Bishops in the Ecclesiastical Province of Lingayen-Dagupan have issued a pastoral letter opposing the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant in western Pangasinan.
The prelates warned that the plan raises grave safety concerns in a province already exposed to frequent natural disasters.
In the statement released Dec. 4, the bishops said they were writing “with profound concern regarding the recent proposal to construct a nuclear power plant in Western Pangasinan,” adding that “there is no greater time to come together and stand against any form of destruction that will harm the poor and the vulnerable the most.”
The province remains under a state of calamity following Typhoon Uwan, which affected more than 233,000 residents.
The bishops said this context heightens the moral responsibility to weigh the consequences of energy decisions that could deepen the risks faced by communities in disaster-prone areas.
‘Irreversible, long-term risks’
The pastoral letter situates the nuclear debate within Catholic social teaching, invoking Laudato Si’ and the Church’s call to protect future generations.
Nuclear development, the bishops wrote, carries “irreversible, long-term risks,” especially in countries situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
They pointed to the repeated warnings of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, whose experience spans both atomic devastation and the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
After Fukushima, Japanese Church leaders called for the “immediate abolition of nuclear power plants,” warning of “the insoluble dangers it presents.”
The Filipino bishops noted the Japanese hierarchy’s reminder that societies facing an “unprecedented catastrophe” must “recognize the limits of human wisdom and knowledge.”
They also highlighted the Japanese bishops’ message for the 10th anniversary of Fukushima, which renewed their commitment to “Protect life,” the motto of Pope Francis’ 2019 visit to Japan.
They added that Japanese and Korean bishops have “jointly and strongly opposed the dumping of even ‘treated’ radioactive water into the ocean,” emphasizing that radioactive contamination is “irreversible and causes ‘greater anxiety and damage to people around the world.’”
For the Lingayen-Dagupan bishops, the implication is clear: “The long-term consequences of nuclear accidents and waste management pose a threat that overrides the perceived short-term benefits of this energy source.”
They added that “the harm is greater than the benefit.”
Pope Francis urges prudence, ‘total security’
The pastoral letter also cites Pope Francis’ consistent call for caution regarding nuclear power.
While acknowledging that the Church does not hold a definitive doctrinal stance against civil nuclear energy, the bishops said the pope “has consistently stressed the paramount importance of safety, prudence, and stewardship for future generations.”
They recalled the pope’s message during his visit to Japan, where he expressed “significant personal wariness” and said he would not support nuclear energy until “total security” could be assured, a threshold he “believes has not yet been achieved.”
According to the bishops, this reflects a moral principle that preventing a “huge disaster” requires placing “human safety and environmental protection above immediate economic needs.”
Four arguments for rejecting the Pangasinan project
The pastoral letter outlines four main grounds for opposing the plant:
- High disaster risk. The Philippines’ geography, they said, makes nuclear development “an unacceptable risk.” The proposed site is near the East Zambales Fault Line. After recent earthquakes in the Visayas, the bishops said it is “only prudent to disallow any additional risks near fault lines, especially one as irreversible as a nuclear disaster.”
- No safe solution to nuclear waste. The bishops warned that the country has “no secure, long-term solution for radioactive waste that remains deadly for thousands of years,” adding they “cannot in good conscience burden future generations with this lethal legacy.”
- National renewable potential. They argued that genuine development lies in maximizing the country’s abundant renewable resources rather than investing in “a risky technology of the past.” They said renewable options already exist in law and policy, warning that nuclear projects would “bring more profit to private corporations, but put our people in harm’s way.”
- Life and ecology before efficiency. The bishops stressed that the nation must “prioritize the protection of all life.” With its agricultural economy and rich biodiversity, the Philippines cannot absorb further ecological damage. “Any more damage to our already fragile ecosystems will affect our lives, livelihoods, and the economy,” they wrote.
Call to government, public
The bishops urged officials and citizens “to choose the path of prudence and sustainability” by investing in energy systems that promote “safety, resilience, and true long-term development.”
“Pangasinan is not ours. We owe future generations to keep Pangasinan safe from the disaster of a nuclear catastrophe,” they said. “The risks are greater than the benefits.”
“Life first before money. People first before everything. What use are the benefits if the harm is far worse?” the bishops said.
The pastoral letter was signed by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan; Bishop Napoleon B. Sipalay of Alaminos; Auxiliary Bishop Fidelis B. Layog of Lingayen-Dagupan; Bishop Jacinto A. Jose of Urdaneta; Bishop Daniel O. Presto of San Fernando, La Union; Bishop Prudencio P. Andaya of Cabanatuan; and Fr. Getty A. Ferrer, JCD, of the Diocese of San Jose, Nueva Ecija.
