Photo courtesy of MGEN
BUSINESS

MGEN scales up community investments alongside record power output

Maria Bernadette Romero

Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN), the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co., is expanding investments in workforce development, community programs, environmental projects, and inclusion initiatives alongside its record 27,289 gigawatt-hours of energy delivered in 2025.

The company said Wednesday it completed the P17.3-million La Paz Football Ground project in Iloilo City, the first internationally compliant plaza-based football lighting system in Western Visayas.

“It is a privilege for us to continue serving this community, not only through energy, but through initiatives that uplift lives and empower people,” MGEN President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio said.

MGEN is also investing in talent development through the MGEN Center for Innovation inside the Panay Energy Development Corp. facility in Iloilo City.

The company said it is the first Meralco Power Academy facility outside the Meralco franchise area and will serve as a hub for energy education, research, and innovation in the Visayas.

“Now, it will serve a wider audience and aim to become a leading hub for energy education, research, and innovation. This is the first of many Centers for Innovation we plan to establish across our sites in the Philippines,” Rubio said.

Likewise, the company is supporting future energy professionals through its Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering program, which has sent trainees to France, Canada, South Korea, and China for nuclear energy training.

In Nueva Ecija, affiliate Terra Solar Philippines Inc. has graduated 603 scholars under the TERRAnsform livelihood program linked to the MTerra Solar project, with nearly 60 percent hired by project contractors.

Meanwhile, MGEN said its Handumanan Reforestation and Carbon Sink Project in Iloilo has planted more than 845,726 trees since 2009. A second phase will add 153,660 more trees under a P10-million commitment.

The company also highlighted employee-led inclusion efforts, including a P100,000 fundraising drive for Best Buddies Philippines Foundation, Inc., which supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We believe in powering a better tomorrow beyond megawatts and infrastructure. It also means building a workplace that is inclusive, sustainable, and grounded in community,” MGEN Renewables President and CEO Dennis Jordan said.