From peace maker to manager
One of the defining chapters of his career began at the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
In 2011, Casanova joined BCDA at the clerk level, assisting senior officials who would later become his mentors. He learned the organization from the ground up and gradually took on greater responsibilities.
His journey eventually culminated in his appointment as BCDA president, making him the first in the organization’s history to rise from the clerk level to its highest position.
For someone who once depended on a scholarship to remain in school, the journey carried a meaning beyond a title. The boy from Padre Garcia eventually found himself helping shape infrastructure that could open opportunities for entire communities.
His professional path later crossed with businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan. From 2014 to 2015, Casanova was involved in negotiations surrounding the award of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway management and maintenance contract to Manila North Tollways Corp., a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. The contract was awarded on 9 February 2015.
Casanova was also part of the Asian Cultural Council Philippine Foundation for some time, adding to a career that moved across government, infrastructure, urban planning and development.
In 2023, Pangilinan recruited Casanova to join Meralco, bringing their professional relationship full circle.
His work in the power sector carries a personal connection. Growing up in Batangas, he saw how limited resources could narrow the choices available to families and communities. Today, he sees reliable electricity as essential to education, businesses, industries and jobs.
A child needs light to study. A small entrepreneur needs dependable power to operate. Farmers need electricity for cold storage and food processing. Communities need reliable supply to attract industries and create employment close to home.
Casanova has seen this in his own province. He pointed to San Pascual, Santo Tomas and Batangas City, which are currently served by Meralco and have developed strongly, particularly in the industrial sector.
This is also why his current work focuses on building strategic partnerships with electric cooperatives across the country. Many cooperatives were established decades ago to bring electricity to rural communities. Today, their areas are becoming increasingly urbanized and industrialized, creating demands their existing systems may not have been designed to meet.
Casanova believes partnerships can help electric cooperatives access the capital, technology and operational expertise needed to strengthen their systems and support growing communities.
For him, reliable electricity is not simply about keeping the lights on. It can determine whether a community can attract an investor, whether a farmer can process and preserve products locally, or whether a young person can study after dark.
His story began in a modest home in Padre Garcia, with a seamstress mother and a farmer father. A scholarship carried him through school. Evening work helped him through college. Law opened another door, while BCDA took him from the clerk level to its presidency.
Today, his work in the power sector brings him back to a concern rooted in those early years: making sure communities have the infrastructure to pursue opportunity.
For Casanova, building reliable power systems is ultimately about building possibilities for people.
