For years, many families in remote communities had learned to live with just a few hours of electricity each day — with their routines planned around limited power. But things changed when stable electricity reached their homes.
With reliable power came brighter classrooms, safer communities, thriving small businesses, and new livelihood opportunities. Children could study after sunset, health centers could better serve patients, and families could dream bigger for their future.
It is this transformation that continues to inspire Manuel V. Pangilinan-led One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), which has been going to the farthest parts of the Philippines to empower unserved and underserved communities.
Guided by its core mission to uplift the lives of underserved Filipinos, the Foundation began 2026 with its electrification programs while strengthening its environmental sustainability initiatives, community engagement efforts, and disaster response programs — bringing hope, opportunity, and lasting progress to underserved communities across the country.
“In One Meralco Foundation, we carry a mission to create pathways for growth through electrification, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment. By bringing light to the furthest reaches of our islands and supporting the development of underprivileged communities, we are honoring a promise to leave no one behind,” One Meralco Foundation President and Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Jeffrey O. Tarayao said.
Powering homes
At the heart of OMF’s mission is its flagship community electrification program that aims to bring safe, stable, and reliable electricity to underserved communities. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the Foundation energized homes, schools, and livelihood facilities, benefiting more than 3,600 individuals. Beyond lighting homes, these initiatives opened doors to better education, expanded livelihood opportunities, improved access to essential services, and a higher quality of life.Through the Household Electrification Program, Meralco and OMF connected more than 400 low-income households to safe and legal electricity service. Community launches were held in Barangay Pugad in Hagonoy, Bulacan — an island community — and Barangay Bulilan Norte in Pila, Laguna.
Isla Pugad is home to many residents who are mainly fisherfolks, boat operators, market vendors, construction workers, and fishery watchers. Financial constraints forced them to rely on their neighbors for power access, requiring them to pay higher rates compared to that of Meralco’s despite the limited use of power. With the help of Meralco Malolos Business Center, Plaridel Sector, and the local government of Hagonoy, they now have access to safe and reliable electricity, a dream come true for many residents in the remote island community.
Same goes for Barangay Bulilan Norte, Pila, Laguna where they also energized low-income households, enabling families to be more productive at home and freeing them from submetering electricity from their neighbors. They also received financial and technical assistance from the OMF and Meralco, making it easier for them to apply for their own access to the grid.
Since 2011, OMF through its Household Electrification Program energized more than 85,000 low-income households within the Meralco franchise area, enabling families to boost household income, and to contribute to the progress in their immediate communities and their provinces.
Powering education
OMF’s commitment to empowering communities extends beyond households. Through its School Electrification Program, the Foundation is helping bridge the energy and digital divide in remote public schools where reliable electricity remains a challenge. By harnessing solar energy, OMF enables schools to create safer, more conducive learning environments while supporting technology-enabled education.
In the first quarter of 2026, OMF, together with Meralco Customer Relations and Services (CRS) and the Meralco Employees’ Fund for Charity, Inc. (MEFCI), energized Karahumi Elementary School in Norzagaray, Bulacan through the installation of a three-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The project now benefits more than a hundred students, teachers, and school personnel by providing a stable and sustainable power source that supports daily classroom activities and improves the delivery of education.
To further enhance learning, OMF also donated laptops, televisions, and printers to Mangcawayan Island Integrated School and Eugenia M. Quintela Memorial High School in Vinzons, Camarines Norte. Previously energized through OMF’s solar electrification program, these island schools can now maximize their access to electricity by integrating digital learning tools into classroom instruction and expanding educational opportunities for their students.
The initiative supports Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to prioritize electricity and internet connectivity in schools, particularly those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. For OMF and Meralco, it is important to ensure that no learner is left behind, and reliable energy is brought to schools where it is needed most.
To date, OMF’s School Electrification Program has energized more than 300 public schools nationwide, improving the learning environment for over 95,000 students, teachers, and school personnel. By powering schools, OMF is not only illuminating classrooms — it is creating brighter futures for generations of Filipino learners.
Powering livelihood
Driven by clean energy. Members of the Mulawinan Centro E-Trike Operators and Drivers Association (MULCETRODA) are now benefiting the benefits of the e-trike charging station installed in Valenzuela City.
For many micro-entrepreneurs, limited access to reliable energy means lower productivity, reduced incomes, and fewer opportunities to grow their businesses. Recognizing that electricity is a catalyst for economic empowerment, OMF helps communities harness clean and sustainable energy solutions that enable livelihoods to thrive.
