One Meralco Foundation’s Household Electrification Program Brightens Majayjay, Laguna's Low-Income Homes

One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco), has energized 86 low-income households in Majayjay, Laguna.

Partnerships for impact. One Meralco Foundation, led by its President Jeffrey O. Tarayao (4th from right), brought its Household Electrification Program to Majayjay, Laguna, headed by Mayor Romeo P. Amorado (5th from right), with the help of Meralco Sta. Cruz Business Center led by Head Elizer C. Acordo (4th from left). I Photo: One Meralco Foundation

This initiative has enabled families to be more productive at home while freeing them from the burden of submetering electricity from their neighbors.

Through the Household Electrification Program, families from Barangays Pangil, Panglan, and Gagalot received financial support and technical assistance from the Foundation, Meralco Sta. Cruz Business Center, and the municipality of Majayjay.

This collaboration made it easier for them to apply for their own electricity service connections.

Among the beneficiaries is Marissa Espares from Barangay Pangil, whose family lacked access to electricity due to financial constraints. To meet their electricity needs, they resorted to submetering from a neighbor.

However, when their neighbor’s electrical service was cut off, the Espares family was left in darkness for seven months.

Thanks to OMF’s flagship program, their home was finally energized, bringing smiles to her children’s faces. With electricity, her five school-aged children can now study and read better at night.

Another beneficiary, Shiela May Exconde, also from Barangay Pangil, previously paid her neighbor ₱1,500 per month for electricity, despite limiting usage to a single lightbulb, one electric fan, and occasional television use to avoid higher costs.

Now, with direct electrical access, she pays just half of what she used to, significantly easing her family’s financial burden.

Both families also envision a brighter future with more savings. Espares and Exconde plan to purchase appliances such as refrigerators to preserve food and even start small businesses selling ice candy or halo-halo to their neighbors during the summer months.

Their stories highlight how electrification can positively impact not just individual households but also the broader community.

Majayjay Mayor Romeo P. Amorado emphasized the importance of providing residents with their own electricity connections, as this helps address one of the LGU’s major concerns: fires caused by electrical overload.

For his part, One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey Tarayao stated:"Energizing homes empowers not just the individual households who benefit from it directly, but also their communities. When individual households grow and improve, they can become better contributors to society, ultimately helping improve the country as a whole."

Since the Household Electrification Program began in 2011, OMF has energized more than 79,000 households, supporting the national government’s goal of achieving 100% nationwide electrification by 2028.

This initiative has empowered residents to become more productive, fostering positive change and uplifting the lives of thousands of Filipinos.