MANILA — The Meralco Power Academy (MPA) is strengthening the country’s future energy workforce through its PowerCamp internship program, which recently graduated 28 engineering students after a 280-hour industry immersion.
Conducted from June to July, the program provides top-performing engineering students with hands-on training, technical exposure and project-based activities designed to develop leadership capabilities and prepare them for careers in the energy sector.
The initiative comes as the Philippines faces continuing growth in electricity demand and the need for a highly skilled workforce capable of supporting the country’s evolving power infrastructure and energy requirements.
“PowerCampers will have an important role in shaping how the country responds to its growing energy needs,” said MPA Trustee and Meralco PowerGen (MGEN) President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio.
Participants were selected from 12 universities, including the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, Mapua University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Technological University of the Philippines, Cebu Institute of Technology, University of San Carlos and two campuses of Mindanao State University.
The nationwide pool gives the program access to engineering talent from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, while exposing students to the operational realities and technical requirements of the energy industry.
For participating students, the program also provides an early connection between academic training and actual industry practice.
Frances Margaret Maria T. Recto of UP said the internship helped her understand the work environment and Meralco’s responsibility to serve the public.
Beyond training, PowerCamp has also become a potential talent pipeline for the One Meralco Group.
During the graduation ceremony in Pasig City, MPA hosted a homecoming for 35 PowerCamp alumni. Seven alumni have since joined the One Meralco Group, while 14 are preparing for their engineering licensure examinations.
One of the alumni, Heart Well S. Sumalinog, is now a Cadet Engineer at MGEN Renewables. She said her PowerCamp experience became a stepping stone to her career, with MGEN reaching out to her even before she began reviewing for the board examination.
The program therefore links education, industry exposure and employment, potentially shortening the transition from engineering school to professional practice.
Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said the company sees PowerCamp as more than a recruitment mechanism.
“For the One Meralco Group, PowerCamp has never been just a way to recruit top graduates for our companies,” Aperocho said, describing it as a platform to discover, nurture and train talent for the wider energy industry.
The initiative underscores the growing importance of industry-academic partnerships in developing the technical workforce needed to support investments, infrastructure expansion and the country’s long-term energy transition.|
