MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN) continues to translate its operational growth into programs that create meaningful and lasting impact for the communities connected to its operations.
Across classrooms in Isabela, training rooms in Nueva Ecija, football grounds in Western Visayas, forests across Panay, MGEN is converting a record 27,289 GWh of energy delivered in 2025 into something that outlasts any single kilowatt. From training the country’s next energy workforce to lighting fields where young athletes train after dark, each program reflects the same conviction: that powering a better tomorrow means investing in the people and places where energy makes its impact felt.
Building the Next Energy Workforce
The Visayas now has its first Meralco Power Academy (MPA) facility, bringing One Meralco’s technical expertise, learning programs, and best practices to the region for the first time. The MGEN Center for Innovation (MCI), a reimagining of the former GBP Institute for Energy inside Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) facility in Iloilo City. MCI is designed to be the first of many, a model for how MGEN brings education and innovation directly into its operating communities.
“Now, MCI will serve a wider audience and aim to become a leading hub for energy education, research, and innovation. This is the first of many Centers for Innovation we plan to establish across our sites in the Philippines,” MGEN President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio said.
That same ambition extends beyond Visayas: through the MPA’s Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) initiative as part of One Meralco’s Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, MGEN has already sent some of its talents abroad for international training in France, Canada, South Korea, and China – building nuclear energy readiness in preparation for the country’s long-term energy future.
Meanwhile, in Nueva Ecija, MGEN through its affiliate Terra Solar Philippines Inc. collaborated with various local governments and MPA to launch livelihood programs for communities surrounding the MTerra Solar project. The TERRAnsform program equips scholars with specialized training tailored to support the ongoing construction of the project. Once completed, qualified scholars may obtain a national certificate from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) — enabling them to pursue opportunities and continue building their technical capabilities even beyond the construction of MTerra Solar. To date, the program has graduated 603 scholars, with nearly 60 percent absorbed by the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractors of the project.
Championing Athletes, Energizing Communities
Young athletes in Iloilo can now train and compete after dark – made possible by the first internationally compliant, plaza-based football lighting system in Western Visayas. Through PEDC and in collaboration with the Iloilo City Government and One Meralco Foundation, MGEN completed the PHP 17.3 million La Paz Football Ground project – with the facility managed by the Iloilo City Government under Mayor Raisa Treñas to support the Iloilo City Sports Academy and the Sports Kickstarter Program.
“It is a privilege for us to continue serving this community, not only through energy, but through initiatives that uplift lives and empower people,” MGEN President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio said.
Over time, her career taught her resilience, confidence, and the importance of listening and empowering others. “Being a woman leading an entire plant means breaking expectations—both my own and those set by the industry—and proving that leadership is defined by capability, not gender. It’s about showing up every day with confidence, making tough decisions, and leading with both strength and empathy.”
MGEN’s commitment to sports and wellness extends beyond community infrastructure and into the everyday lives of its people. In 2025, the MGEN Cycling Team made its first competitive debut at the revival of the Tour of Luzon — reflecting the company’s growing culture of health, discipline, and sustainable mobility. More than an employee initiative, the team embodies the same spirit that drives MGEN’s mission: resilience, performance, and service. Whether powering communities or pushing through every kilometer on the road, MGEN believes progress is fueled by purpose.
MGEN volunteers join partner agencies for the International Coastal Cleanup, one of the company’s annual environmental initiatives collecting waste from shorelines across Atimonan, Quezon; Iloilo; and Cebu.
Restoring Forests, Protecting Coastlines
More than 845,726 trees now stand across 256.62 hectares of Iloilo, reviving biodiversity and generating livelihood opportunities for the communities surrounding the reforested land. The Handumanan Reforestation and Carbon Sink Project, implemented since 2009 through PEDC has now entered Phase II, covering 80 additional hectares and 153,660 more trees backed by a PHP 10 million commitment, part of MGEN’s more than 1.8 million-tree contribution to the One Meralco Group’s One for Trees program.
Beyond its environmental goals, Handumanan trains and employs host community members as tree farmers, with an agroforestry component that allows farmers to generate income alongside native forest species.
“Every tree we plant is a promise: a promise of cleaner air, richer biodiversity, and a healthier planet. Together, we are not just building forests; we are building hope,” MGEN Thermal President and CEO Felino M. Bernardo said at the Phase II MOA signing.
MGEN volunteers also join the annual International Coastal Cleanup, with last year’s drive collecting more than 2,200 kilograms of waste across drives in Atimonan, Quezon; Iloilo; and Cebu, with additional support for over 500 community volunteers in Atimonan.
MGEN’s environmental ethic extends to how it manages its own infrastructure. When panels at the Cordon Solar facility in Isabela reached the end of their generating life, MGEN Renewables workers repurposed them into the Solar Shed Charging Station, now turned over to Dona Josefa E. Marcos High School in Barangay Capirpiriwan and being assessed for replication nationwide.
Building Inclusion Beyond the Workplace
Filipinos living with intellectual and developmental disabilities have more support because MGEN employees chose to fundraise for them. Through the Inspire, Give, Nurture, and Impact through Engagement (IGNITE) program, MGEN employees raised PHP 100,000 for Best Buddies Philippines Foundation, Inc. — a non-profit organization for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We believe in powering a better tomorrow beyond megawatts and infrastructure. It also means building a workplace that is inclusive, sustainable, and grounded in community,” MGEN Renewables President and CEO Dennis Jordan said.
The partnership reflects MGEN’s broader advocacy for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging — values the company has formalized through its DEIB Policy launched in June 2025. MGEN is the first entity within the One Meralco Group to extend health and medical coverage to same-sex and common-law partners.
Powering a Better Tomorrow
Taken together, these programs make the case that a company supporting the country’s sustainable energy future carries both a responsibility and a capacity to shape the communities that host its operations, not just the grid. From forests to football fields, from classrooms to coastlines, from renewable workforce academies to inclusion-driven fundraising, MGEN is demonstrating what it means to power a better tomorrow, not as a tagline but as an operating standard.