Through its Agriculture and Livelihood Electrification Program, OMF powers income-generating activities by deploying solar-powered technologies tailored to the needs of local communities. From supporting electric tricycle (e-trike) drivers in urban areas to helping farmers improve agricultural productivity, the program demonstrates how access to energy can create lasting economic opportunities while promoting environmental sustainability.
In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) — Sustainable Livelihood Program, OMF established a community-based charging station for 117 electric tricycle drivers in Barangay Lawang Bato, Valenzuela City. The initiative addresses operational challenges that have long affected drivers, including high charging costs, prolonged charging time, and income losses caused by frequent battery swaps during operating hours.
The project also strengthens the sustainability of the local transport sector. As members of the Malanday-Lawang Bato United Electric Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (MULCETRODA) transitioned to cleaner, battery-powered vehicles, they also faced higher operating expenses that reduced their daily earnings. The community charging station eases these financial burdens while serving as a shared microenterprise. After electricity costs are covered, the station’s net revenues are distributed among participating drivers — creating an additional and sustainable source of income for the association.
Solar empowers farmers. Farmers of Bagong Anyo Nampicuan Cuyapo Farmers Irrigators Association are reaping the benefits of a solar-powered mobile irrigation pump, ensuring that their farmlands are properly watered for quality yields.
Similarly, OMF continues to empower farming communities through solar-powered irrigation systems that provide farmers with a reliable and cost-efficient source of water for their crops. By reducing dependence on fuel-powered pumps and lowering operating costs, the initiative helps improve farm productivity, increase crop yields, and strengthen the livelihoods of farming families.
For farmers in Nueva Ecija, access to water is no longer tied to the rising cost of fuel. With solar-powered mobile irrigation systems, they can now irrigate their fields more efficiently while reducing operating expenses — allowing them to focus on increasing productivity and improving their livelihoods.
The initiative was made possible through the partnerships of Meralco’s CRS, MEFCI, and OMF which turned over a mobile irrigation pump equipped with a three-kWp solar photovoltaic system to a local farmers’ cooperative.
Equipped with this energy solution, Novo Ecijano farmers no longer have to shoulder recurring fuel expenses, allowing them to redirect their savings toward farm inputs, household needs, and other productive investments. The solar-powered irrigation system also enables more efficient farming operations, helping increase crop yields while promoting environmentally sustainable agriculture.
OMF’s Agriculture and Livelihood Electrification Program underscores the transformative power of energy. Beyond powering machines, it powers aspirations, unlocks economic opportunities, strengthens local enterprises, and enables communities to build a more resilient and sustainable future.
Powering healthcare
In many rural communities across the Philippines, a local health center is more than just a clinic — it is often the first and only source of medical care. Yet for communities without reliable electricity, even the most basic healthcare services have become difficult to deliver. Vaccines cannot be stored safely, laboratory samples cannot be preserved, and medical consultations are often cut short as daylight fades. For many residents, the nearest fully equipped hospital is hours away, making access to timely healthcare an even greater challenge.
To help address this, OMF installed a solar photovoltaic system for a rural health station at Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental. Today, more than 2,500 residents have improved access to reliable, lifesaving, and life-enhancing healthcare services.
The project has significantly strengthened the health center’s ability to respond to the community’s needs, particularly amid the increasing incidence of gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections associated with poor sanitation. With stable electricity, healthcare workers can now refrigerate medicines and vaccines properly, preserve laboratory specimens for accurate diagnosis, and provide medical services more efficiently and safely.
Beyond improving clinical care, the energized facility has also become a center for preventive healthcare. It now hosts regular health education sessions on topics such as maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition, sanitation, and immunization, arming the residents with the knowledge to prevent illnesses before they occur and make informed decisions about their health.
The electrification of rural health facilities forms part of OMF’s broader Community Electrification Program through which it powers essential community institutions. Underserved communities do not only have access to electricity, but also to better health, greater opportunities, and an improved quality of life.
Environmental stewardship
Mangrove restoration. Local fisherfolk in Aklan are also contributing to the OFT mangrove-planting initiatives in abandoned fishponds which would effectively create a sustainable sanctuary for fisheries in the area.
Healthy mangrove forests do more than protect coastlines — they sustain livelihoods, safeguard communities from storms and erosion, and serve as vital breeding grounds for fish and other marine life. A 2025 global study estimates that more than 775 million people rely heavily on coastal ecosystems for food security and protection from natural hazards. In the coastal municipality of New Washington, Aklan, this reality is reflected in the Batan Estuary, where generations of fisherfolk depend on its rich marine resources for their livelihood.
