ABS-CBN News has launched a new series of monthly news documentaries on YouTube and iWant, starting with “Mothballed: The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, 40 Years Later” by journalist Jeff Canoy.
The initiative marks a return to regular longform storytelling for the newsroom, which will now release a new documentary every month to examine national issues, human stories, and the Filipino experience in greater depth.
“There’s a growing need and clamor for longform storytelling,” said ABS-CBN chief of reporters Jeff Canoy. “People are willing to watch longer stories as long as they’re compelling and help them dive deeper into an issue, event, or experience.”
Presented by ABS-CBN News Documentaries and NXT, “Mothballed” revisits the country’s only nuclear power facility, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), four decades after it was built but never used. The film traces the long-running debate over nuclear power in the country and its renewed relevance following the passage of the Philippine Nuclear Energy Safety Act (RA 12305).
Jeff also brings a global perspective in the documentary, with scenes filmed in Vienna, Austria, home of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Zwentendorf, Austria’s own mothballed nuclear plant that has since become a tourist site.
“I found myself attending a journalism seminar in Austria on nuclear energy reporting and we were brought to Zwentendorf,” Jeff shared. “Immediately, I thought of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which shares a similar history. Separated by thousands of miles, but a somewhat similar fate. From there, I started thinking about connections between the two plants and what they reveal about how nations deal with ambition, accountability, and safety.”
“What’s interesting with ‘Mothballed’ is that it gives us a global view of how other countries are approaching nuclear energy at a time when support for it is high. But equally important are the voices of environmentalists and anti-nuclear advocates here at home, who have been raising safety concerns for decades,” he added.
While “Mothballed” delves into complex scientific and political topics, Jeff’s goal remains grounded in public understanding.
“Nuclear energy may not always be on top of Filipinos’ minds with everything happening around us, but I hope they learn more about it through this documentary — both the pros and cons — and ultimately form an informed opinion,” he said.
The launch of “Mothballed” comes as ABS-CBN’s documentary team builds its presence online, experimenting with new formats including narrator-less features, black-and-white storytelling, and documentaries told in regional languages.
Upcoming documentaries will cover Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea by Johnson Manabat, PNP Special Action Force training by Michael Delizo, and a new investigative piece on corruption, following “Lubog sa Katiwalian.”
Through its monthly documentaries, ABS-CBN News continues its tradition of reporting stories that inform, explain, and provoke public conversation. Discover more in “Mothballed: The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, 40 Years Later” on iWant this October 29 (Wednesday), ANC on Thursday, (Oct 30) 10pm, and now streaming on the ABS-CBN News’ YouTube Channel.
