Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

A wastepicker rummages for recyclable items along a breakwater in Manila on April 28, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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HIGH HEAT INDEX- MANILA BAY

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176405225077520240428-manila-breakwater-MD-8277.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A wastepicker rummages for recyclable items along a breakwater in Manila on April 28, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday touted the Philippines’ push to use nuclear science in converting plastic waste into “durable” and “commercially viable” construction materials.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/2/marcos-urged-to-stop-unhampered-plastic-production-following-ncr-floods-814">Marcos urged to stop &#x27;unhampered plastic production&#x27; following NCR floods</a></div><p>The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Philippine Nuclear Research Institute has developed the “Post-Radiation Reactive Extrusion of Plastic Wastes Project (PREx) Prototype House, “a breakthrough process that transforms low-value plastic wastes into durable, commercially viable materials,” Marcos Jr. said during an innovation forum in Pasay City.</p><p>“Beyond a demonstration of breakthrough nuclear technology, it is a prototype of the future circular economy,” he said.</p><p>“It shows how radiation technology can enhance polymer properties, reduce material degradation, create new industrial uses for plastics where there were none before, and this is how innovation reshapes a sector: by converting to what we once called ‘waste’ into new value,” he said.</p><p>The DOST-PNRI is now set to use its PREx House to test how “radiation-processed plastics turned into tiles and bricks” can “maintain strength and durability in the daily household grind,” the agency said in an earlier statement.</p><p>“Irradiation manipulates the behavior of polymers in plastic for better practical compatibility, and enhancing the mechanical properties of recycled materials,” said PREx project leader Dr. Jordan Madrid.</p><p>“The result of the study on the PREx House performance will be a significant step in curbing the growth of plastic pollution in the Philippines,” the statement read.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;VERY EXCITED&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Marcos Jr. said that he “is very excited by this new technology” as it provides a “very important solution to a very difficult problem that we face, not only here in the Philippines, but in the rest of the world.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/06/30/22/marcos-plastic-polluter-philippines-to-clean-up">Marcos says plastic polluter Philippines to &#x27;clean up&#x27;</a></div><p>“The Philippines has consistently championed this approach, from climate action and disaster resilience to emerging technologies,” he said.</p><p>“Leadership today demands not only political will, but an ability to integrate scientific evidence, cutting-edge research, and strategic foresight into national and global decision-making,” he said.</p><p>“The leaders of this century must not only adopt new technologies — they must ensure that these technologies are aligned with human well-being, with ethical standards, with environmental integrity, and with sustainable growth,” he said.</p><p>Marcos Jr. added that earlier this year, he signed Republic Act No. 12305 or the Philippine Nuclear Law, which serves as a “comprehensive regulatory framework covering nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and the peaceful applications of nuclear technology” in the country.</p><p>The law seeks to give scientists and industries “a stable, predictable environment to innovate responsibly,” he said.</p><p>“It also signals that the Philippines is ready for deeper, science-driven cooperation with global partners,” he said, noting that technology and sustainability “will form a central part” in the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings in 2026.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gUwd8s5_zOg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iRSbk_WVXv0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday touted the Philippines’ push to use nuclear science in converting plastic waste into “durable” and “commercially viable” construction materials.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday touted the Philippines’ push to use nuclear science in converting plastic waste into “durable” and “commercially viable” construction materials.

Marcos banners PH’s use of nuclear science to convert plastics into construction materials

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Marcos banners PH’s use of nuclear science to convert plastics into construction materials

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 25, 2025 02:31 PM PHT

Read More:

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

NUTEC Plastics

International Atomic Energy Agency

IAEA

nuclear science

plastics

environment

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