The Department of Energy (DOE) has rolled out a revised national nuclear emergency response plan to reshape how government agencies will respond to nuclear and radiological incidents under a new nuclear regulatory framework.

The agency said Wednesday the updated National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (RadPlan) was redesigned to align with Republic Act No. 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. 

The law created the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilAtom) as the country's independent nuclear regulator, while the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) shifted to a technical support role.

"The review of the RadPlan strengthens our coordination mechanisms and ensures that our emergency response arrangements remain practical, effective, and responsive," Energy Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo said.

The revised plan establishes a standard response framework covering the entire emergency—from the first report of an incident to recovery—and provides specific procedures for four high-risk scenarios: accidents at nuclear facilities, lost or stolen radioactive materials, radiological dispersal devices or other malicious acts, and nuclear or radiological emergencies originating outside the country.

The updated framework also strengthens coordination between disaster response and security agencies through joint notification procedures, a shared assessment team, and defined handover protocols between the National Crisis Management Committee and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

To help implement the plan, participating agencies agreed to create a technical working group under the NDRRMC Preparedness Pillar to oversee its continued refinement.

They also endorsed the inclusion of the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilAtom) as a member of the NDRRMC once the new regulator is fully established.

Republic Act No. 12305 requires the government to maintain a national emergency plan to protect the public from nuclear and radiological incidents occurring within or outside Philippine territory and to integrate it into the NDRRMC's emergency response system.