MANILA, Philippines — In an industry long defined by men in hard hats and corner offices, women at Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN) are taking on increasingly prominent roles across the company’s operations — from thermal plant control rooms in Cebu to solar sites in Bulacan to the legal strategy shaping the company’s energy transition.
As MGEN advances its mission of Powering a Better Tomorrow, three of its women leaders offer a closer look at what that transformation looks like on the ground.
Lone Woman in the Control Room
Engr. Cristine Albarando is the lone female control room engineer across MGEN Thermal’s sites in Cebu. Her day begins 20 to 30 minutes before her shift — a deliberate habit. Ten minutes before the handover, she is already inside the control room.
Her shift opens with a toolbox meeting to discuss plant issues and activities, followed by checks of the DCS monitors, system parameters, and the previous shift’s logbook. From there, she coordinates continuously: following up with maintenance, assigning tasks to operators, and flagging anything that could affect plant performance.
Engineering was not her original plan. Encouraged by her father to pursue the course, Albarando said she had no idea what a power facility meant until she studied mechanical engineering. The weight of the role came later.
“This experience has changed my perspective. Initially I had doubts because I deeply respected the weight of the responsibility. But because of the management’s trust and support, the encouragement from my colleagues, I have learned to accept my role. This has shaped me to become a leader. A woman who used to have fear and doubts is now a woman with pride and confidence.”
She said what keeps her going is the knowledge that her daily work keeps the lights on for millions of Filipino families — from the smallest houses to major hospitals.
Leading a Solar Plant Before the Day Begins
Engr. Jennylene Baluyot manages the MGEN Renewables Bulacan Solar Plant, one of the Philippines’ major renewable energy facilities. Before she held that role, she spent years proving she belonged in a field where she was often the only woman on site.
Her workday starts with numbers. Baluyot reviews generation versus target, checks alarms, inverter status, and any issues carried over from the previous shift. She then conducts a site walk-through to verify what the monitoring system is reporting — checking module conditions, equipment status, and how weather is affecting output. Those findings sometimes immediately reshape priorities.
She described a high-pressure incident in which a significant portion of the plant went offline during peak solar hours due to an inverter issue. The decision on how to respond was hers.
“Leadership under pressure isn’t about having all the answers instantly. It’s about staying calm, making informed decisions with the data you have, and trusting your team.”
Reflecting on her career, Baluyot said the experience taught her resilience, confidence, and the importance of listening and empowering others.
“Being a woman leading an entire plant means breaking expectations — both my own and those set by the industry — and proving that leadership is defined by capability, not gender. It’s about showing up every day with confidence, making tough decisions, and leading with both strength and empathy.”
Legal Strategy at the Center of Energy Transition
Atty. Maan Ballesteros serves as MGEN’s Chief Legal Counsel and Corporate Governance and Compliance Officer. Her work spans contracts, regulatory strategy, and corporate governance across MGEN’s entire portfolio — thermal, natural gas, and renewables.
Her path to the role was not straightforward. Medicine had been the expectation growing up, but she chose differently — pursuing a direction that better fit her strengths.
Now her decisions carry weight across every segment of the company’s operations.
“Legal strategy doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and is rarely purely legal in nature. It means knowing when to ask for help, who to ask, being open to different perspectives, and aware of others’ strengths.”
Ballesteros said being a woman has shaped how she approaches challenges — drawing on perspectives and experiences others might overlook, and turning perceived disadvantages into opportunities. Listening carefully, asking sensitive questions, and reading situations beyond the surface are central to how she builds strategy that works in practice.
Her advice to those coming after her is direct: “Creativity has no gender; humility has no gender; persistence has no gender; exuberance has no gender. Protect your self-worth and from that, you can achieve anything.”
A Signal for What Comes Next
All three women describe their roles as part of a larger shift — not only within MGEN, but across the Philippine energy sector.
For Baluyot, her presence at the helm of a major facility sends a signal that women can excel in roles once considered out of reach. She said she hopes younger women see that space exists for them in this field — and that they do not need to wait for permission to claim it.
“They can lead, they can excel, and they can belong in this field. And more importantly, they can do it in their own way, bringing their unique strengths with them.”
Albarando put it more plainly: “To any girl who thinks this world wasn’t made for her, I would say: this world wasn’t made for you. It was waiting for you to redesign it. I am living proof that our perspective, resilience, and skills are exactly what the future of energy requires. Step in, take up space, and remember that by building your career here, you are lighting the path for every girl who will come after you.”
About Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN)
Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN) is shaping the future of energy with a growing portfolio of diversified energy solutions across the Philippines and Southeast Asia. From thermal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to solar and battery energy storage, with nuclear energy among the technologies being explored for the future, it is delivering reliable power to drive progress across industries, communities, and economies. In addition to its generation portfolio, MGEN also has a retail electricity supplier company that provides tailored energy solutions for qualified contestable customers.
MGEN operates through key subsidiaries: Global Business Power Corporation (MGEN Thermal), MGEN Renewable Energy, Inc. (MGEN Renewables), and MGEN Gas Energy Holdings, Inc. (MGEN Natural Gas). It also holds stakes in PacificLight Power (PLP), an LNG facility in Singapore; SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC); and a 40.2% interest in an integrated LNG facility in Batangas, Philippines. As of January 2026, MGEN’s portfolio represents a combined net saleable capacity of 5,069.7 megawatts (MW) from both traditional and renewable sources.
With a mission of powering a better tomorrow, MGEN anchors all its efforts in addressing the energy trilemma. The company envisions being the leader in the Philippines’ transition to a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy future, while fueling economic growth by meeting the region’s energy requirements. To learn more, visit mgen.com.ph or follow MGEN on LinkedIn.
