THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), through its corporate social responsibility arm, One Meralco Foundation (OMF), has committed to support more aspiring female electrical engineers as part of its unwavering dedication to empower women in the energy industry.
This year, the power distributor will provide financial grants to 22 female college students to help them pursue their dreams of becoming professional electrical engineers.
This brings the total number of electrical engineering students Meralco supported to 40 from the initial 18 scholars that the company sponsored in 2022 under its “MpowHER” scholarship program.
“MpowHER is an important initiative under Meralco’s Diversity and Inclusion program. This is well aligned with the company’s thrust to provide more opportunities and support the professional advancement of women in the energy industry. With this program, Meralco hopes to inspire more women to not just pursue their passion but invest in their personal growth,” Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Maria Luisa V. Alvendia said.
The new batch of junior students are from Batangas State University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines in Diliman and in Los Baños. They were selected through an assessment of their scholastic performance and a panel interview.
They will receive financial assistance to cover education-related expenses such as allowances for food, transportation, internet connectivity, and books. Stipends for their review and board examination in the final years of studies will also be provided by Meralco.
Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer and President of OMF, Jeffrey O. Tarayao, said the financial grants would help empower women to achieve their full potential in line with Meralco’s efforts to increase female representation in the predominantly male-dominated energy industry.
“Investing in the education of women enables them to take charge of their future, as well as opens them up to opportunities to contribute to a more inclusive energy industry,” he said.
All scholars included in the program will be invited for an internship in Meralco and have the chance to explore career opportunities with the power distributor once they finish their studies.
