Manila Electric Company (Meralco), under the leadership of Manuel V. Pangilinan, underscored the strategic importance of internal audit in ensuring operational transformation and advancing innovation in the Philippine power sector during the 2025 Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA) Internal Audit Summit.
In his keynote address, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho emphasized the company’s shift in internal audit from a compliance-driven function to a strategic enabler of risk-intelligent decision-making, operational discipline, and governance foresight.
“By embedding audit foresight into strategic execution, we ensure that transformation happens with control, not chaos. This is especially vital as we pursue innovation without compromising risk standards or regulatory alignment,” Aperocho stated.
Senior Vice President and Group Chief Audit Executive Melanie T. Oteyza expanded on this vision, presenting the auditing framework for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)—a cornerstone of Meralco’s digital transformation and a critical enabler of the government’s customer choice programs. As of June 2025, the Retail Aggregation Program has facilitated the successful switching of 19 aggregated groups covering 292 services.
Oteyza stressed that auditing AMI requires a holistic approach that integrates cybersecurity, data integrity, vendor reliability, and regulatory compliance. She further advocated for AI-enabled, insights-driven auditing to anticipate vulnerabilities and enhance predictive decision-making.
“Internal Audit must evolve from guardians of compliance to catalysts of resilience and innovation. Our role is not only to protect value—but to enable it,” Oteyza said.
The summit, held on August 13–14, 2025, gathered 150 delegates from seven Southeast Asian nations to exchange knowledge on audit maturity and regional cooperation. Representing the Philippines were Meralco, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, National Power Corporation, and National Transmission Corporation.
The annual HAPUA Internal Audit Summit serves as a platform for advancing regional governance standards, digital readiness, and audit resilience—positioning ASEAN utilities to manage transformative risks in the evolving energy landscape.