renewable. No reappointment. So they are not focused on impressing anyone."

Torres nodded. "Smart."

Salcedo added, "Engineers over influencers. Yes."

Montemayor from the Transition Team finally spoke after staying quiet for almost an hour.

"The President-elect wants one assurance," he said. "If we build this agency—will the private sector comply?"

Timothy didn’t hesitate.

"Yes. If the rules are clear, we will follow them strictly."

Salcedo looked around and said what everyone was now thinking.

"Then let’s build it."

—

They didn’t clap.

They didn’t cheer.

They just got to work. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novelhall.com

Three-hour working session.

Legal drafting.

Chain-of-command discussion.

Budget modeling.

Risk analysis.

Framework for foreign cooperation without foreign ownership.

By 1:15 PM, the entire NRA draft charter outline was done.

Eight pages.

No slogans.

Just structure.

As people started gathering their files, Engr. Lim—usually strict and expressionless—looked at Timothy and spoke quietly.

"You know... this might actually work."

Timothy didn’t smile.

He just nodded.

—

As they left the conference room, Jose quietly said,

"Sir... step by step?"

Timothy answered,

"No. Layer by layer."

Jose looked confused.

Timothy clarified.

"Because we’re not just building a program. We’re building an institution."

They walked out of the DOE building.

No press waiting.

No speeches.

No cameras.

Just work quietly beginning.

And that’s exactly how it should start.

Outside, the afternoon sun reflected off the glass facade of the Energy Center. Government staff walked past them, unaware that inside, something fundamentally new had just been set in motion. No ground-breaking ceremony, no ribbon-cutting. Just a framework that would outlast terms, headlines, and administrations.

Jose glanced at Timothy. "When do we tell the public?"

"When we started building."