Manila: Energy Secretary Sharon Garin on Thursday highlighted the significance of the Philippines Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) Act in advancing the government's efforts towards energy sufficiency. This development follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s approval of the PhilATOM law, or Republic Act (RA) 12305, on September 18, 2025.

According to Philippines News Agency, the PhilATOM law establishes the country's first nuclear regulatory body, enhancing the regulatory framework for the safe and secure use of nuclear energy. The legislation aligns with the latest standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and incorporates global best practices. Garin emphasized that the generation of electricity from nuclear energy will continue to be governed by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and will remain under the regulatory oversight of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Garin further explained that measures for the country's nuclear energy program were already underway before the law's enactment. The DOE leads the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), which is responsible for formulating a nuclear roadmap and addressing 19 infrastructure issues identified by the IAEA.

Additionally, Garin announced that the Philippines was elected to the Board of Governors of the IAEA for the 2025-27 term during the 69th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria, on September 19. She remarked that the Philippines' election to the IAEA Board fortifies its role in shaping global policies on nuclear safety, security, and the peaceful application of atomic energy.