For more information, customers may visit Meralco’s website at www.meralco.com.ph or its social media accounts on Twitter (@meralco) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco).

• Choose the right size of ref that is perfect for the number of people in your home and the size of your home as well. 
• Always check for air leaks, make sure the door is sealed when you close it so that the cool temperature will not go wasted. 
• Avoid putting warm food inside the ref, let if cool down first.
• Avoid overloading your ref, it can block air vents thus the cooling process will slow down. 

• Get the right size of aircon that is perfectly fit for the size of your room. 
• Check for air leaks because this can make it longer to cool down the temperature of the room. 
• Always close the door and window when using the aircon. 
• Make sure to clean the aircon always so that it will not be filled with dust thus making the air ventilation slow down as well as the cooling process.
• You may use electric fan to make the cooling process faster, just make sure the aircon is positioned straight to the electric fan. 
• Use the timer so that when it the temperature gets really cold, it will turn off automatically even whehn you're sleeping. 

Use the Meralco Appliance Calculator as well. The Appliance Calculator (App Cal) is your smart tool to track how much energy your appliances consume every hour, day, week, and month. Get near-accurate estimates based on how often you use your appliances. Backed with all the information on your consumption tested by Meralco Power Lab, you can now conveniently adjust your usage according to your budget.

The Sierra Madre Mountains truly have incomparable importance. According to the Philippines’ Climate Change Commission (CCC), the Sierra Madre mountain range also plays a particularly significant role in Metro Manila’s major water supply demands, along with the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, and Bulacan.

Partnerships for Sierra Madre

As its response to the need for continuously building awareness and to actively participate in the rehabilitation, reforestation, protection, and conservation of the Sierra Madre mountains, One Meralco Foundation implemented its One For Trees program in the Laguna-Quezon Land Grant area in partnership with Fostering Education and Environmental Development (FEED) and the University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB). The initiative also hopes to contribute to the land’s bid to achieve a Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification and develop the area as a sustainable forest and a major biodiversity hub.

One Meralco Foundation Program Manager for One For Trees, Patrick Famisaran,  explained why activities like tree planting will eventually help the next generation, “Last month as Sierra Madre protected us from the wrath of Typhoon Karding we had a reality check on how our mountains and trees have become our allies for survival and that exactly is the point of One For Trees. Overtime, reforestation enriches the biodiversity of the area which will sustain ecosystems here including our own survival.”

FEED and UPLB have been working closely in the Laguna – Quezon Land Grant since 2011 through a community based social forestry approach. Based on their SEEDS4FEEDS program, FEED will implement OFT through working with the local community who will carry out efforts in site preparation, nursery establishment, and planting, nurturing, protecting, and monitoring of trees. OFT funded 100,000 trees which shall cover 40 hectares of reforestation involving 150 farmers from different people’s organizations (POs). This will result in additional economic gains for the local farmers and enhance agroforestry-based opportunities over the long term.

“FEED has been planting here since the 1980’s during the time when the Navy, Army, and Marines were the only ones allowed in the Sierra Madre. But overtime, when CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) became something in the 1990’s, instead of us looking for companies, they started coming to us. We realized that the demand was getting bigger and bigger, and we had to expand our programs," said FEED Director of Partnerships Anne Marie Bakker.

Indeed, one of the most important ingredients of a reforestation program is the people behind the trees who continue to manage them long after tree planting volunteers plant them. In turn, programs like One For Trees also provides economic sustainability for these tree farmers and forest rangers as they get employed and can earn out of the agroforestry component of the program.

The planting activity also highlighted the vital role tree farmers play in the sustainability of the program. “We often remind our participants that when we plant trees, the site has been prepared by the forest guards. But hopefully you can also experience a little bit of the hardships of a forester, our farmers, and our fishers. They are the poorest of the poor in this country, I would say they are frontliners of the Philippines. They protect our water and our food supply, and yet they are the most marginalized, so please remember to thank them,” Bakker reiterated.

Fostering deeper awareness and commitment

OFT also advocates for social commitment by deepening the awareness of the public on the importance of reforestation, regeneration, and the preservation of our country’s forests. One concrete example is by engaging employee volunteers in community planting where they can appreciate more the significance of long-term reforestation undertakings to community welfare as well as nature’s impact to individuals.

Meralco employees from its South Business Area and South Sector volunteered during the kick-off where they learned proper seedling preparation for actual out planting. Employees planted native tree species like lanite, gakakan, kublii, malaruhat, malasantol, langka and malabayabas.

Away from the usual office routine, Meralco employee volunteers were able to be one with nature through this activity. Meralco Lucena Business Center Head Yvonne Jazzey D. Melo shared how this personal experience can affect forests and their biodiversity. “Our responsibility does not end inside the office, through One For Trees, we are able to contribute to long term solutions for reforestation.” She encourages other employees to join when given the opportunity as their combined individual efforts may bring significant impact to the environment and to the communities.

