Meralco holds first survival boot camp for disaster preparedness

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has conducted its first-ever Survival Boot Camp, an immersive training program designed to prepare employees and their families for disaster scenarios, including a major earthquake.

The two-day activity, led by the newly established Meralco Rescue Academy, simulated post-disaster conditions to equip participants with essential emergency preparedness and response skills. The initiative forms part of Meralco’s broader commitment to resilience and disaster readiness.

To highlight its family-centered approach to emergency preparedness, the inaugural training batch included Meralco employees and their dependents, who camped overnight at the Meralco Operating Center in Pasig City. Families pitched tents at the Meralco Fitness Center Oval to simulate evacuation and temporary shelter conditions.

Participants took part in hands-on activities covering disaster aftermath awareness, water sanitation and hygiene, fire starting and cooking, knot tying, and basic life support and first aid.

Meralco Rescue volunteers facilitated the program alongside personnel from the Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Bureau of Fire Protection – Pasig City, who served as resource persons.

The One Meralco Foundation supported the activity by donating canned goods, reinforcing realistic emergency conditions and promoting responsible resource management during disasters.

The program concluded with a debriefing session and a presentation of Pasig City’s disaster preparedness plans by the Pasig DRRMO, underscoring the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors in strengthening community resilience.

“Preparedness starts at home. The Meralco Rescue Academy reflects our commitment to building a culture of readiness, one that equips not just our employees, but their families as well to face emergencies with confidence and resilience,” said Meralco First Vice President and head of facilities, safety and security management Jerry B. Lao.