Meralco: The future of engineering goes beyond operations
If engineers are to design for a sustainable future, those entering the power sector must prepare for a grid that is changing as the customer’s needs evolve.
This was the advice shared by Meralco Senior Vice President and Head of Networks Engr. Froilan J. Savet to students of Mapua University’s Intramuros campus on September 30, where he discussed “Engineering Beyond Operations: Driving Digital Transformation and Customer Innovation” at the Philippine Daily Inquirer-Meralco Campus Talks, themed “Purpose-Driven Careers in Energy: Building Impact Beyond Technical Roles.”
Savet contrasted the traditional grid, where electricity flows from generation through transmission and distribution to customers, with a modern system where customers can also generate and store electricity. Rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles are changing how electricity is produced, used and managed.
If the grid is changing at the customer’s edge, he asked, “Why is attention still mostly on the center?”
To address this shift, Savet discussed Meralco’s Grid Edge Operations and Control Center (GEOCC), designed to strengthen visibility and control at the customer-facing end of the distribution network. The initiative builds on technologies such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), distribution automation, advanced metering infrastructure and an advanced distribution management system.
“Meralco continues to modernize and optimize its distribution system through the implementation of new technologies such as smart grid programs,” Savet said. “At the core of these innovations is our mission to improve customer experience-by ensuring faster restoration, more reliable power, and making it easier for our customers to embrace new energy solutions.”
Savet also cited a U.S. Trade and Development Agency reverse trade mission on smart grids, held Feb. 1- 11, 2026, with stops at San Diego Gas & Electric, Stanford University’s Central Energy Facility, Amazon Web Services and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Asked whether artificial intelligence would replace engineers, Savet said no.
“Data does not make decisions. Engineers do,” he said.
The Meralco executive noted that as technology advances, engineers become even more valuable for their ability to understand systems, solve problems, communicate effectively, and exercise sound judgment.
