Season of Spark. The community launch to celebrate the electrification initiative there was attended by our local government partners, including Mayor Joy Belmonte, Barangay Captains Daniel Leon Berroya and Beverly Gaw and Meralco leaders, including Customer Retail Services Head Charina Padua, OMF President Jeffrey Tarayao, HMB North Business Area Head Alleni Pascual, Balintawak Sector Manager Noel Espiritu, Kamuning-Roosevelt Business Center Head Emmanuel De Jesus, Commonwealth-Balintawak Business Center Head Ryan Vicente, and Novaliches Business Center OIC Armida Virgo.
As Christmas lights flickered across cities and provinces, One Meralco Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Manila Electric Company, quietly delivered a more lasting kind of brightness—safe, reliable electricity for families who had lived for years without it.
Through its Household Electrification Program, the foundation energized the homes of 1,766 low-income families across Metro Manila and nearby provinces, turning the holiday season into a moment of real transformation.
In Quezon City, days before Christmas, the initiative reached communities in South Triangle, Escopa 3, West Riverside, F. Carlos, Sitio Militar, K-9 Compound, Greenland, and Tumana. For many residents, the switch-on meant an end to dangerous and costly submetering arrangements with neighbors.
With their own legal Meralco connections, families now have safer homes, reduced fire risks, and electricity bills charged at standard rates.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte underscored the deeper meaning of the effort, saying access to electricity is not merely a symbol of progress but a basic enabler of dignity and opportunity.
She described the program as a step toward uplifting quality of life and giving families the chance to build better futures. Meralco officials echoed this, stressing that safe and legal power connections replace years of improvised and hazardous setups.
Light for All. The Household Electrification Program was made possible by the efforts of (L-R) Meralco Central Metering Services & Security Head Lord Percival B. Cheng, Meralco HMB Central Business Area Head Joy P. Mendoza, OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao, Meralco First Vice President and Head of Customer Retail Services Charina P. Padua, Meralco Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer and OMF Trustee Ferdinand O. Geluz, Manila City Administrator Atty. Eduardo P. Quintos XIV, 4th District City Councilor Louisa J. Quintos-Tan, Barangay 581 Chairman Areeya Espino, Barangay 107 Chairman Cheryl Gonzales and Barangay 649 Chairman Diana Espinosa.
The light also reached Manila, where 179 households in Barangays 581, 254, 107, and Baseco Compound were energized ahead of Christmas. City officials joined Meralco and One Meralco Foundation leaders in marking the milestone, framing the project as more than infrastructure work.
Representing Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso, City Administrator Eduardo Quintos described electrification as a way to empower families, improve daily living, and strengthen communities.
Gift of Light for Elders.One of the beneficiaries of the recently held Household Electrification Program in Manila is senior citizen Crisanta Prado Sandrino who is now reaping the benefits of having a safe, direct and reliable access to electricity service.
For residents like senior citizen Crisanta Prado Sandrino of Barangay 581, the change was immediate and personal. After nearly five decades of relying on a neighbor’s submeter and paying steep fees for minimal electricity use, she now has her own Meralco account—allowing her to track consumption and pay lower, fairer rates.
Pasig City saw similar gains, with 168 low-income households finally gaining legal access to electricity. Mayor Vico Sotto highlighted public safety as the driving force behind the initiative, noting the dangers of illegal connections and the burden of expensive submetering.
He said the collaboration with Meralco and One Meralco Foundation was essential to ensuring electricity services that are both safe and affordable.
Beyond Metro Manila, the program extended to Cavite, Rizal, Marikina, Quezon province, Parañaque, Mandaluyong, and Taguig, benefiting an additional 987 households this year alone. For Meralco and One Meralco Foundation, the goal remains clear: no Filipino family should be left in the dark.
Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer and One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey Tarayao said the electrification drive gave new meaning to the company’s Christmas celebration, allowing families who had lived without power for years to welcome the holidays—and the coming year—with renewed hope and productivity.
To date, One Meralco Foundation has energized more than 84,000 low-income households nationwide, contributing to the government’s target of full electrification by 2028. Beyond lighting homes, the program continues to illuminate pathways toward safer communities, stronger livelihoods, and a brighter future for thousands of Filipino families.