The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is the Philippines’ largest electricity distributor. It serves over 33 million customers in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna. Meralco’s linemen play a vital role in keeping the power flowing to homes and businesses.
In 2013, Meralco pioneered the Meralco Line crew Training Program (MLTP), a comprehensive training program for aspiring linemen. The program is open to both men and women, and it provides trainees with the skills and knowledge they need to safely and efficiently install, repair, and maintain electrical power lines and other equipment.
The MLTP is a six-month program that covers a wide range of topics, including electrical safety, climbing techniques, pole line construction and maintenance, overhead and underground, distribution systems, emergency response, trainees also receive rigorous physical conditioning and endurance training. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible for employment with Meralco.
The MLTP has been a success, and it has helped to develop a pool of skilled linemen who are essential to Meralco’s operations. The program has also helped to break down gender stereotypes and empower women to pursue careers in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
In 2022, Meralco relaunched the MLTP with a focus on recruiting and training more female linemen. The company is committed to increasing women’s representation in its workforce to nearly half or 40 percent by 2030.
Zuzette Castro, a former migrant worker, reflects on her six-month journey in the Meralco Linecrew Training Program (MLTP), an opportunity that enabled her to remain in the Philippines and care for her one-year-old son.
After working as a cashier at a gas station in Dubai, this 32-year-old mother returned to Manila during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in search of a means to support her family while being physically present for her son.
As one of the 13 female trainees in the MLTP, Castro is now skilled in the professional climbing of utility poles. She is awaiting assessment by Meralco for potential employment and deployment, eager to apply her training and contribute to her fellow Filipinos by ensuring a consistent power supply in the areas serviced by the utility company.
The MLTP is a valuable program that is helping to develop the skills of linemen and empower women. It is an example of Meralco’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and its commitment to providing its customers with reliable and efficient electricity service.
Some of the benefits of the Meralco Line crew Training Program for their trainees are free training and development program, Opportunity to learn from experienced linemen, Chance to gain practical experience through on-the-job training, Potential for employment with Meralco upon successful completion of the program
For Meralco it is beneficial to access to a pool of skilled and qualified linemen, amplified diversity and inclusion in the workforce, improved employee satisfaction and engagement
The Meralco Line crew Training Program is a valuable initiative that is helping to develop the skills of linemen and empower women. It is an example of Meralco’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and its commitment to providing its customers with reliable and efficient electricity service.
Credits: Photo collage by THEPHILBIZNEWS/MAS
