The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distribution company, is positioning itself at the center of the Philippines’ next wave of industrial growth after sealing a strategic pact with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
Meralco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manuel V. Pangilinan and PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Meralco Head Office on Wednesday, December 3, paving the way for Meralco to design, build, own, and operate power distribution projects within PEZA-managed economic zones, subject to required permits, approvals, and definitive agreements.
For PEZA, Meralco’s early involvement is not just welcome; it is vital. Panga said Meralco’s role in existing zones like the Baguio City Economic Zone and in upcoming flagship developments, including the Pantao Ecozone in Albay and the Palawan Mega-Ecozone, will be instrumental in powering the country’s next generation of smart, eco-industrial parks.
The partnership builds on a proven formula.
Past collaboration strengthened the Cavite Economic Zone’s power backbone, enabling new and expansion projects for its locator companies.
The new MOU, Panga added, reinforces PEZA’s commitment to infrastructure that meets the needs of advanced manufacturing, data centers, logistics hubs, and other high-value industries. It also aligns with PEZA’s push toward eco-industrial park models designed to be low-carbon, energy-efficient, and ESG-driven.
With Meralco’s reputation for power reliability and PEZA’s network of 433 ecozones and over 4,000 export-oriented locators, the alliance sets the stage for a smarter, stronger, and more sustainable energy ecosystem nationwide.
PEZA’s mandate under the PEZA and CREATE MORE laws allows it to register embedded utilities—power, water, telecom, and environmental management systems—with access to fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. “With this partnership, PEZA will be able to adequately meet the power requirements of manufacturing investors within the public ecozones that the agency manages,” Panga said.
Currently, electricity demand in public economic zones peaks at about 80 megawatts per month—capacity Meralco is now gearing up to support and expand.
