The Philippines and United States signed a civil nuclear cooperation deal dubbed as the "123 Agreement."

President Marcos witnessed the signing of the agreement on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California on Friday, Nov. 17 (Manila time).

According to the US Department of State, the agreement will facilitate and enhance the long-time allies' cooperation on clean energy security.

The agreement lays out a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the two countries based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation and is required by US law to allow for the transfer of nuclear equipment and material for peaceful uses.  

With access to US material and equipment, the Philippines and the US will be able to work together to deploy advanced new technologies, including small modular reactors, to support climate goals as well as critical energy security and baseload power needs within the Philippines.

Marcos said the 123 Agreement is "another milestone towards a more energy secure and green Philippines" amid growing energy demands.

"We see nuclear energy becoming a part of the Philippine energy mix by 2032, and we would be more than happy to pursue this path with the United States as one of our partners," he said in his remarks during the signing of the agreement.

"The signing of the Philippines-United States Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, or the 123 Agreement, is the first major step in this regard, taking our cooperation on capacity building further and actually opening the doors for US companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects in the country," he added.

The President also stated that nuclear energy is one area where "we can show that the Philippines-US alliance and partnership truly works — for our peoples, our economies, and the environment."

Moreover, the agreement establishes nonproliferation criteria that both governments must uphold such as observing specific standards for covered items used in civil nuclear energy programs, including International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards; physical protection of covered items; and limitations on enriching, reprocessing, and transferring specific items without the other Party’s consent.

The US Department of State said the signing marks the successful culmination of the negotiation process launched by Vice President Kamala Harris during her historic trip to the Philippines in November 2022.