Meralco empowers leaders, next gen auditors to drive accountable and resilient digital future

In line with its commitment to develop a stronger culture of assurance, accountability and resilience, Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has ramped up its efforts to equip leaders and next generation professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to address emerging governance, cybersecurity, and compliance risks in the digital age.

Meralco’s Internal Audit Office spearheaded a series of initiatives, including a comprehensive summit, interactive campus roadshows, and a leadership forum aimed at promoting operational excellence and secure digital transformation, while strengthening organizational readiness for an evolving risk environment.

“The challenge before us is not just keeping pace with technology — it is making sure progress strengthens the way we work together. This is a pause from the daily firefight, a chance to sharpen our tools and align our perspectives. By combining the ability of our internal teams with the insights of our line organizations, we create a space for calibration,” Meralco senior vice president and chief audit executive Melanie T. Oteyza said.

AGCC Summit 2026

Through its inaugural Audit, Governance, Cybersecurity, and Compliance (AGCC) Summit 2026 on 15 May, Meralco moved to promote stronger stronger internal controls, governance, data privacy, and cybersecurity resilience to safeguard stakeholder trust in an increasingly digital-centric world.

Anchored on the theme “Next Generation Assurance: Driving Confident Decisions in a Digital Future”, the activity brought together over 1,000 physical and online attendees from One Meralco, JG Summit, MVP Group, and professional associations including Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Institute of Internal Auditors- Philippines (IIAP), and Good Governance Advocates and Practitioners of the Philippines (GGAPP).

Representatives from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Security InfoTech Research Group and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) also participated, shared case studies and key insights on emerging threats and critical developments that organizations must address to further strengthen trust, compliance, and digital resilience.

CICC deputy executive director Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso discussed how to protect the integrity of digital narratives against misinformation; while ARTA director general Atty. Ernesto V. Perez talked about governance and ease of doing business in a digital state.

Meralco board member June Cheryl Cabal-Revilla delivered an insightful experience on how effective leadership strengthened organizational trust by aligning governance, assurance, and digital capabilities in an era defined by rapid digital transformation. Drawing on her extensive enterprise-level experience, she emphasized how the evolving landscape of technology, data and automation had reshaped value creation, risk and stakeholder expectations, positioning assurance as a strategic enabler of resilience, transparency, and long-term sustainability rather than merely a function of compliance.

InfoTech Research Group Principal advisory director Robert Dang addressed cybersecurity defense in an AI driven threat landscape, by showing how it can protect people and organizations as threats grow smarter and faster.

NPC deputy commissioner Atty. Juan Paolo Fajardo highlighted how privacy controls become digital trust signals, proving that safeguarding data is also about building confidence and credibility.

“Trust is the most valuable currency in the digital age and unlike financial capital it cannot be borrowed, it cannot be manufactured, it cannot be recovered quickly once it is lost. The true measure of progress is whether systems are worth trust,” Fajardo said.

Through expert-led discussions and collaborative workshops, the summit addresses how organizational leaders can build a proactive stance toward data privacy rules and evolving cybersecurity threats can make data-driven decisions that protect its customers and stakeholders.

Campus Roadshows

Meralco also rolled out an interactive school roadshow to equip the digital generation with the skills, mindset, and integrity to thrive in a dynamic corporate world.

Called “Internal Audit Knowledge Series: Campus Roadshow 2026,” Meralco brought its Internal Audit Literacy Program directly to several academic institutions. Guided by the theme “Assurance Reimagined: Educating, Empowering, and Inspiring the Digital Generation,” the initiative engaged over 250 students and faculty from partner universities, including Far Eastern University (Manila and Makati), City College of San Jose del Monte and the University of Santo Tomas.

Internal audit leaders from Meralco spearheaded the sessions, sharing practical, real-world insights across key disciplines of the profession. Oteyza opened the series with a talk on “Internal Audit as the Interpreter of Invisible Risk,” emphasizing the function's evolution from traditional compliance to a strategic partner navigating complex, interconnected risks in a digital landscape.