Recognizing the importance of restoring this ecosystem, OMF partnered with Aklan State University (ASU) and the local government of New Washington to convert two abandoned fishponds in Barangays Guinbaliwan and Lawaan into thriving mangrove forests through the planting of 50,000 mangrove trees.
The restored sites are being developed as productive aqua silviculture areas, allowing communities to cultivate fish while preserving mangrove forests instead of clearing them. This nature-based approach creates a safe habitat for juvenile fish, crabs, and mollusks, strengthens biodiversity, and protects nearby communities from coastal erosion and the impacts of extreme weather.
More importantly, the initiative empowers local communities to become stewards of their natural resources. Three people’s organizations were equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to sustainably manage the sites, while also creating alternative sources of income through activities such as propagating and selling mangrove seedlings. By placing local communities at the center of conservation efforts, the project ensures that environmental protection goes hand in hand with livelihood development and long-term sustainability.
The Batan Estuary project is part of OMF’s One for Trees (OFT) program, which has grown into a nationwide movement for environmental restoration. Since its launch in 2019, OFT has planted and nurtured more than 3 million trees across 36 reforestation sites nationwide while directly supporting 2,492 tree farmers, who serve as the frontline caretakers of these restored ecosystems. Through this initiative, OMF continues to demonstrate that investing in nature is also an investment in stronger communities, more sustainable livelihoods, and a more climate-resilient Philippines.
Grassroot partnerships
Help for the orphans. OMF has extended support to Manila Boystown Complex, an orphanage under the jurisdiction of local government of Manila. OMF worked with Meralco to replace old leaning private poles with new ones to ensure the safety of the staff and the orphans in the compound located in Marikina City.
OMF also continues to strengthen partnerships with communities, local government units, and various organizations through meaningful community relations initiatives that address the priority needs of the people within the Meralco franchise area. Through programs such as computer donations, distribution of school kits and learning materials, multimedia equipment, food and hygiene packs, and support for environmental initiatives, OMF helps create opportunities for communities to thrive while promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
As a committed partner in advancing social development in the cities and municipalities where Meralco operates, OMF implemented 36 community relations projects. These included the donation of computers to the Barangay Poblacion in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, as well as to offices of the Philippine National Police, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the Bureau of Fire Protection, helping enhance the delivery of public services.Recognizing the importance of accessible healthcare, OMF also distributed vitamins to health units across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna. Meanwhile, under Meralco PowerGen Thermal’s Adopt-a-Health-Center Program, the foundation provided medicines and medical supplies to 33 health centers in Toledo City, Cebu; Iloilo City and the Province of Iloilo; and the municipalities of Nabas and New Washington in Aklan.
To help ensure a safer environment for vulnerable sectors, OMF replaced aging leaning private poles inside the Manila Boystown Complex in Marikina City with new ones, improving safety for the institution’s staff and the children under its care.OMF likewise extended assistance to underserved communities by donating solar lamps and torches to 100 beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, and distributing hygiene kits and food packs to Aeta communities in Capas, Tarlac.
Through these initiatives, OMF continues to create meaningful partnerships and deliver programs that empower communities, improve lives, and contribute to nation-building.
Disaster response
Disaster response. OMF employee volunteers distributing relief packs to the affected residents of the fire incident in the Navotas landfill.
As communities face the growing challenges of natural disasters and emergencies, OMF does not only respond to crises but also help affected Filipinos recover and rebuild their lives. Working hand in hand with partners from the public and private sectors, the Foundation continues to provide timely assistance to communities both within and beyond the Meralco franchise area.
From the distribution of relief goods and solar lamps to the deployment of Meralco’s power restoration teams, OMF’s disaster response initiatives provide immediate relief while helping restore hope and normalcy in times of need.
Throughout the first quarter of 2026, OMF remained responsive to communities affected by emergencies, extending assistance to thousands of families displaced by fire incidents in Quezon City, the City of Manila, General Trias, Cavite, and San Pedro City, Laguna. Relief packs and solar lamps provided much-needed support as families began the difficult journey toward recovery.
When Tropical Storm Basyang brought heavy rains and flooding to hundreds of families in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte in February 2026, OMF worked with the local government and promptly deployed relief packs to affected residents, ensuring that immediate needs were addressed during the crisis.
OMF’s initiatives reflect its unwavering commitment to nation-building through impactful and inclusive programs that respond to urgent community needs while helping build long-term resilience. Guided by a shared spirit of service, the foundation continues to empower communities, strengthen partnerships, and help build a brighter, more resilient future for all — leaving no one behind.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
