Partnerships for education, environmental stewardship

In their shared commitment to promote sustainability, Manila Electric Company's local retail electricity supplier, MPower, and social development arm, One Meralco Foundation, have once again collaborated on programs that aim to build and empower a sustainable future.

MPower and OMF signed a Deed of Donation amounting to P1.5 million for the provision of printing equipment, hygiene supplies, reusable water bottles and school kits to seven selected schools in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Pampanga and Zambales, benefiting over 15,000 elementary students.

The two units have been working together since 2015 on the annual back-to-school program. Along with other partners, MPower and OMF have conducted school electrification programs in off-grid locations, built nine kinder classrooms and conducted back-to-school programs.

The recent concerted effort brings MPower's cumulative donations for the program to P14.1 million, including contributions from its donor partners over the past eight years.

The latest collaboration also covered funding for CommuniTrees, MPower's community tree-planting program, which has been in partnership since 2015 with OMF's One For Trees program. To date, MPower has successfully planted 12,853 trees in various sites in Luzon, including the 1,000 native seedlings that were planted in Laguna in April 2023.

MPower first vice president and head Redel Domingo underscored that their collaboration with OMF is rooted in their shared pursuit of building a more sustainable and brighter future for Filipinos.

"MPower has always looked for opportunities to give back to our communities. Teaming up with OMF has allowed us to make meaningful partnerships with our customers which have achieved synergistic outcomes that benefit schools, communities and the environment. We thank OMF for being an avenue for us to engage in endeavors that go beyond business," Domingo said.

For his part, OMF president and Meralco chief corporate social responsibility officer Jeffrey Tarayao recognized the transformative impact of their collaboration with MPower on the Kinder Classroom Project, which has benefited over 4,000 students from five school beneficiaries in Malabon, Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite from 2015 to 2019.

"One Meralco Foundation's partnership with MPower continues to grow and prosper as we aspire to reach more communities and put a bigger investment in the future of young Filipinos. We hope that these will translate to inclusive growth and build a brighter future for young Filipinos," Tarayao said.

Meralco senior vice president and chief revenue officer Ferdinand O. Geluz, who also sits as a trustee of OMF, emphasized that Meralco's commitment to serve its communities.