IAEA Finds Safety Progress at Philippine Research Reactor Facility

The review team found improvements in the facility’s organisational structure, including clearer roles, responsibilities and functions for key personnel involved in operating PRR-1 SATER.

The Philippines has made progress in strengthening safety at its PRR-1 SATER research reactor facility, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency expert team that reviewed changes introduced since an earlier safety assessment in 2023.

The IAEA's Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors follow-up mission took place from 10 to 12 August 2026 at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute facility in Quezon City, around 10 kilometres northeast of Manila. Experts examined documents, toured the site and spoke with managers, operators and technical staff to assess how previous recommendations had been addressed.

Clearer Staff Responsibilities Strengthen Reactor Operations

The review team found improvements in the facility's organisational structure, including clearer roles, responsibilities and functions for key personnel involved in operating PRR-1 SATER. Progress was also recorded in safety documentation, with the facility completing its commissioning report and carrying out additional investigations into alternative fuel-loading arrangements.

Kaichao Sun, Head of the IAEA Research Reactor Safety Section and leader of the mission, said implementation of earlier recommendations had reached an encouraging level, particularly in organisational arrangements and safety documentation. PRR-1 SATER is primarily used to train students and professionals supporting the Philippines' nuclear engineering programme, while its research activities explore nuclear applications with potential uses in healthcare, agriculture and industry.

Experts Identify Areas Where More Work Is Needed

The three-member mission team included experts from Romania and the United States alongside an IAEA official, with the review covering management, training, operations, safety analysis and decommissioning, among other areas.

While recognising progress, the team identified areas that still need attention within the facility's operating programmes, including the functions and effectiveness of its safety committee and maintenance procedures covering safety-related systems and components.

A new recommendation was issued calling for operating personnel to receive adequate retraining needed to maintain the safe operation of the facility, placing continued staff development among the priorities following the assessment.

Follow-Up Review Supports Longer-Term Nuclear Safety

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Nuclear Services Division Chief Ryan U. Olivares said the follow-up mission allowed the institute to objectively examine its progress while drawing on international experience to strengthen the facility.

The institute sees PRR-1 SATER as a platform for developing nuclear science and technology capabilities in the Philippines, making strong operating practices particularly important as students, researchers and technical professionals use the facility for education and research.

The latest findings show that several recommendations from 2023 have resulted in changes, while continued work on staff training, maintenance procedures and safety oversight will be needed to build on those improvements and keep operations aligned with IAEA safety standards.