BIG BEN GROUP has tapped MPower, the local retail electricity supplier of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), to supply power to its manufacturing plants in Pulilan, Bulacan.

In a statement on Wednesday, MPower said it had formalized a partnership with Big Ben Group to support the latter’s construction and manufacturing operations. Meralco, the country’s largest electric distribution utility, serves Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, including Bulacan, where Big Ben’s Pulilan plants are located — the same franchise coverage within which MPower operates as a retail supplier.

“Partnering with MPower enables us to improve our energy management while supporting our long-term business and sustainability goals. It reinforces our belief that responsible business decisions and operational excellence go hand in hand,” Big Ben Group Director Benjamin Eusebio said.

Big Ben Group manufactures and supplies ready-mix concrete for residential, commercial, and major infrastructure projects.

“Energy reliability and cost efficiency are fundamental to how we operate and compete,” Big Ben Group Chairman Pacifico Eusebio, Jr. said.

“We cannot promise excellence to our clients if we do not secure excellence in our own operations. Partnering with a trusted provider like MPower strengthens the foundation of our business and supports our long-term vision for growth and resilience,” he added.

MPower Head Redel Domingo said the company aims to support Big Ben Group’s growth by providing energy solutions and expertise to strengthen its operational performance and long-term resilience.

“By ensuring a stable and reliable power supply, we help create the conditions for businesses to focus on what they do best and continue creating value for their customers and communities,” Mr. Domingo said.

MPower serves contestable customers, including large corporations within Meralco’s franchise area, and holds more than a 30% share of the competitive retail electricity market within Meralco’s coverage. Under the retail competition and open access (RCOA) framework implementing the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), electricity users above demand thresholds set by the Department of Energy are classified as contestable customers and may choose their supply from licensed retail electricity suppliers rather than relying solely on the distribution utility — a setup that allows large industrial users to negotiate rates and supply terms for their operations.

For MPower, the Big Ben account adds to its roster of contestable customers as licensed retail electricity suppliers compete for large power users within the Meralco franchise.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.

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