MGEN commits PHP 20.3M to Visayas, Luzon communities

ILOILO CITY — Panay and Cebu host communities will receive nearly PHP 17.8 million for scholarships, health-center support, disaster relief, and other community programs as Meralco PowerGen Corp. and One Meralco Foundation formalized a PHP 20.3 million commitment for projects across the Visayas and Luzon.

The allocation puts most of the 2026 funding toward communities hosting MGEN Thermal operations in the Visayas, where education, health, disaster preparedness, and local support programs can directly affect households living around major energy facilities.

For Panay and the wider Visayas, the commitment is significant because communities that host power infrastructure often bear both the economic benefits and local impacts of energy development, making sustained investments in public services, disaster response, and livelihoods an important part of corporate responsibility.

MGEN and OMF formalized this commitment by signing the 2026 Deed of Donation, which will fund community development initiatives in areas hosting MGEN Thermal and MGEN Renewables facilities.

Nearly PHP 17.8 million will support MGEN Thermal programs in Cebu and Panay, including scholarships, health-center assistance, Christmas outreach activities, and disaster relief operations.

MGEN Thermal President and CEO Arnel L. Santos said the funding forms part of the company’s responsibility to communities where it operates.

“Operational excellence and community responsibility go together. The work we do does not end with providing reliable power—it extends to enabling progress and building a better future for the communities we serve,” Santos said.

Another PHP 2.5 million will go to environmental and community programs of MGEN Renewables.

The renewable-energy allocation will support tree-growing activities, agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics initiatives, solar streetlights, solar shed charging stations, and cleanup drives.

Agrivoltaics combines solar-power generation with agricultural use of the same land, while aquavoltaics applies a similar concept to water-based or aquaculture settings, allowing renewable-energy infrastructure to coexist with food-production activities.

MGEN Renewables President and CEO Dennis B. Jordan said the programs are intended to ensure that communities share in the benefits as the company expands its renewable-energy business.

“As we grow our renewable energy portfolio, we also want to create opportunities for our host communities. These programs help improve community infrastructure, support environmental protection, and explore how renewable energy can work alongside agriculture to support livelihoods.”

The partnership between MGEN and OMF has been carrying out community programs since 2023.

Those initiatives have included support for local healthcare, forest restoration, and scholarships aimed at improving access to education and strengthening community resilience.

OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao said the continuing partnership allows both organizations to respond to community needs in areas where MGEN operates.

“We are deeply grateful for our partnership with MGEN, which has given us the privilege of creating meaningful, lasting change across its host communities since 2023. Together, we have strengthened local healthcare, restored forests, and unlocked youth potential through scholarships. Partnerships like this champion empowerment and help communities thrive.”

The programs also cover education, health, environmental protection, disaster response, and broader community development initiatives across MGEN host communities in Luzon and the Visayas.

As of June 2026, MGEN’s portfolio represented 5,069.7 megawatts of net saleable capacity from traditional and renewable energy sources.

The company also had 56.4 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage systems in its portfolio as of the same period.

The PHP 20.3 million commitment places the largest share of funding on education, healthcare, outreach, and disaster-response programs, while the PHP 2.5 million renewable-energy allocation focuses on environmental protection, community infrastructure, and projects linking clean energy with agriculture and livelihoods.

For Panay and other Visayas host communities, the impact of the commitment will ultimately depend on how consistently the funds are translated into services and projects that improve household welfare, strengthen resilience, and create benefits that last beyond the construction and operation of energy facilities.