People are the power industry’s greatest asset, working to ensure safety and operational integrity while keeping the lights on. But considering evolving complexities and challenges, especially amid an energy transition, constant upskilling and reskilling is required for the workforce to adapt and continue pushing the power sector forward.

At the Global Technical Center of Excellence (GTCOE), a learning facility launched by Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) and JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), continuous learning and development is being fueled by the motivation to Transform Energy for a Better World.

Located at the LIMA Commercial Center, LIMA Estate in Batangas, the GTCOE has already graduated a total of 35 engineers and technical professionals of Filipino and Japanese descent from its Operations and Maintenance Basic program. This comes less than a year since its launch last September 2025.

A Filipino engineer from the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao, Engineer Jhanrod Jobell Enoc, clinched the highest distinction in the inaugural batch last January. In a valedictory speech to his 17 peers, he shared the personal conviction that drove him to succeed.

“Our island has been in a state of calamity due to an unreliable power supply since 2016. Growing up, I saw firsthand how much electricity affects our daily lives — our comfort, our productivity, and even our safety,” the Cadet Engineer from Therma Luzon said.

For years, Samal has faced power issues due to aging infrastructure and network maintenance concerns. The frequent outages on the island have strained households, disrupted businesses, and weakened Samal’s economic potential.

“It reached a point where I knew I had to act instead of simply complain. I want to be part of the solution. That is my greatest reason for joining GTCOE,” Enoc explained.

The curriculum covered Safety Training, Power 101, Plant Systems, and Maintenance Disciplines, along with modules on liquefied natural gas-to-power and battery energy storage systems or BESS. Trainees also underwent simulator training and line tracing activities at the GNPower Mariveles Energy Center and GNPower Dinginin power facilities in Bataan, being immersed in live control room environments and high-capacity equipment.

Similarly, a second batch of 17 students graduated last April, led by its valedictorian, Engineer Nathalie Abdon, also of Therma Luzon. Her milestone is amplified by the fact that she is the first woman engineer in her family.

“In school, we solve for neatly defined conditions, but in the plant, the system is non-linear,” Abdon observed. “I learned that I had to move from learning for understanding to learning with responsibility. Real-world decisions have real consequences, and that shift made me more intentional and accountable.”

“This journey made me realize that genuine connections can grow beyond differences,” she added. “It’s about bringing a unique perspective that values care, precision, and purpose into every technical challenge I face.”

“My journey has grown from solving equations to powering progress for a more resilient Philippines.”

The GTCOE aims to serve as a key regional hub for developing a pipeline of world-class technical talent, further strengthening the advocacy of both AboitizPower and JERA for a competent and globally-prepared workforce in the power generation industry.

Its programs aim to help bridge the gap between textbook and industrial reality, transitioning engineers from “steady-state” academic models to the “non-linear”, high-responsibility environment of actual power plant operations. The training facility also hosts an Advanced Global Start-Up Training Program, which has already certified 19 trainees to date.

GTCOE Director Engr. Mayshelle Rosario noted that the principles of safety, technical mastery, adaptability, collaboration, and communication are what drives the center’s mission. “This program represents more than skills training for all of us. It symbolizes partnership, mutual learning, and the strengthening of ties between Japan and the Philippines.”

JERA Philippines Chief Technical Officer Hideaki Oana echoed the sentiment, praising the graduates as leaders who can turn technology into real solutions. “Through the GTCOE, we are investing in people who will shape a reliable and sustainable future for power generation.”

The partnership between AboitizPower and JERA began in December 2021 when the latter invested in the former. Currently, through its subsidiary JERA Asia, JERA holds approximately 27% equity in AboitizPower.

The collaboration expanded in July 2023 with the launch of a talent exchange program focused on enhancing technical expertise in operations and maintenance. Through reciprocal deployment of engineers to each other’s power plants, the program creates a platform for cross-border learning and knowledge sharing. The establishment of the GTCOE builds on these efforts.

“JERA and AboitizPower have built a strong trusted partnership grounded in shared values and a common commitment to the future of energy in the region,” said JERA Corporate Vice President and Chief O&M Engineering Officer Tetsuya Watabe during the GTCOE’s inauguration ceremony. “The GTCOE represents a natural extension of this collaboration, focused on exchanging knowledge, developing energy talent, and creating lasting value for the broader energy ecosystem.”

AboitizPower is one of the largest power producers in the Philippines, with a balanced portfolio of power generation assets in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It also operates distribution utilities that operate in high-growth areas across the country and provides retail electricity services to qualified commercial and industrial end-users.

JERA is Japan’s largest power generator and a global energy leader, with capabilities across the entire energy supply chain — from participation in LNG upstream projects and fuel procurement, through fuel transportation to power generation.