President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace on Tuesday. Grossi is in the Philippines for the International High-Level Forum on Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics), which the country is hosting from November 25 to 26, 2025. 

Joining the President were Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla, and Ambassador Evangelina Lourdes Bernas, the Philippines’ envoy to Austria and permanent representative to the IAEA. The meeting underscored the Philippines’ long-standing membership in the IAEA since 1958 and its active participation in technical cooperation projects that strengthen national expertise in nuclear science and technology. 

The IAEA, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, was established in 1957 within the United Nations system to promote the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Through its collaboration with the agency, the Philippines has contributed to global knowledge exchange on nuclear energy applications, safety, safeguards, and security. Hosting the NUTEC Plastics forum highlights the country’s commitment to harnessing nuclear technology not only for energy but also for innovative environmental solutions, particularly in addressing plastic pollution.