Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

A look behind the scenes.

Around the world nuclear power is looked upon from different levels of acceptance. Many countries fully embrace nuclear power as an clean safe method to generate electric. There are more than 400 nuclear plants all over the world. In other countries, the general belief is that it has too much potential for harm to even be considered. A large portion of the world is still battling the question. The Philippines is one country where the disagreements are still going on. At the center of the discussions is the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976 a project of then President Marcos. Following the 1979


Three Mile Island accident in the United States, construction on the BNPP was stopped, Some design changes were made and Construction was restarted. Marcos was overthrown by the People Power Revolution in 1986. Days after the April 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the succeeding administration of President Corazon Aquino decided not to operate the plant. At the time the decision was made the plant was ready for fueling.

Equipped with a Westinghouse light water reactor, it was designed to produce 621 megawatts of electricity. The BNPP has 3 sister plants operating in other parts of the world today. The KRSKO plant in Slovenia. The ANGRA I plant in Brazil. And, most notably, the KORI II plant in S. Korea. These plants are practically identical to our BNPP. These plants have been operating for over 25 years now without incident, accident and with utmost reliability and economy.

Despite never having been commissioned, the plant has remained intact, including the nuclear reactor, and has continued to be maintained. We are proud to present a one of a kind tour. While many power plants have visitor centers, a visitor at the BNPP can visit inside the plant itself. Having never been fueled visitors are able to go inside the containment area. Call Seahorse Tours to arrange your visit

This past weekend the staff of seahorse tours went to Mount Samat in Pillar Bataan

Along with the island fortress of Corregidor, Mount Samat was the site of the most vicious battle against the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942. 

Suffering heavy losses against the Japanese all over Luzon, Filipino and American soldiers retreated to Bataan Peninsula to regroup for a last valiant but futile stand. The fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942 was the end of the one of the most famous battles of the Second World War. It was immediately followed up by what became known as the Bataan Death March, one of the most infamous forced marches of the Second World War.

U.S. and Filipino soldiers had been steadily retreating in the face of a Japanese offensive that had begun in the Philippines way back in December of 1941. Japanese troops landed on Luzon and began pushing south. They had been able to hold off defeat even though they were out-gunned, out-fed, and out-equipped.

After fierce battle lasting 3 days around Mount Samat, 78,000 exhausted, sick and starving men under Major General Edward P. King surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. It was, and still is, the single largest surrender of U.S. Forces ever. See more here

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The Pacific War, more than any other theater, was a no-holds-barred, no-quarter-taken-none-given slugfest. And it was places like Bataan and the subsequent brutality of the March that helped make it so

Dambana ng Kagitingan (shrine of Valor) atop Mt. Samat ( 564 meters) in Pilar town Bataan was built in 1966 in memory of the soldiers of World War II.

Republic Act No. 7668, approved on 17 January 1994, declared Mount Samat in the province of Bataan to be a tourist spot whose natural beauty should be preserved and conserved and whose historical importance should be recognized. It then orders the Department of Tourism to prepare a tourism development plan involving the construction, installation and/or maintenance of facilities that will encourage tourism in the area.

Seahorse tours will be offering a tour that includes Mount Samat and the museum at the old Clark airbase. Details to be released soon. more Mt. Samat Photos