Photo credit: PCO

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday received International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during a courtesy call at Malacañang Palace, the Presidential Communications Office announced.

Grossi is in the Philippines for his first official visit since assuming office in 2019. His visit coincides with the country’s hosting of the International High-Level Forum on Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics): Scaling Solutions and Partnerships for Global Impact to be held from November 25-26, 2025.

Also present at the meeting were Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla, and Philippine Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the IAEA Evangelina Lourdes Bernas.

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the IAEA was established in 1957 under the United Nations system to promote the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. The Philippines has been a member state of the IAEA since 1958.

In September, the Philippines secured a seat on the IAEA Board of Governors, joining 34 other member states in shaping global policies on nuclear safety, security, and the peaceful use of atomic energy.  The move aligns with the country’s Nuclear Energy Plan, which targets up to 4,800 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2040, and opens opportunities for technical cooperation in nuclear medicine, agriculture, food security, and energy, while bolstering the Philippines’ reputation as a responsible nuclear partner committed to science, innovation, and sustainable development.

How do you see these developments shaping the country’s nuclear energy direction? Join the discussion.

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