IAEA Expert Team Acknowledges Safety Progress of Philippine Research Reactor

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a follow-up Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) mission to the Philippine Research Reactor-1 (PRR-1) Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education and Research (SATER) facility in Quezon City, approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Manila, Philippines, from August 10 to 12, 2026. The review was conducted at the request of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to examine the implementation status of safety recommendations made during the initial INSARR mission in 2023.

The mission team consisted of two experts from Romania and the United States, along with one IAEA official. During the visit, they conducted an on-site inspection of the assembly facility, reviewed relevant documents, and held discussions with the facility's management, operations, and technical staff, focusing on management systems, training programs, operational procedures, safety analysis, and decommissioning arrangements.

The assessment results showed significant improvements in organizational efficiency at PRR-1 SATER—responsibilities of key operational personnel have been clearly defined; progress has also been made in safety documentation, including the completion of commissioning reports and supplementary investigations into alternative fuel loading schemes. Sun Kaichao, Head of the IAEA Research Reactor Safety Section and mission team leader, stated that overall safety measures have been largely implemented in line with IAEA safety standards, but further strengthening is needed in the functions of the Safety Committee and maintenance procedures for systems and components.

Ryan U. Olivares, Director of the Nuclear Services Division at PNRI, noted that this follow-up INSARR mission provided the Philippines with an opportunity to objectively assess progress and learn from international experience, helping to further consolidate the safety and sustainability of PRR-1 SATER as a national platform for nuclear science and technology. The mission team also made new recommendations: adequate retraining of operational personnel to ensure the safe operation of the facility.

The INSARR mission is a peer review service provided by the IAEA at the request of Member States, conducting periodic reviews of research reactor safety over a two-year cycle in accordance with IAEA safety standards, aimed at protecting humans and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.