In a landmark address that juxtaposed a call for professional integrity with a sweeping vision for the nation’s energy future, Engr. Ronnie L. Aperocho, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), declared a “golden age” for the electrical engineering profession and announced the utility’s plan to invest several billions in the country’s energy transition.
Speaking before the United Professional Electrical Engineers of the Philippines (UPEEP) Annual Convention on November 22, 2025, Aperocho, a noted Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE) and ACPE, used the backdrop of recent government corruption scandals to deliver a powerful reminder of the electrical engineer’s oath.
A Profession Without Room for “Ghosts”
In a powerful opening to his “Inspirational Speech,” Meralco Executive Vice President Ronnie Aperocho contrasted the electrical engineering profession with other sectors embroiled in corruption, using the recent “ghost projects” scandal at the DPWH as a stark warning. While acknowledging that no profession is immune to integrity issues, Aperocho made a critical distinction: in electrical engineering, failure or fraud has immediate and catastrophic consequences.
According to him, the public’s dismay over the billions lost in DPWH flood control projects” has negatively impacted all of us, led to loss of life due to substandard or “ghost projects.”
He then posed a critical question to the audience: “Do we still have ghost projects in the electrical engineering profession?” His resounding answer was, “I don’t think so.” He argued that failures in their field are instantaneous and disastrous, as electrons simply will not flow if power plants and lines are not built correctly.
He asserted that “ghost projects” are not just corrupt but “disastrous” in his field, as the fundamental laws of physics provide an undeniable check. “In our work, we can never go wrong,” Aperocho stated. “If we fail to build power plants and power lines, electrons will not flow… If we under-design the system and install substandard facilities, overload and short circuit will happen almost instantaneously.”
It was against this backdrop of tangible accountability that he issued a forceful call to his peers, declaring it “high time for all of us to be reminded of our oath of PROFESSIONALISM.”
Meralco’s Four-Pillar, Billion Blueprint for the Future
Bolstered by Meralco’s recent 25-year franchise renewal, Aperocho unveiled an aggressive and capital-intensive roadmap for the utility’s future, built on four key pillars:
- Grid Modernization and Resilience: Aperocho announced heavy investments to build a “smarter and stronger” grid, emphasizing that “RESILIENCE and BUSINESS CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT is the name of the game.” He highlighted hardened substations, microgrids for critical facilities, and adaptive restoration plans. He singled out Cybersecurity as a paramount concern, revealing, “This keeps me awake at night,” and called it a non-negotiable duty to the public.
- Elevating Customer Experience: This involves a major digital transformation, including an “aggressive” rollout of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (smart metering) to manage the “exponential rise” of rooftop solar and other customer empowerment programs.
“And that’s why we are now handling the exponential rise of net metering within our franchise. During the last SONA of BBM, he said that before his term will end in 2020, his aspiration is to see that the net metering installations all throughout the country will be at 1 million installations. It’s quite a very ambitious target because in Meralco franchise right now, there are only about 20,000 net metering installations.”
Considering the current figure of approximately 20,000 net metering installations, the existing demand already represents a significant portion of the market. However, the aspiration to escalate this number to half a million is an exceptionally ambitious target.
According to Aperocho, in order for Meralco to successfully manage this scale of growth and the evolving energy landscape, they will be aggressively pursuing the full digitalization of their grid and entire enterprise, encompassing all customer and employee platforms.
- Advancing Technology and Innovation: Aperocho pledged full digitalization of Meralco’s grid and enterprise, leveraging AI, IoT sensors, and advanced distribution systems. He also stressed the urgent need to prepare for the Electric Vehicle (EV) revolution, requiring new infrastructure and load management strategies to prevent local grid overload.
- Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition: In one of the speech’s most significant announcements, Aperocho declared that “energy transition is no longer theoretical — it is happening now,” and revealed Meralco is spending several billions over the next five years to make it happen. He highlighted the Terra Solar Project, which he called the “biggest solar plus battery project in the whole world,” now at 70% completion.
Meralco is aggressively pursuing a two-pronged strategy, betting on the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) to offset lost revenue from solar rooftops while launching the world’s largest solar-plus-battery project, company Executive Vice President and COO Ronnie L. Aperocho announced. Aperocho revealed that the utility is scheduled to build 7,500 EV charging stations within its franchise over the next five years to capitalize on the attractive and growing EV market, which he stated is key to recouping energy sales lost to rooftop solar installations. He emphasized that this EV expansion will fundamentally change load patterns and urban infrastructure, requiring careful planning for cluster charging and transformer loads to reduce emissions effectively.
This push is part of a massive, billion energy transition initiative that Aperocho confirmed is already underway. The cornerstone of this investment is the “Terra Solar” project, which he declared is not only the biggest of its kind in the Philippines but globally. Now 70% complete, the project is on track for a December grid connection, with full-scale energization starting February next year, a development Aperocho said puts the Philippines firmly on the global renewable energy investment map.
A key innovation of the Terra Solar project is its use of cutting-edge “grid-forming inverters” and battery storage systems (BSS) to provide “synthetic inertia,” a critical solution for maintaining grid stability with variable solar power. Aperocho explained that this advanced technology eliminates the need for prohibitively expensive traditional compensators like STATCOMs, ensuring reliability even when cloud cover causes solar generation to drop. He concluded by stressing that these technological shifts are reshaping the profession, demanding new engineering skills in system integration and power electronics to ensure a stable and equitable energy future for all Filipinos, including those in remote communities like the island of Cagbalete, which is soon to be fully electrified.
