The Meralco Power Academy (MPA) is plugging into Cebu’s brightest engineering minds, sealing new partnerships that fuse classroom theory with real-world voltage.
The academy—an energy education arm of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Co., the country’s largest power distributor by sales—inked fresh memoranda of understanding with two of the region’s engineering powerhouses: the University of San Carlos (USC) and Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT University).
The goal is clear and simple: Future-proof the country’s next generation of engineers before they even toss their graduation caps.
The USC collaboration, signed on October 27, will roll out joint training programs, research initiatives geared toward sustainability, and industry immersion tracks that give students a front-row seat to the evolving energy ecosystem. The partnership essentially turns USC’s academic rigor into a launchpad for hands-on, industry-shaped learning.
“By combining USC’s rigorous academic foundation with MPA’s cutting-edge industry expertise, the University is ensuring that its graduates are not just job-ready, but future-ready,” USC President Fr. Francisco Antonio T. Estepa, SVD said. “This alliance is a shared investment in innovation, energy security, and sustainable development.”
Earlier, on October 24, CIT University formalized an agreement that leans heavily into practical exposure—workshops, technical knowledge-sharing, and field activities designed to bridge the intimidating gap between theoretical engineering and the real machinery that keeps the country’s power systems humming.
MPA Executive Director Ian Chester V. Colorina said the partnerships solidify the academy’s mission to build a strong pipeline of industry-ready talent in the Visayas. “By working closely with leading academic institutions, we aim to provide students with hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for the evolving demands of the energy sector,” he noted.
For MPA, which has spent the past decade translating Meralco’s 120 years of sector experience into accessible energy education, the tie-ups expand its reach—and its wattage—across the country. Covering everything from sustainable energy to electrical safety, the academy has long positioned itself as a thought leader in power and engineering training.
With Cebu now firmly in its grid, MPA is not just teaching energy. It’s charging up the next generation to power the country forward.
