By Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Reporter

Industry experts said the Philippines must establish an independent nuclear regulatory agency before building out its nuclear power industry, stressing that strong oversight is a precondition for deploying nuclear energy technology.

Aaron Green, president and chief executive officer of US energy solutions organization EōS, said a strong and independent regulator is essential to ensuring safety and security before the Philippines can roll out nuclear energy technology.

"The regulatory body that oversees that construction needs to be in place, and needs to have a very strong foundation," Mr. Green said at a media roundtable on Monday. "At the end of the day, if any of these reactors were to come to the Philippines, you would want to know that the regulator was (overseeing) safety and security, and enforcing the safeguards," he added.

That emphasis tracks international nuclear safety norms: International Atomic Energy Agency standards call for the body regulating nuclear activities to be effectively independent of the organizations promoting or operating them — a baseline for countries preparing to introduce nuclear power.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan, nuclear energy is set to be integrated into the national power mix with at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) of capacity by 2032, doubling to 2,400 MW by 2045 and reaching 4,800 MW by 2050.

The country has begun laying the institutional and regulatory foundations needed to introduce nuclear power through Republic Act (RA) No. 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. Signed on Sept. 18, 2025, the law establishes the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, or PhilATOM, tasked with overseeing all nuclear and radiation-related activities.

Implementation, however, has lagged. The law's implementing rules and regulations were supposed to be issued within 180 days of its signing, but the Office of the President has yet to appoint the officials who will comprise the PhilATOM Council.

Carlo A. Arcilla, former director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, said proposed nuclear energy projects will not be able to move forward without PhilATOM in place.

"PhilATOM has to be activated first. If you look at the law, it's one of the best nuclear laws in the world. It went through a severe test," he said.

Mr. Arcilla said nuclear power could provide a dependable source of electricity to complement renewable energy, provided projects meet established safety and regulatory standards.

"Nuclear energy can provide reliable electricity regardless of weather conditions. The technology that has been used around the world for decades, and advances in reactor design have strengthened safety systems," he said. "For the Philippines, the priority is to select appropriate technologies and locations, conduct rigorous scientific assessments, and ensure effective regulatory oversight," he added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Energy is organizing an auction for the first nuclear power projects, with the rules for the bidding process still being developed. For observers of the program, the near-term markers are the appointment of the PhilATOM Council, the issuance of the law's implementing rules, and the release of the DOE's bidding rules — the steps experts described as necessary before any project can advance.

Separately, Felino M. Bernardo, head of strategic energy transition at Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN), said developing nuclear power in the Philippines requires three major components to come together: technology, an enabling regulatory framework, and a viable revenue model.

"If you don't have the policies, regulations, rules, everything, and you don't have a viable revenue stream, it won't move. So that's the challenge," he said.

MGEN, through its Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition program, is currently conducting a comprehensive feasibility study on small modular reactors, supported by a $2.8-million grant from the US Trade and Development Agency.