Movem, Century Properties team up for sustainable transport systems

MANILA, Philippines — Movem Electric Inc., the wholly-owned green mobility subsidiary of power distribution giant Meralco, is partnering with the Century Properties Group to support sustainable transport systems.

Movem installed a new electric vehicle charging station at the Pacific Star Building, a high-rise structure in Makati City managed by Century Properties Management, Inc. (CPMI).

Movem turned over a 22-kilowatt alternating current Type 2 charger that supports various brands of four-wheeled electric vehicles.

Meralco said Movem’s partnership with CPMI forms part of One Meralco’s support to the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) through the provision of end-to-end electric vehicle and charging infrastructure solutions for institutional customers and the riding public.

“One Meralco is committed to enabling and supporting the country’s transition towards cleaner and more sustainable transport systems,” Meralco said.

The EVIDA mandates industrial and commercial companies to have at least a five percent share of their fleets to comprise electric vehicles.

Meralco, which continues to deploy electric vehicles, currently has 156 electric vehicles in its fleet, resulting to a vehicle electrification rate of around seven percent.

“This year, we are aiming to deploy about 20 to 30 more which will bring us up to about eight to nine percent, which is well above the standard set which is five percent,” Meralco first vice president and chief sustainability officer Raymond Ravelo said.

Meralco has laid out plans to electrify 25 percent of its vehicle fleet by 2030 as part of its heightened sustainability commitment.

Through Movem, Ravelo said Meralco is looking at making investments to stimulate demand and really shore up the supply of electric vehicles in the country.

Movem was formed by Meralco last March to engage in electric energy and other alternative energy sources.

Meanwhile, as part of its commitment to provide access to energy to as many underserved communities as possible, Meralco, through its corporate social development arm One Meralco Foundation (OMF), recently installed a 5.1-kilowatt peak solar photovoltaic system for the rice milling facility of the Laak Multipurpose Cooperative, whose operations have long been challenged by the lack of reliable power supply.

With the new solar facility, the cooperative has increased its production by over threefold to over 100 sacks of milled rice daily from around 30 sacks per day previously.

The energization of agriculture and livelihood projects is among the initiatives of OMF under its community electrification program which also covers off-grid public schools, low-income households in the Meralco franchise area, rural health centers, and water access.

“Lack of electricity continues to be a challenge for many communities especially in rural Philippines,” OMF president Jeffrey Tarayao said.