Government scientists said Monday they were checking for spikes in radiation levels following two explosions at a nuclear plant in Japan, but that there had been no irregular increases.
The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) said it had been conducting tests of the air since the first explosion at the Fukushima power station on Saturday, a day after a deadly quake and tsunami struck Japan.
"Based on (our) monitoring, there has been no increase in the levels of radioactivity since the time of the Fukushima event," the agency said in an emergency response bulletin Monday.
The bulletin came hours after a second explosion at the Fukushima plant.
The institute said any potential radiation contamination would not reach the Philippines, to the south of Japan, because the wind was blowing in a favourable direction.
"The plume from the site of the incident will not pass the Philippine territory," it said.
The PNRI is taking air quality measurements 5 times a day for possible radioactive content in the atmosphere. All readings were normal on Monday, according to the agency.
Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the Department of Health's (DOH) National Epidemiology Center, urged the public not to believe rumors being spread on via text messages and social networking sites regarding alleged "radioactive rain" country.
He said the public should rely on government agencies for information.
Tayag said the health risk caused by direct exposure on radiation would be vomitting, diarrhea, fever, disorientation, hair fall, cancer, genetic mutations, and eye cataracts.
Philippines safe from radiation
DOH Secretary Enrique Ona, meanwhile, said in a press statement Monday that the Philippines is safe from radiation exposure resulting from the damage to Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.
Ona took part in a briefing presided by President Benigno S. Aquino III to evaluate the possible consequences arising from the Fukushima nuclear plant incident.
During the briefing, the PNRI assured that, at present, the Philippines is not in the path of any plume that may have been released by the plant.
It added that there was no reported meltdown in the damaged nuclear power plant.
The wind pattern in Japan also shows that the Philippines is unlikely to be hit by any radioactive fallout from Fukushima.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo also reiterated his call for the public not to believe in rumor and gossip regarding the nuclear power plant incident.
He said people should stop forwarding the said text messages so as not to sow panic among the people.
"DOST maintains a 24/7 link-up with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the highest authority on nuclear matters for advice on the current situation of the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Available data do not indicate any immediate threats to the Philippines," the agency said.
"It is recalled that the design of the Fukushima reactor is different from that of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In the event of a meltdown at Fukushima, the melted fuel is expected to stay within the stainless steel containment, preventing its release to the environment. The Chernobyl power plant did not have a reactor building concrete shield and steel containment," according to the PNRI.
"A plume trajectory study from the Fukushima site by the World Meteorological Organization based in Melbourne, Australia showed that the plume from the site of the incident will not pass the Philippine territory as of March 14, 2011," it added.
