The collaboration covers a total energy demand of more than 2,500 kilowatts (kW) across PLDT’s integrated network, representing a strategic move toward greater energy efficiency, cost optimization, and environmental sustainability.
Through RAP, large electricity consumers like PLDT and Smart can consolidate multiple electricity accounts within the same franchise area and purchase power in bulk from licensed retail suppliers such as MPower. This structure enables more competitive electricity rates, improved consumption management, and operational flexibility across multiple sites.
Manuel V. Pangilinan, chair and CEO of PLDT, Smart, and Meralco, stressed the importance of synergizing power and connectivity in supporting national development.
“Our group has always believed that national progress depends on two essential foundations: reliable power and strong digital connectivity. One cannot function without the other—hand in glove, so to speak—and both are critical to ensuring that our people, especially those in the margins, have access to opportunity,” Pangilinan said.
MPower first vice president Redel M. Domingo said the program is designed to boost operational efficiency while supporting the country’s clean energy transition.
The companies plan to expand RAP implementation across more sites in the Visayas and Mindanao by the end of 2025.
The initiative forms part of PLDT and Smart’s broader commitment to sustainability. In 2024, 30 of the group’s facilities—including 24 in Metro Manila and six in Mindanao—were switched to 100 percent renewable energy. In 2023, geothermal energy was tapped to power five network sites in the Visayas.
“As we future-proof our network to deliver 5G and AI capabilities to our customers, we are also mindful of the cost to operate the network and our impact to the environment,” said PLDT COO and head of network Menardo “Butch” G. Jimenez Jr. “This partnership with MPower will allow us to operate a smarter and greener network.”
Smart COO Anastacio “Boy” R. Martirez echoed the sentiment, saying the collaboration supports the telco’s commitment to delivering “simply reliable” services.
PLDT and Smart’s shift to RAP aligns with their ongoing decarbonization roadmap, which targets a 40-percent reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. To support this strategy, PLDT has secured ₱5 billion in green loans to finance its fiber expansion and reduce the carbon footprint of its network rollout.
The RAP initiative also complements reforms under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, which aim to expand consumer access to affordable and sustainable electricity. Outgoing ERC Chair Monalisa Dimalanta lauded the partnership as a bold leadership move toward a more open and inclusive energy market. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
