Philippines Highlights Nuclear Science and Technology Leadership at the 69th IAEA General Conference
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DOST Undersecretary Maridon O. Sahagun delivers the Philippine national statement at the 69th IAEA General Conference
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (center) with DOST Undersecretary Maridon O. Sahagun and PNRI Director Dr. Carlo A. Arcilla (left), and H.E. Ambassador Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo Bernas, Philippine Permanent Representative to the IAEA (right), during the bilateral meeting with the Philippine delegation
Philippines Highlights Nuclear Science and Technology Leadership at the 69th IAEA General Conference
Vienna, Austria – The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to advance national development through the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology at the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), held from 15 to 19 September 2025 in Vienna, Austria.
This year’s delegation showcased the country’s broad and coordinated participation. Officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Agriculture (DA), a representative from the private sector, and the Philippine Mission in Vienna represented the country, with DOST Undersecretary Maridon O. Sahagun leading the delegation on behalf of DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr.
In delivering the Philippine national statement, Undersecretary Sahagun stressed the importance of bringing nuclear science closer to the people.
“We have already made strides and are more determined to ensure that technology derived from nuclear applications are not confined to laboratories but deployed and scaled up to enhance food security, preserve human and animal health, protect ecosystems, and strengthen our industries,” she affirmed.
She also announced that the Philippines will host the first International High-Level Forum on NUTEC Plastics this November in Manila, a global event tackling plastic pollution with nuclear solutions.
Radiation tech projects draw crowds at sustainability expo
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DOST Sec. Renato Solidum (second from left) shows the PREx plastic-based tiles to SM Prime Holdings chair Hans Sy (leftmost) and veteran architect and urban planner Felino Palafox (rightmost)
PNRI researchers and communication and commercialization officers are bringing radiation technology products closer to the public through expositions such as SUSTEX 2025
Radiation tech projects draw crowds at sustainability expo
“We will build a house from these,’ Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum told Hans Sy Jr., chair of the SM Prime Holdings Inc executive committee, as the DOST chief showed some dark gray bricks and heavy tiles on display.
Though ordinary looking, these bricks and tiles are actually special—they are made of plastic waste such as sachets found in every Filipino home. The sachets, reduced into small pellets and their quality fortified through radiation technology, were molded into tiles that can be used in houses and buildings.
This nuclear solution against plastic pollution is developed under the Post-radiation Reactive Extrusion (PREx) research initiative of the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI). The house to be built, as informed by Sec. Solidum, will be a prototype to test the quality of the PREx plastic.
The PREX is DOST-PNRI’s latest contribution to the circular economy as of yet, turning waste into highly usable construction material and opening opportunities for the plastics industry.
The PREx project, funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, is just one of the featured technologies at the Sustainable Expo (SUSTEX) 2025 held August 28-29, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center Aura.
Also on exhibit were the PNRI-developed foliar fertilizer called the Carrageenan Plant Growth Promoter (PGP), the abaca-based heavy metal adsorption material, and its ongoing project on the development of arsenic sensor.
Read more: Radiation tech projects draw crowds at sustainability expo
DOST-PNRI Hosts 2025 National Training Course on Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring
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Participants during their field exercises. Top Left Photo: collection of soil samples. Top Right Photo: processing of collected soil samples for measurement of radioactivity using HPGe. Bottom Photo: ambient gamma dose rate monitoring exercise.
DOST-PNRI Hosts 2025 National Training Course on Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring
The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), in partnership with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), successfully held the 2025 National Training Course on Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring (NTC-ERM) on August 4–8 at the PNRI compound in Quezon City.
This annual training equips participants from government, industry, academe, and research institutions with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in detecting and analyzing radioactivity in the environment.
The program featured lectures by PNRI and Japanese experts Dr. Hiroki Fujita and Dr. Akihiro Sakoda, along with hands-on sessions on gamma dose-rate monitoring, gamma spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting, and radon measurement using advanced technologies.
Read more: DOST-PNRI Hosts 2025 National Training Course on Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring
From Waste to Resource: PNRI Turns Nuclear Waste into Life-Saving Cancer Treatment
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Transport packages containing encapsulated radium sources
From Waste to Resource: PNRI Turns Nuclear Waste into Life-Saving Cancer Treatment
The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), through the PNRI-Radioactive Waste Management Facility and the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) has successfully completed repackaging legacy Radium-226 (Ra-226) sources, which will soon be exported to Canada. This work is part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Global Radium-226 Management Initiative, which helps member states properly manage old radium sources to protect people and the environment.
Radium-226 was once widely used in medicine, industry, and research. However, today it is recognized as a radioactive material that requires strict handling and long-term management. By donating these sources, PNRI is helping reduce potential risks while aligning with global standards of nuclear safety and security.
Read more: From Waste to Resource: PNRI Turns Nuclear Waste into Life-Saving Cancer Treatment