Providing critical industry context to the next generation of audit professionals was John Nicolai Sanchez, head of Networks Power and Engineering Audit, talked about “Energy Industry: Understanding the Entity and Its Environment” through which he tackled the importance of operational knowledge in effective risk identification.

To strengthen governance awareness, Kevin Sto. Domingo, Meralco head of Governance, Compliance, and Fraud Audit, focused on the shared responsibilities of management and audit in combatting occupational fraud and reinforcing organizational accountability.

The technical sessions expanded into dynamic risk management and digital innovation. Meralco Customer Retail Services Audit Head Wendell Calvendra, Subsidiaries Audit Head Christopher Sorongon, and Shared Services Audit head Dave Phillip Cruz led discussions on “Risk-Based Auditing and Control Design in a Digital and Dynamic Environment” and demonstrated how organizations prioritize critical risks and design agile controls.

Addressing modern vulnerabilities, Lester Jake Garing, Meralco head of Technology, Infrastructure, and Security Audit, underscored the critical need to safeguard systems and data in a tech-driven landscape through his presentation on “IT and Cyber Risk Oversight.”

Meralco Data Analytics and Transformation Audit head Ellsworth Vitug and Data Analytics and Transformation Audit analyst Judgeson Ace Gacusan discussed how Meralco’s Internal Audit office leverages advanced analytics to deliver future-ready, insight-driven assurance.

The roadshow bridged the gap between academic theory and corporate practice, giving the students early exposure to evolving audit roles, industry expectations, and future career pathways in assurance, governance and leadership.

Next Generation Leadership Forum

Over 300 participants, including students and faculty from 32 universities, industry practitioners, and key partners from the Meralco Talent Resourcing team, private sector and industry partners ISACA, and IIAP also took part in another forum that aims to equip the next generation of professionals on how to leverage technology, navigate complexity, and drive organizational resilience.

The “Assurance Reimagined: Educating, Empowering, and Inspiring the Digital Generation” held on 22 May 2026, challenged future professionals to view assurance through a digital-first lens, emphasizing the crucial intersection of technology and corporate governance.

The program offered a comprehensive look at the evolving corporate landscape through a powerful lineup of executive insights. Meralco first vice president and chief human resources officer and head of Corporate Services Hans R. Montenegro highlighted career growth within One Meralco and discussing the youth's vital role in advancing the energy transition. Turning toward security and systemic stability, Armed Forces of the Philippines Col. Francel Margareth Padilla delivered a timely keynote on leveraging digital assurance to build public trust and strengthen organizational resilience.

SM Investments Corporation vice president and chief audit executive Shiela P. Alaro urged future practitioners to move from compliance to confidence, underscoring that while professional certifications remain essential, the future auditor must successfully evolve into an analyst, a strategic communicator and a technologist.

Fostering deeper dialogue, the forum panel brought together multidisciplinary specialists spanning fraud investigation, risk management, and IT audit to discuss the workplace cultures, tools, and leadership styles required to attract and retain young talent.

To ground these strategic concepts in real-world engineering, participants also toured the Meralco PowerTech facilities, where they explored automated grid operations at the Grid Discovery Zone, experienced electric vehicle charging technologies, and gained firsthand insights into advanced metering, microgrids, and renewable energy solutions. Through these interactive sessions and open dialogues, students gained firsthand insight into how modern audit professionals navigate the fast-paced corporate world.

Oteyza reinforced internal audit's role in driving responsible innovation. “Technology gives us power, but purpose gives us direction and trust that is built when both come together,” she said.

These activities, held during Internal Audit Awareness Month, are part of Meralco’s efforts to uphold high audit standards, strengthen ties between academia and industry, and help prepare future professionals to think critically and lead with integrity in an increasingly digital world.