Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), through its corporate social responsibility arm, One Meralco Foundation, has committed to supporting more aspiring female electrical engineers as part of its unwavering dedication to empowering women in the energy industry.

This year, the power distributor will grant 22 female college students financial grants to help them pursue their dreams of becoming professional electrical engineers.

This brings the total number of electrical engineering students Meralco supported to 40 from the initial 18 scholars that the company sponsored in 2022 under its “MpowHER” scholarship program. 

Important initiative

“MpowHER is an important initiative under Meralco’s Diversity and Inclusion program. This is well aligned with the company’s thrust to provide more opportunities and support the professional advancement of women in the energy industry. With this program, Meralco hopes to inspire more women to pursue their passion and invest in their personal growth,” said Meralco senior vice president and chief supply chain officer Maria Luisa V. Alvendia.

The new batch of junior students is from Batangas State University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and Los Baños.

They were selected through an assessment of their academic performance and a panel interview. They will receive financial assistance to cover education-related expenses such as allowances for food, transportation, internet connectivity and books. 

Stipends 

Stipends for their review and board examination in the final years of studies will also be provided by Meralco.

Meralco chief corporate social responsibility officer and president of OMF, Jeffrey O. Tarayao, said the financial grants would help empower women to achieve their full potential in line with Meralco’s efforts to increase female representation in the predominantly male-dominated energy industry.

“Investing in women’s education enables them to take charge of their future and opens them up to opportunities to contribute to a more inclusive energy industry,” he said.

All program scholars will be invited for an internship at Meralco, and once they finish their studies, they will have the chance to explore career opportunities with the power distributor.