PNRI Inaugurates the Radiation Portal Monitor Training Facility. PNRI Newsletter, Vol. 11

Heralding another high mark in the field of nuclear security, the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) inaugurated a Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) Training Facility at the PNRI compound in Quezon City on April 11. Established with the assistance of the European Union Joint Research Centre (EU JRC) and the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), the radiation portal monitor has similar capabilities to those of its larger counterparts deployed at the ports of Manila and Cebu under the Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence Program (formerly the Megaports Initiative) engaged in by the PNRI, Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) since 2005. These RPMs are being used to detect possible illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials coming through the busy Philippine ports, and are a valuable asset to the port authorities. To sustain these efforts, the RPM at PNRI will serve as a training facility for frontline officers from the BOC and port authorities involved in operating the RPMs stationed at the ports.