Meralco sends scholars to France, Canada, S.Korea for nuclear engineering program

Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Thursday announced another batch of scholars who are set to take further studies in nuclear engineering in France, Canada, and South Korea.

Meralco said seven engineers currently employed by Meralco and its power generation arm Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) will take part in the next batch of its Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) Program.

Rachelle Gesmundo-Varias and Regino Hibaler have already started their Masters of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering at the Ontario Tech University in Canada, while Eljhon Capili and Keith Danae Suquib are set to take their Masters in Nuclear Engineering at the Université Paris-Saclay in France.

Dennmarc Marcaida, Eljan Javellana, and Raymund Grant Pagulong are set to study at the KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School in South Korea in the first quarter of 2026.

“Through the FISSION program, we are investing in the future of energy by equipping Filipino engineers with the specialized knowledge and global experience needed in the country’s adoption of nuclear power,” Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer Ronnie Aperocho said in an emailed statement.

“This initiative reflects Meralco’s commitment to building a future-ready energy workforce and supporting the development of safe, secure, and sustainable nuclear energy for the Philippines,” he added.

The company last year sent five engineer scholars to the US and China, as part of the pilot batch of the FISSION program.

Upon completion, scholars will be sent to nuclear technology companies for their internship, and they will be reintegrated with Meralco and assigned to take on roles in its nuclear power generation unit when they return to the Philippines

Meralco constructs, operates, and maintains electric distribution systems in the cities and municipalities of Bulacan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and  Rizal, as well as certain areas in the provinces of Batangas, Laguna,  Pampanga, and Quezon.

The firm counts as subsidiaries and associates Vantage Energy Solutions and Management Inc. and MeridianX  Inc., acting as retail electricity suppliers in Luzon and the Visayas. — BM, GMA Integrated News