Building the Next Energy Workforce
Visayas now has its first Meralco Power Academy (MPA) facility, bringing One Meralco’s technical expertise, learning programs, and best practices to the region for the first time. The MGEN Center for Innovation (MCI) is a reimagining of the former GBP Institute for Energy inside Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) facility in Iloilo City.
That same ambition extends beyond Visayas: through the MPA’s Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) initiative as part of One Meralco’s Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, MGEN has already sent some of its talents abroad for international training in France, Canada, South Korea, and China – building nuclear energy readiness in preparation for the country’s long-term energy future.
Meanwhile, in Nueva Ecija, MGEN through its affiliate Terra Solar Philippines Inc. collaborated with various local governments and MPA to launch livelihood programs for communities surrounding the MTerra Solar project. The TERRAnsform program equips scholars with specialized training tailored to support the ongoing construction of the project. Once completed, qualified scholars may obtain a national certificate from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) — enabling them to pursue opportunities even beyond the construction of MTerra Solar. To date, the program has graduated over 600 scholars, with nearly 60 percent absorbed by the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractors of the project.
Restoring Forests, Protecting Coastlines
More than 845,726 trees now stand across 256.62 hectares of Iloilo, reviving biodiversity and generating livelihood opportunities for the communities surrounding the reforested land.
The Handumanan Reforestation and Carbon Sink Project, implemented since 2009 through PEDC has now entered Phase II, covering 80 additional hectares and 153,660 more trees backed by a PHP 10 million commitment, part of MGEN’s more than 1.8 million-tree contribution to the One Meralco Group’s One for Trees program.