Meralco expands FISSION program to grow nuclear workforce

Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has deployed a new group of engineers overseas through its Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) program to strengthen local expertise in nuclear energy.

The seven engineers—Rachelle Gesmundo-Varias, Regino Hibaler, Eljhon Capili, Keith Danae Suquib, Dennmarc Marcaida, Eljan Javellana, and Raymund Grant Pagulong—are currently employed under Meralco and its power generation subsidiary, Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen).

Capili and Suquib are pursuing a Master in Nuclear Engineering at Université Paris-Saclay in France, while Gesmundo-Varias and Hibaler are enrolled in the Master of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering program at Ontario Tech University in Canada.

Marcaida, Javellana, and Pagulong will begin their graduate studies in early 2026 at the KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School in South Korea.

This deployment follows the FISSION program’s inaugural batch in 2024, which sent five engineers to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States and Harbin Engineering University in China.

As part of the program, the scholars will also undertake internships with global nuclear technology firms before returning to the Philippines to apply their training.

FISSION is spearheaded by the Meralco Power Academy (MPA) and is designed to cultivate highly skilled professionals for the Philippines’ growing nuclear energy sector.

MPA has partnered with leading international universities to provide access to state-of-the-art nuclear laboratories, research on small and micro modular reactors, and hands-on, industry-grade training.

The FISSION initiative supports Meralco’s broader Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, which aims to explore nuclear power as a reliable, low-carbon component of the country’s energy mix.

“Meralco is investing in the future of energy by equipping Filipino engineers with the specialized knowledge and global experience needed in the country’s adoption of nuclear power,” said Meralco Executive Vice President and COO Ronnie L. Aperocho.