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Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
February 17, 2026 | 12:00am
Meralco officials recently joined a trade mission between the Philippines and the United States, engaging American tech firms, cybersecurity experts, policymakers and regulators.
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MANILA, Philippines — Tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has strengthened its partnership with American technology providers to ramp up its grid modernization initiatives.
Meralco officials recently joined a trade mission between the Philippines and the United States, engaging American tech firms, cybersecurity experts, policymakers and regulators.
“Grid modernization is a key pillar of Meralco’s strategy to meet evolving customer needs and ensure long term operational resilience,” Meralco executive vice president and COO Ronnie Aperocho said.
“As we increasingly leverage artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and robust cybersecurity capabilities, our participation in this trade mission supports our broader digital transformation agenda,” Aperocho said.
Meralco’s participation in the trade mission aligns with its push to accelerate digitalization and grid-edge initiatives. At the core of this strategy is the company’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program.
Over the next decade, Meralco aims to roll out around 12 million smart meters across its franchise area.
Smart meters enable two-way communication between consumers and utility providers, helping distribution utilities detect issues like blackouts and allowing end-users to track their energy consumption.
By taking part in the trade mission, Meralco wanted to gain firsthand insights into global best practices that could “strengthen grid-edge intelligence, safeguard critical infrastructure and accelerate our grid transformation initiatives,” Aperocho said.
Under its AMI program, the company plans to develop a Grid-Edge Operations and Control Center, which will enable more coordinated and proactive management of distributed energy resources, demand response programs and emerging grid services.
As the Philippines’ largest power utility, Meralco provides electric service to more than eight million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
