GOVPH

PRESS RELEASE

SERVICES FOR FILIPINO WORKERS IN CROATIA NOW CLOSER WITH MWO VIENNA

DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac addresses a question at the Filipino Community Town Hall Meeting in Zagreb. Photo Credit: DMW

Zagreb, Croatia – Services for Filipino migrant workers in Croatia will now be closer with the opening of the Migrant Workers Office in Vienna. This was announced by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac at the Filipino community town hall meeting in Zagreb last 02 October 2024 organized by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Philippine Embassy in Vienna.

Secretary Cacdac announced the opening of the new MWO  Migrant Workers Office (MWO) attached to the Philippine Embassy in Vienna. MWO Vienna will serve Filipinos in Croatia, Austria, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia, particularly on contract verification and employer accreditation. Croatia was previously under the jurisdiction of the MWO in Milan, a seven-hour drive from Zagreb.

Senior-level Philippine government officials joined the DMW secretary at the town hall meeting, including DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan and Administrator Arnell Ignacio of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). Philippine Honorary Consul General to Zagreb Davor Štern, a.h. and officials from the Philippine Embassy in Vienna participated in the event.

During the town hall meeting, Filipinos were also briefed on the services of MWO Vienna as well as migrant workers’ privileges under OWWA and SSS programs. END

Labor Attache Delmer Cruz presents the services and programs of the Migrant Workers Office during the Town Hall meeting in Zagreb

Consul General Davor Štern delivers the opening remarks at the Filipino Community Town Hall Meeting in Zagreb

Administrator Arnel Ignacio shares the programs of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration during the Town Hall meeting in Zagreb

ANNOUNCEMENT

PRESS RELEASE

Philippines Calls for Faster Development of Novel Nuclear Energy Power Plants During First International Conference on Small Modular Reactors

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Director Carlo A. Arcilla during the Panel on Regulatory Preparedness, Innovation, and Collaboration for the Safe and Secure Deployment of SMRs on 22 October 2024.

22 October 2024, Vienna - The Philippines’ top nuclear expert called for faster development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet potential demand from countries seeking to utilize the novel technology in power generation. 

Director Carlo A. Arcilla of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) participated as a speaker during the panel on Regulatory Preparedness, Innovation, and Collaboration for the Safe and Secure Deployment of SMRs convened at the plenary session of the International Conference on SMRs and their Applications in Vienna on 21-25 October 2024. 

The panel sought to highlight efforts made by regulatory bodies to prepare for the deployment of SMRs and discuss the challenges facing “newcomer countries” as they adapt and enhance their regulatory capabilities. Panelists included nuclear regulatory experts from nuclear energy “newcomer countries” such as the Philippines and Ghana, as well as experts from countries with advanced capabilities in nuclear energy such as Finland, Republic of Korea, countries in the European Union, and the United States.

“The difficulty with SMRs is that there are almost no working designs. There are too many powerpoints, not enough power plants,” said Dr. Arcilla, citing that there are only 2 working small modular reactors in the world and that more effort should be put into developing and commercializing such technologies more quickly. He also emphasized the importance of accelerating the development of regulatory processes in tandem with SMR development and construction. He added that the Philippines is currently in the process of establishing an independent regulatory body responsible for nuclear energy through appropriate legislation, and that the country’s aim is to have a safe, secure and safeguarded nuclear energy program. 

An SMR is defined as an advanced nuclear reactor that produces electricity up to 300 MW(e) per module, in contrast to traditional nuclear power plants which often have larger power generation capacity, but are more complex and more costly to establish. SMRs have advanced engineered features, are deployable either as a single or multi-module plant, and are designed to be built in factories and shipped to utilities for installation as demand arises.

The International Conference on SMRs and their Applications is the first international event that aims to take stock of the progress and discuss the opportunities, challenges and enabling conditions for the accelerated development and safe and secure deployment of SMRs. END.