BIZ BUZZ: Brain drain for nuclear dream?

While Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) scrambles to enlist nuclear engineers, the government seems inclined to not just produce but also export these talents to bigger economies.

The firing up of nuclear energy to the Philippines’ power generation mix may not happen until the early 2030s, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) plans to give it a boost through the development of nuclear professionals.

Tesda chief Jose Francisco Benitez vowed that the agency would build a workforce capable of supporting the nuclear supply chain—from safety, and operations, to regulatory compliance and emergency readiness.

However, an energy official floated the possibility of also deploying some of these trained local workers abroad.

“Once we have developed a pool of skilled nuclear professionals in the Philippines, we can also send them to Canada to help meet the growing demand for workers in Canada’s expanding nuclear sector,” Energy Undersecretary Sharon Garin said.

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Her remarks came as the Philippines gathered global nuclear leaders in Metro Manila last week.

With hefty salaries and far, far better benefits offered in foreign markets, will Filipino professionals stay? Or will the country suffer another talent gap?