Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has deployed a new batch of engineers abroad under its Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) program, thus reinforcing its commitment to building Filipino expertise in nuclear power.

The seven engineers are: Rachelle Gesmundo-Varias, Regino Hibaler, Eljhon Capili, Keith Danae Suquib, Dennmarc Marcaida, Eljan Javellana, and Raymund Grant Pagulong. All of them are employed under Meralco and its power generation arm Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen). Capili and Suquib are pursuing a Master in Nuclear Engineering at Université Paris-Saclay in France, while Gesmundo-Varias and Hibaler are taking a Master of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering at Ontario Tech University in Canada. The remaining three scholars will begin their studies at the KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School in South Korea in early 2026.

This group follows the program’s first batch launched in 2024, which sent five engineers to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States and Harbin Engineering University in China. Like their predecessors, the new scholars will undergo internships with nuclear technology firms before returning to apply their skills in the Philippines.

Through the Meralco Power Academy (MPA), the FISSION program aims to develop a pool of highly skilled professionals to support the country’s emerging nuclear energy sector. MPA has partnered with top universities to give scholars access to advanced nuclear laboratories, research on small and micro modular reactors, and industry-level training.

The initiative forms part of Meralco’s Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, which is the company’s long-term plan to explore nuclear power as a safe, secure, and low-carbon addition to the Philippines’ energy mix.

“Meralco is investing in the future of energy by equipping Filipino engineers with the specialized knowledge and global experience needed in the country’s adoption of nuclear power,” said Meralco Executive Vice President and COO Ronnie L. Aperocho, adding that the program reflects the company’s commitment to a “future-ready energy workforce” for safe and sustainable nuclear development.

How can nurturing homegrown nuclear engineers abroad strengthen the Philippines’ readiness to pursue nuclear power in the coming decades?

Follow Power Philippines on Facebook and LinkedIn or join our Viber community for more updates.