Manila: An inter-agency committee is now reviewing the country’s nuclear laws and policies as the government bids to diversify its energy mix, with nuclear energy capacity targeted to reach at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) by 2032.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the 24-member agencies Nuclear Energy Program-Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC) began a four-day review on August 12. The committee’s goal is to examine existing laws and identify necessary amendments or enhancements to establish a national legal framework that will underpin the safe, secure, and sustainable use of modern nuclear energy technology in the country.

This initiative follows the ratification of the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act by Congress in June 2025, which led to the establishment of the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM). DOE Legal Services Director Myra Fiera Roa emphasized that the review aims to identify “support, constraints, and gaps” in the current nuclear laws to ensure a sustainable nuclear power program.

Roa stated, “We want to make sure that all legal hurdles are cleared before we take major steps forward in fulfilling our nuclear power objectives. From the review of the laws and issuances, we will propose enactments or amendments of laws as appropriate.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted its initial Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission in the Philippines in 2018 to assess the country’s capacity to develop infrastructure for a nuclear power program. A follow-up check in December 2024 indicated that the country had fully addressed nine of the recommendations, while five remain in progress.

One key recommendation identified by the DOE was the ratification of a comprehensive nuclear law, which facilitated the establishment of PhilATOM. “We want to seize every opportunity to get things done right on the potential use of nuclear energy for the benefit of our people,” Roa added.