Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has underscored the strategic role of internal audit in enabling the company’s operational transformation and driving the future of the country’s power sector during the 2025 Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA) Internal Audit Summit.
In his keynote speech, Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho emphasized the expanded role of the company’s internal audit from a compliance function to a proactive enabler of risk-intelligent decision-making and operational discipline.
“By embedding audit foresight into strategic execution, we ensure that transformation happens with control, not chaos. This is especially vital as we pursue innovation without compromising risk standards or regulatory alignment,” Aperocho said.
Providing a strategic audit lens on the digital transformation of the power distributor, Meralco Senior Vice President and Group Chief Audit Executive Melanie T. Oteyza centered her presentation on auditing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) which she referred to as the “digital nervous system of modern utilities.” Meralco’s AMI program is a major enabler of the government’s customer choice programs, including the Retail Aggregation Program which successfully switched a total of 19 aggregated groups comprising 292 services as of June.
Oteyza emphasized that auditing AMI requires a shift from traditional assurance frameworks to a holistic understanding of interdependent risks such as cybersecurity, data integrity, vendor reliability, and regulatory compliance.
She also enjoined ASEAN auditors to embrace insights-driven auditing, which can be achieved by leveraging artificial intelligence and analytics to detect anomalies, anticipate system weaknesses, and support predictive decision-making.
“Internal Audit must evolve from guardians of compliance to catalysts of resilience and innovation. Our role is not only to protect value—but to enable it,” Oteyza underscored.
She outlined global lessons in AMI governance, resilience through cyber and operational safeguards, and data assurance, urging ASEAN utilities to adopt these principles early to prevent common implementation challenges and pursue cross-border collaboration and continuous learning in strengthening audit maturity across the region.
Held from August 13 to 14, 2025 the HAPUA Summit, gathered 150 delegates comprised of chief audit executives, leaders, and practitioners from seven Southeast Asian countries.
Meralco, together with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, National Power Corporation, and National Transmission Corporation, form the Philippine coalition at the HAPUA Summit. The annual summit is a platform for expert-led discussions and collaborative sessions focused on strengthening audit practices across the region.| – TheMetroTimes.net