Another Meralco employee who joined the activity seconded what his colleague said. “Tree planting activities like this is part and parcel of our sustainability roadmap in Meralco. We all know how important trees are for the environment, for our water supply and for the prevention of disasters. By participating here, we help secure a safer and brighter future” said Mr. Dante Longboen, Manager of San Pablo-Sta. Cruz Business Center.

OMF, through the One For Trees program, works closely with national and local government agencies as well as people’s organizations to encourage various sectors of society to contribute to the protection and conservation of the Sierra Madre mountains and many of the country’s forests and watersheds.

MPower, the local retail electricity supplier of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and its partners have poured in over P8 million for various education programs that benefitted some 3,000 kindergarten students in 19 schools in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

In line with the resumption of face-to-face classes this year, MPower recently donated worth P875,000 of school supplies to seven beneficiary schools which include printers, hard drives, as well as hygiene products and antigen test kits.

Amid modular and blended learning during the height of the pandemic, 12 schools received P1.2 million worth of school items, including headphones and microphones to help teachers in their transition to online distance learning set-up.

The Back-to-School Donation Drive was an extension of MPower’s flagship Kinder Classroom Project which started in 2015 in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) requirement to have kindergarten included in a child’s formal schooling.

Since the inception of the Kindergarten Classroom Project, MPower already turned over nine kindergarten classrooms to beneficiary schools with the help of donations from partners worth around P6 million.

The beneficiary schools are Lagundi Elementary School in Plaridel, Bulacan; Malabon Elementary School in Malabon; San Antonio Elementary School in San Pedro, Laguna; Dela Paz Main Elementary School in Biñan, Laguna; and Halang Elementary School in Naic, Cavite.

One Meralco Foundation, the social development arm of Meralco, has been MPower’s principal partner in the procurement of items, facilitation of constructions of classroom and their turnover.

With OMF’s support, MPower continues to make a lasting impact to the lives of Filipino children by supporting quality education and nation-building.

In 2021, MPower received the 2021 Gold Award from Zuellig Pharma Corporation and the 2020 Outstanding Partner of DepEd City Schools Division of Biñan for its Kindergarten Classroom Project and back-to-school program initiatives.

MPower was also recognized by local governments of Plaridel, Bulacan and Malabon City for its innovative and integrated approach in support of public education. 

To further promote and enhance public safety, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have joined forces for a stronger emergency response capability within the BFP-NCR’s area of operation.

Under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed recently, Meralco and the BFP will collaborate to organize, train, and operationalize a fire brigade team that will be based inside the Meralco Operating Center in Pasig City. Through this partnership, the Meralco Fire Brigade will be able to help in immediately responding to fire incidents in the nearby communities and other slow-onset emergencies within Meralco’s franchise area. It will also significantly contribute to the BFP’s goal of reaching the target firegrounds within the ideal response time of five to seven minutes.

Core to the emergency response capability in addressing public safety are fire suppression, search and rescue, and health emergency response. To this end, Meralco will organize the Meralco Rescue team, which will be composed of safety, facilities, and security personnel, as well as employee volunteers. The BFP, on the other hand, will assign competent officers and personnel to train and equip them with the necessary capabilities and competencies that will help them carry out their responsibilities.

Meralco will also construct its own fire station within the compound to further support the fire brigade’s 24/7 operations. Expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2023, this will serve as the fire emergency response center, training facility for the firefighters and rescue teams, and communication link between Meralco and the BFP.  The new fire station will likewise house the teams’ specialized equipment such as fire trucks, water tankers, rescue tenders, and rescue boats. 

Chief Superintendent Gilbert D. Dolot, Regional Director of BFP-NCR, expressed the BFP’s “deepest appreciation to Meralco for the partnership”, adding: “We are partners who will never cease to explore opportunities and avenues for the improvement of public safety, and we are very happy to see that Meralco is doing its part not only by delivering its corporate goals. It went beyond by venturing in public safety as part of its social responsibility.”

Meralco President and CEO Atty. Ray C. Espinosa, for his part, said: “Meralco’s primary mission is to provide safe, reliable, affordable, and efficient electricity service to all customers within our franchise area.  As part of our mandate, safety and protection are very important functions as well.”

“It is in this light that we have developed a plan to establish a fully operational and complementary fire station here in Meralco to serve not just the needs of Meralco but also the needs of our nearby communities, particularly Pasig and Mandaluyong. And with the help of the BFP, we plan to operationalize this fire station and develop our own fire and rescue unit. We thank the BFP for making this a reality for us, and hopefully we can be part of your private sector support and join your runs in addressing fire incidents in Metro Manila,” Mr. Espinosa said during the MOA signing.

With safety as one of its key priorities, Meralco has been a long-time partner of the BFP in promoting fire prevention and safety awareness.  During the celebration of Fire Prevention Month last March, Meralco participated in BFP's activities aimed at boosting innovative fire safety and prevention programs. They also partnered to regularly conduct fire safety and prevention trainings and electrical safety seminars to educate the public.

Recognizing that its business and operations are imbued with public interest, Meralco aims to provide a safe work environment for its employees and constituents by strengthening its emergency response capability.  Seen in the photo is an artist’s rendition of the planned Meralco Fire Station.