Rapid expansion of the rooftop solar industry
As noted by many of our members in UPEP who are solar power contractors, this sector is experiencing exponential growth. It is fundamentally reshaping the energy landscape. This growth is so substantial that Meralco is already experiencing an annual loss of approximately 800 gigawatt-hours in energy sales, a figure projected to increase by 20% each year. This profound market penetration is a direct result of rooftop solar panels becoming an increasingly affordable solution for consumers.
“You know this business is really rising exponentially to a point that Meralco is already losing close to 800 gigawatt hours of energy sales every year. And this will increase by 20% every year. So that is the penetration of rooftop solar panels because it is very cheap,” Engr. Aperocho said.
According to Meralco COO, this affordability is no accident; it is driven by a powerful convergence of factors. Over the past 15 years, the cost of solar panels has plummeted by 95%, while their efficiency has surged by 50% in just the last five years. Compounding this, the cost of conventional electricity has risen by 25% since 2020. This combination of higher efficiency, record-low technology costs, and rising grid power prices creates the perfect recipe for the continued and accelerated adoption of solar panels.
Embracing Nuclear and Developing Future Talent
On the topic of nuclear energy, the COO confirmed that Meralco is “keeping watch” on breakthrough Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. He shared that the company has secured $2.7 million in funding from the US government to study applicable SMR technologies and has already sent 12 nuclear engineering students to leading universities abroad to build future expertise.
“And please note that we have already sent 12 nuclear engineering students in the leading universities in the United States, in Canada, in France, in Korea, and in China,” Aperocho said.
A Call to Action: Ethics, Development, and Collaboration
In a powerful address to the United Professional Electrical Engineers of the Philippines (UPEEP), senior Meralco executive outlined a three-pillar roadmap for the profession, emphasizing that integrity and collaboration are as crucial as technical skill in serving the public good. Ronnie L. Aperocho, Meralco Executive Vice President and COO, stated that the key areas aligned with UPEEP’s advocacy are workforce development, a strong focus on ethics and accountability, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Aperocho challenged every engineer to focus on three critical areas:
- Workforce Development: Continuous training in new technologies for the next generation and reskilling for senior engineers.
Detailing the path forward, Aperocho stressed the urgent need to bridge the generational skills gap. He called for young engineers to be trained in power electronics and software tools, while senior engineers must mentor and pass on institutional knowledge.
- Ethics and Public Accountability: A firm stance on transparency, code compliance, and ethical practices.
He issued a stark reminder that engineers’ work directly affects lives, insisting on transparency, ethical practices, and the courage to “call out shortcuts that risk lives regardless of whose interests they serve.” He argued that complex national problems cannot be solved in isolation, urging electrical engineers to work hand-in-hand with other disciplines—from civil engineering to data science and policy-making—to accelerate solutions.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: “Collaboration accelerates solutions; isolation breeds blind spots,” he urged, calling for teamwork across engineering and other disciplines.
Concluding with a call to action, Aperocho reinforced that engineering is a “profession of service.” He inspired members to continuous learning and to speak up when standards are at risk, praising UPEEP leaders for their passion for professional growth. He urged all professionals to support their leaders and actively grow the UPEEP organization, affirming that together, they can modernize the grid and build a sustainable energy future for the nation.
“So, let the professional electrical engineers of the Philippines be known not only for technical excellence, but for integrity, leadership, and a clear commitment to public good,” Meralco COO Aperocho stated firmly.
Personal Journey and a “Golden Age” for EE
In a heartfelt segment, top executive of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) revealed that his distinguished career in electrical engineering began with what he once considered his “most stupid mistake,” driven by peer pressure and a childhood without electricity. Through perseverance, he came to appreciate the “beauty of mathematics” and now considers it the “best decision” of his life, a profession that “transformed me.”
Engr. Ronnie L. Aperocho shared that he never dreamed of being an engineer. Growing up in a remote, off-grid farming community in Mindanao, his passions lay in writing—from campus journalism to love letters—and his ambition was to become a lawyer or a military officer. He confessed to struggling with mathematics and enrolling in Electrical Engineering solely due to the influence of friends, a decision he initially deeply regretted.
His academic journey was fraught with difficulty, nearly costing him his scholarship and leading him to attempt to quit twice. “When my back was against the wall, I had no choice but to study harder and harder,” he told the audience. It was this perseverance that led to an unexpected revelation: an appreciation for the “perfect science” of mathematics. He contrasted the singular answer of an equation with the multiple interpretations of a word, learning that with the right formula and analysis, “you will never go wrong.”
Now, more than three decades later, the executive confidently declared that his choice to persevere in engineering was “absolutely not a stupid mistake,” but instead, “the best decision of my life.” His story served as a powerful testament to embracing unexpected paths and the rewards of resilience.
He concluded with a rousing defense of the field, titled “Why Electrical Engineering Stands Above the Rest.” He argued that electrical engineers are the “unseen force” behind modern society and are now at the epicenter of global transformations in decarbonization, digitalization, and electrification.
“Electrical Engineering isn’t just a degree — it is the backbone of the future,” Aperocho declared. “We are the backbone of the future because we power the future. This is actually the golden age of our profession.”
The speech ended with a reaffirmation of Meralco’s partnership with UPEEP, with plans to formalize collaboration through the Meralco Power Academy to advance benchmarking, training, and professional excellence.
Engr. Ronnie L. Aperocho is a Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE) and an ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE). He currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and heads the Meralco Power Academy.#
