PhilATOM posts top choice endorsed to PBBM

A broad coalition of leading professional organizations across the scientific, medical, and engineering sectors has submitted formal endorsements urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to appoint recently retired Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DoST-PNRI) executive director Dr. Carlo A. Arcilla as the inaugural director general of the newly established Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM).

In official communications sent to Malacañang and the Selection Committee, key industry leaders cited Arcilla’s rare combination of deep technical expertise, institutional leadership, and regulatory governance as the primary qualifications needed to guide the country's independent nuclear regulatory body.

Highlighting the legislative requirements for the post, engineering groups underscored Arcilla’s distinct background in managing nuclear safety and scientific policy.

"Since the director general of PhilATOM by law requires a professional who is not only knowledgeable about aspects of nuclear science and technology and nuclear regulations, we strongly recommend Dr. Arcilla for the position because there is practically no one else in the country who has simultaneously nuclear and regulatory experience," stated Philippine Society of Mining Engineers (PSEM) National president Felizardo Gacad Jr. and Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (PIChE) national president Engr. Dennis Pagud in their respective statements.

Engr. Hilbert Cárdenas, President of Society of Metallurgical Engineers of the Philippines (SMEP), emphasized Arcilla's strategic value regarding critical minerals and the national energy transition, noting that nuclear science supports advanced mineral characterization, materials processing, and resource management.

Under Arcilla’s directorship from 2017 to 2026, PNRI emerged as DoST's most prolific research institution, producing the highest volume of peer-reviewed scientific publications across 19-member agencies and generating external research grants that comprised nearly half of its operating budget.

Driving the PhilATOM Law

In its comprehensive submission, Philippine Society of Nondestructive Testing (PSNT) president Dr. June Raymond Mariano identified Arcilla's stewardship in drafting and advocating for the Philippine Atomic Energy Law as a defining career milestone.

"For decades, predecessor bills stalled in Congress due to competing priorities and public ambivalence. Dr. Arcilla provided the legislative coalition, technical authority, and socio-political engagement needed to pass the law, aligning Philippine regulatory standards with International Atomic Energy Agency norms," Mariano noted.

Medical professional bodies praised Arcilla’s history of safeguarding public health while expanding access to nuclear technology in diagnostic and therapeutic medicine.

"Dr. Arcilla has consistently demonstrated an understanding of the critical balance between effective safety regulation, public safety, and the continued development of beneficial nuclear applications," said Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine (PSNM) President Dr. Michele Duldulao-Ogbac, a sentiment echoed by Philippine College of Radiology (PCR) president Dr. Marc James delos Santos.

UP-National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) director Dr. Noelynna Ramos added that Arcilla’s expertise in geotechnical engineering, volcanology, and nuclear waste disposal — along with his service as an expert witness in Supreme Court and international arbitration cases — provides PhilATOM with world-class scientific authority.

The endorsing bodies include SMEP, the PSEM, the PIChE, the PSNM, the PCR, PSNT and the UP-NIGS.

In September 2025, Marcos signed Republic Act 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, which provides for the establishment of the PhilATOM, a quasi-judicial body that will oversee nuclear energy regulation.

Under the law, PhilATOM will be tasked with protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, issuing licenses for nuclear-related activities, and ensuring compliance with international commitments such as those with the IAEA. The agency will also regulate the transport, storage, and disposal of radioactive materials.