Cheapest, most reliable, accessible power

I was humbly invited to join President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Meralco chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP), and other VIPs in inaugurating the Meralco Terra Solar (MTerra) last July 14. Amid the backdrop of solar panels stretching across the hills and plains of Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, I witnessed the awesome immensity of what MVP hailed as the “world’s largest integrated solar and battery storage facility located in a single site.” Apropos to this milestone, MVP celebrated his 80th birthday that same day, receiving a personal greeting and a birthday cake from the President and the First Lady.

TO BEGIN WITH, LET ME STRESS AN OFTEN-OVERLOOKED REALITY: Electricity is unlike most commodities and services. It must be generated instantly to match the real-time and fluctuating demands of our homes, hospitals, and industries of the nation.

Fulfilling this daily necessity requires a heavy reliance on imported fuels and shipping costs, leaving our economy vulnerable to global volatilities. We need only to see the data from the first half of 2026 to see this reality.

During that period, geopolitical conflicts, especially the war in the Middle East and supply chain bottlenecks, sent imported fossil fuel prices into a tailspin. However, despite these external factors driving price spikes in oil and liquefied natural gas at 70 percent and in coal at 32 percent, Meralco—according to its executive vice president Ronnie Aperocho—was able to “contain the generation cost at only 16 percent to protect customers.”

And how did Meralco do this? “Through the maximization of coal plants, renewable energy sources, and indigenous fuel such as Malampaya gas,” and importantly, “the staggering of certain portions of the customers’ bills to help … soften the price impact,” he replied. Relevantly, the Energy Regulatory Commission extended the suspension of power disconnections for another three months to further support consumers.

TO SAFEGUARD THE PEOPLE’S WELFARE MORE PERMANENTLY, I firmly believe that the country should accelerate its transition to solar power—or what I simply call “sun power”—because it is the cheapest, most reliable, and most accessible energy source. Why?

First, sun power provides direct relief to the household budget. Solar consistently offered the cheapest baseline cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) compared to other energy sources, as provided by Aperocho.

Undeniably, it is the most cost-efficient option on the market. But the ultimate question of our people is: Why does it matter to us that Meralco is building the largest sun-powered plant in the world that cost about P200 billion? My simple answer: To reduce your electricity bill.

Second, sun power offers reliable, locally sourced energy that is easy to maintain, even during world crises. While hydro is another local option, it is limited by dry seasons and irrigation needs. Conversely, small modular nuclear reactors are largely experimental and risky, and geothermal energy is limited by environmental concerns.

Third, sunlight is an accessible and scalable resource. MTerra, when fully completed in March 2027, is expected to deliver 3,500 megawatts of power alongside a 4,500-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (“BESS”) to energize 2.4 million Filipino households.

To achieve this, MTerra partnered with tech giant Huawei to supply the latest BESS and the massive array of solar panels—which, if connected end-to-end—would stretch from Manila to London. The storage of daytime solar power in the BESS ensures a steady energy supply lasting many hours after sunset, though not until morning.

TO AUGMENT THIS LIMITATION, Meralco currently relies on coal for dependable, round-the-clock baseload power. As I see it, however, this dependability is temporary and transitional. Just as the bulky Motorola mobile phones powered by extra-heavy batteries I used in the 1990s evolved into today’s sleek, pocket-sized devices, BESS will inevitably advance, miniaturize, and prolong the battery life of sun power. It won’t require auxiliary coal plants anymore.

This bold transition toward energy independence driven by mega-facilities like MTerra will be MVP’s “lasting legacy” to the Filipino people and mankind. He aptly stressed that this endeavor is meant to “… take greater ownership and use of the sunlight … and grant our children an enormous start to a sustainable future.”

In sum, my role as Meralco’s board adviser (and former independent director), as I humbly see it, is to help the largest power distributor transition to the cheapest, most reliable, and most accessible energy source to benefit our people. By harnessing the limitless power of the sun and conscientiously managing energy sources, Meralco will illuminate the path toward our nation’s economic independence and our people’s prosperity.

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