Manila Suburban Railways Company
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| Public | |
| Traded as | : MER and MERB |
| Industry | Power distributor |
| Founded | January 17, 1895 |
| Headquarters | Pasig, Philippines |
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Key people
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Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman Oscar S. Reyes, President and CEO |
| Owner | see list |
| Website | www |
The Manila Electric Company (: MER and MERB), also known as Meralco (stylized in its logo as MERALCO), is the Philippines' largest distributor of electrical power. It is Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for 22 cities and 89 municipalities, including the whole of the National Capital Region and the exurbs that form Mega Manila.
The name "Meralco" is an acronym for Manila Electric Railroad And Light COmpany, which was the company's original name until 1919.
Organized in 1891 and beginning operations in late 1894, La Electricista was the first electric company to provide electricity to Manila towards the close of the Spanish Era. La Electricista had built a central power plant on Calle San Sebastian (now Hidalgo Street ) in Quiapo, Manila. On January 17, 1895, its streetlights were turned on for the first time and by 1903, it had about 3,000 electric light customers.
On October 20, 1902, during the American Colonial Period, the Second Philippine Commission began accepting bids to operate Manila's electric tramway, and by extension, providing electricity to the city and its suburbs. Detroit entrepreneur Charles M. Swift was the sole bidder and on March 24, 1903, was granted the original basic franchise of Meralco.
In 1904, Meralco acquired both the Compañía de los Tranvías de Filipinas, a firm that operated public transportation and ran Manila's horse-drawn and steam-operated tramways, and added La Electricista. Construction on the electric tramway began that same year. In addition to acquiring La Electricista's Calle San Sebastian power plant, Meralco built its own steam generating plant on Isla Provisora which powered the tram system and eventually also the electric service. By 1906, Meralco's yearly power output capacity was around eight million kWh.
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Wikipedia