“Consumers want real, everyday impact: fewer outages, reasonable rates, faster response times, and a service that keeps pace with their lives and aspirations”
When Meralco’s franchise was officially renewed for another 25 years, it marked more than just a continuation of service – it signaled confidence in the country’s biggest electric utility to power regions that are the top economic performers of the Philippines.
For many, especially those living in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Meralco has been keeping the lights on, businesses humming, and homes connected. But this fresh mandate comes with great expectations.
Beyond distributing electricity, it is an opportunity to lead in transforming how the power sector will bolster the country’s growth, resilience, and improve the lives of Filipino consumers.
Electricity is the foundation for economic progress, social mobility, and even democratic participation. And as the country’s most critical regions prepare for rapid demand growth, rising digitalization, and climate-related challenges, Meralco is distinctively positioned to be a catalyst for sustainable prosperity.
Meralco powers over 7.75 million customers across regions that drive nearly half of the country’s GDP.
It’s more than a utility—it’s a pillar of the Philippine economy.
And while it has upgraded systems and moved more than 60 percent of customer transactions online, consumers aren’t just looking for digital convenience or new substations.
They want real, everyday impact: fewer outages, reasonable rates, faster response times, and a service that keeps pace with their lives and aspirations.
Energy security is also at the heart of the Marcos Jr. administration’s development agenda, and Meralco plays a vital role in making it happen.
The Philippine Development Plan and the long-range Philippine Energy Plan both stress the need for a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system to power the economy and create jobs. With electricity sales projected to grow more than fourfold by 2050, Meralco’s ability to deliver stable, cost-effective power is directly linked to strategic national objectives—from attracting investors to building resilient, job creating industries that will drive the economy forward.
During the franchise deliberations, Meralco committed to investing ₱206 billion over the next five years to reduce system losses and improve distribution efficiency.
This isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a move aimed at lowering costs across the board while building out infrastructure to support future-facing industries like the transition to electric vehicles and stable power for data centers.
These are sectors that will drive the next phase of the country’s digital and industrial expansion, and Meralco’s readiness to support them will be critical.
Meralco has also committed to continuing improvements in system reliability. Back in 2011, the average customer experienced around 550 minutes of power interruptions each year.
Today, that number is down to just 123 minutes and will hopefully soon be closer to zero. For businesses and households alike, this kind of reliability isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential.
But here’s what consumers will really be watching: will these investments make power more affordable? Will service improve not just in urban centers but in smaller, underserved communities? Will the average customer—whether a small business owner or an ordinary family—feel the benefits?
While Meralco leads in resources and reach, many parts of the country still suffer from unreliable and uneven power service.
Outages like the one in Panay Island, which cost billions in economic losses, remind us that our power system remains fragile. And as extreme weather swings become more intense and frequent, the need for resilient, climate-proofed infrastructure becomes urgent.
Meralco’s scale gives it the unique ability to help fix this—by not just focusing on its franchise area, but by partnering with other utilities, sharing its expertise, and taking a more active role in improving the entire distribution network nationwide.
It has done this before during disasters, extending support to provinces beyond its coverage – a commendable intervention that should become a sustained industry commitment to nationwide energy resilience.
Meralco can further push up the bar for what a world-class, consumer-first utility should be.
It can show that the success of private enterprise is a direct function of how it is responsive to the public good—by keeping prices fair, supporting clean energy, and ensuring reliability.
As a consumer advocate, here is a challenge to Meralco – treat this franchise extension as an urgent a call to action.
Step up as a national partner in energy transformation. Help build a consumer centric power ecosystem that’s smarter, cleaner, robust, and scaled to be ahead of the surging demand of a growing digital economy. Go beyond what’s required.