entering the philippines only nuclear power plant is like a step back in time the bataan nuclear power plant was built in the 70s and was the first in southeast asia but it never opened it was mothballed and past presidents were hesitant to recommission it because it was a reminder they say of the excesses of former president ferdinand marcus's regime but the country's electricity prices are among the highest in southeast asia partly because its dependence now on imported fossil fuels that means the average filipino family spends between 10 to 20 percent of their monthly income in electricity philippines has for decades now been avoided as an investment destination in southeast asia because our electricity has either been too expensive or in short supply and unreliable philippine president rodrigo duterte has ordered his officials to look into the possibility of including nuclear power into the country's energy mix and the possible revival of the bataan nuclear power plant it tells the whole world we're ready for nuclear bnp has three sister plants that have been running for over 30 years exact same design they are in slovenia in brazil and in south korea but what people forget is that no nuclear plant in the world operates without the blessings of the international atomic energy agency the watchdog it is quite clear that some parts of the nuclear power plant are aging but regulators here tell us all it needs is a few years and an estimated 1.2 billion dollars of commissioning and it will be as good as brand new but there are also those in government who say the bataan nuclear power plant belongs to a bygone era there's already a big pushback on nuclear technology itself now we're going to jump start a plant which is old and embroiled in controversy we don't want to start our nuclear program in the wrong foot you want to start it in the right foot environmental activists also believe that the government should focus on producing clean energy instead like wind and solar but whether bataan will be recommissioned by president rodrigo duterte or not one thing they say is for sure the energy crisis in the country is a social justice issue and one that may worsen if there is no investment in the country's energy system jamal lindogan al-jazeera bataan province northern philippines