Gathering the Philippines’ foremost energy executives, policymakers, and thought leaders, Giga Summit 2025: The Fusion of Power and Intelligence took a closer look at the evolving landscape of the nation’s power sector, with artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear energy emerging as pivotal themes. The two-day summit, organized by Manila Electric Company’s (Meralco) energy education unit Meralco Power Academy (MPA), served as a strategic forum for presenting transformative initiatives that will shape the country’s energy future.

NUCLEAR ENERGY: A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE

A year ago, the Philippine government has charted a bold course toward nuclear energy through the unveiling of the Nuclear Energy Roadmap at the 68th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria. The Department of Energy plans to bring into commercial operations at least 1,200 MW of nuclear power by 2032, scaling up to 4,800 MW by 2050.

As a key private sector player in this industry, Meralco has been actively assessing the responsible integration of nuclear energy into the country’s supply mix — which Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho highlighted when he introduced the company’s flagship Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program. NEST adopts a multi-track approach to evaluate all viable pathways for nuclear power deployment in the Philippines by considering the development of large-scale greenfield projects through partnerships with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Energy Agency, and nuclear operators from France and South Korea; exploring the potential deployment of small modular reactors in collaboration with the US; and studying the feasibility of rehabilitating the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

Meralco’s NEST is aligned with the government’s target which Aperocho described as “ambitious, but very necessary.”

“NEST aims to lay the foundation for the development and implementation of the nuclear energy project in the Philippines,” Aperocho, who also sits as MPA President, said.

Meralco recognizes that the success of its strategic nuclear pursuit hinges not only on policies and technological advances, but also on human capital development. Through the Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) program, which was launched during the Giga Summit 2023, MPA aims to build a pool of skilled professionals in the highly specialized field of nuclear engineering.

A total of five (5) FISSION scholars are currently studying at the Harbin Engineering University in China and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US. Upon completion of the program, the scholars will be reintegrated into Meralco and will be assigned to take on roles in its nuclear initiatives.

“These bold steps are driven not just by infrastructure, but by intellectual readiness, as well. Through the Meralco Power Academy, we continue to be the vehicle of thought leadership, capability-building, and talent development for everyone in the energy sector,” Aperocho said.