The bill seeking to create the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM), an independent regulatory and quasi-judicial body tasked with ensuring nuclear safety and security, will bode well for the country as it would help employ the benefits of nuclear energy, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said. 

Cayetano, who sponsored Senate Bill No. 2899 or the proposed Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, pushed for the creation of PhilATOM, during his sponsorship speech of the measure last Dec. 17, 2024.

“Across the globe, nuclear energy has been used for peaceful and beneficial applications contributing to sectors such as medicine, agriculture, industry, and energy production,” Cayetano said. 

“It’s obvious why we need the Nuclear Energy Safety Act. It plays a vital role in treating diseases, food security, improving crop yield, mitigating the effects of climate change and generating clean, reliable power or electricity,” he stressed.

The bill seeks to create the PhilATOM which will be responsible for developing policies, setting safety standards, conducting inspections, and overseeing the transport, storage, and disposal of radioactive materials.

SB No. 2899 also aims to modernize outdated nuclear energy laws, aligning them with international conventions and standards to ensure safe use of nuclear energy.

The senator pointed out that the country’s current nuclear energy laws fail to reflect advancements in nuclear technology.

“We will align with our international conventions. It is also not really possible for those who promote nuclear atomic energy to be the ones who regulate it. This will fix that problem," he said.

“When we talk about atomic, nuclear energy, radiation, that's there. We don't always see it or know that it's there, but we're not able to harness or we don't harvest well,” the lawmaker explained. 

In sponsoring the measure, Cayetano recognized the efforts of fellow lawmakers and experts in drafting the bill, particularly Senators Francis Tolentino, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, as well as Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla.

The Senate will continue deliberating Senate Bill No. 2899 when Congress resumes sessions in January 2025.