Researchers from DOST-PNRI — the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute under the Department of Science and Technology — have confirmed the presence of uranium-bearing minerals in the Bessemer area, within the Larap-Paracale mining district, in the city of Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte province. The study was conducted in collaboration with the University of the Philippines and Japan’s Akita University, with findings published in the 2026 special issue on Nuclear Science and Technology of the journal SciEnggJ.
The mineral identified as the primary uranium carrier in surface deposits is uraninite. The researchers established that the material can be processed to yield a higher-uranium-content product, paving the way for the production of a concentrate — commonly known as yellowcake — which is an intermediate material in the nuclear fuel cycle. For now, the findings concern only surface-level deposits: what lies at depth, and whether in quantities sufficient to justify a more advanced exploratory phase, remains the open question that will drive future research.
The Philippines has been studying the presence of uranium in this district since the 1950s. The significance here is not the deposit itself, which is already documented in scientific literature, but rather the demonstrated ability of Filipino researchers to characterize it using modern methods and assess its concentration potential. For DOST-PNRI, the deeper value of this work lies in the scientific and technical capacity it has rebuilt: local scientists capable of reading a domestic resource and asking the right questions for the steps ahead.
The political and industrial context is essential for understanding why this study is emerging now. The Philippine Energy Plan calls for the introduction of at least 1,200 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2032, doubling to 2,400 MW by 2035. In July 2026, five provinces — Bataan, Palawan, Masbate, Pangasinan, and Camarines Norte itself — were identified as potential sites for the country’s first commercial nuclear plants. In August, Executive Order 122 established a national framework for the development of the critical minerals industry, with an emphasis on domestic processing rather than raw extraction alone.
No one is claiming the Philippines is ready to produce nuclear fuel independently. The gap between confirming surface-level mineralization and building an industrial fuel supply chain is measured in decades and billions of dollars of investment. But the signal is clear: Manila does not want to rely entirely on imports to fuel the reactors it plans to build. Having national scientists capable of assessing and developing domestic uranium resources is a necessary condition — even if not a sufficient one — for any long-term nuclear energy sovereignty strategy.
