Alabama 6th district Rep. Gary Palmer (left), House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez has met with a key nuclear energy partner of the Philippines in United States (US) Alabama 6th district Rep. Gary Palmer. 

The meeting took place on Tuesday afternoon,  April 16 (US time) at Capitol Hill, Washington DC in the US. Palmer is a member of the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Romualdez emphasized during the dialgoue the significance of the 123 Agreement, a civil nuclear deal entered into by the US and Philippines in November 2023. It allows the transfer of nuclear energy-related materials and components between the two countries. 

“The 123 Agreement lays the legal framework for potential nuclear power projects with US providers and paving the way for streamlining the licensing requirements for the private sector with respect to investments on nuclear-related intangible transfers of technology,” the Speaker said. 

The agreement was signed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla during the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit in San Francisco, as witnessed by President Marcos. 

There are renewed interest and efforts in the Philippines under the Marcos administration to look into the possibility of harnessing nuclear energy for the benefit of Filipinos.

Romualdez is Marcos' top ally in the legislature.

Negotiations on the 123 Agreement were initiated in November 2022 during a visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines. 

The Romualdez-Palmer meeting also delved on trade. The Filipino official noted the significance of re-authorizing the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which expired on Dec. 31, 2020. 

GSP is the largest and oldest US trade preference program that provides nonreciprocal, duty-free treatment enabling many of the world's developing countries to spur diversity and economic growth through trade. 

“Before the GSP program lapsed, the Philippines exported more than $2 billion worth of goods tax-free to the US annually through the program,” Romualdez said, as he cited out the program’s past benefits. 

“The program has been instrumental in creating jobs and investments in export manufacturing, benefiting both economies,” he added. 

“We need to leverage Philippine resources and U.S. technologies and investments, particularly in critical minerals to support the electric vehicle industry and the broader transition to clean energy, including nuclear energy. 

“With your support, we can make more progress in this area of our cooperation,” the Speaker told Palmer.