Meralco fires up sustainability bid

Dominant electricity distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has partnered with the Communications Electrical Equipment and Supply Co. Inc. (Celeasco) to promote sustainability through a new environmental initiative called Greening the Meralco Operating Center (MOC).

As part of this partnership, Meralco’s corporate social development arm, One Meralco Foundation (OMF), recently received a donation of over 1,000 seedlings from Celeasco.

Meralco chairperson and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan personally accepted the seedlings from Celeasco, a long-standing partner of the company and one of the country’s pioneering electrical equipment providers, during a ceremonial tree-planting event.

The seedlings will be planted across various sites within the MOC in Pasig City as part of the company’s urban reforestation efforts to help enhance air quality in the bustling Ortigas business district.

“Greening the Meralco Operating Center is more than just a project — it underscores our commitment and resolve to protect the planet, beginning here in our backyard,” Meralco first vice president and chief sustainability officer Raymond B. Ravelo said during the tree-planting ceremony.

OMF president Jeffrey Tarayao emphasized the power of partnerships in driving meaningful change.

Ortigas CBD’s lungs

“This is not only our commitment to making Meralco the lungs of the Ortigas business district, but it is the propagation of a culture of malasakit and bayanihan for the country and our planet,” Tarayao, who also serves as Meralco’s chief corporate social responsibility officer, said.

Greening the Meralco Operating Center is more than just a project — it underscores our commitment and resolve to protect the planet, beginning here in our backyard.

The collaboration forms part of Meralco’s ongoing drive to embed environmentally responsible practices into its operations.

At the heart of this initiative are two nature-based programs aimed at protecting the environment and promoting sustainable agriculture: One For Trees, through which Meralco successfully planted over 2.3 million trees across the country, and PowerPlants, an urban farming initiative across Meralco facilities.

These efforts are not only essential for Greening the MOC but also for empowering Meralco employees to actively contribute to the company’s sustainability goals, while encouraging stakeholders to join the collective movement for environmental stewardship.

One For Trees and PowerPlants are key initiatives under Meralco’s sustainability agenda, “Powering the Good Life,” which is deeply rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is supported by four pillars: Power, Planet, People and Prosperity.