Rubio takes helm as MGen president/CEO

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran power energy executive Emmanuel Rubio is taking the reins at Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) as its new president and CEO effective today.

Rubio, who earlier stepped down as president and CEO of Aboitiz Power Corp., is expected to bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the power generation arm of Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

The industry veteran has etched his name in the power sector through the various executive positions he held at AboitizPower and its subsidiaries over the past years until his retirement effective June 30.

“Manny Rubio will play a very important role as MGen actively pursues growth prospects that will bring long-term value not just to the company but also to the projects’ host communities and our country,” Meralco chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said yesterday.

Rubio will be responsible for maneuvering MGen toward the accomplishment of its plans and strategies, which are aligned with the government’s goal of ensuring energy security and sustainability.

“We are excited to have him on board as we look forward to his fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that will steer the power generation company toward becoming a reliable partner of the government in achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” Pangilinan added.

With Rubio at the helm, MGen is looking to expand its presence in the renewable energy space with an additional capacity of 1,500 megawatts (MW).

Rubio’s first order of business is also to help the company bring into fruition the $3.3-billion deal to launch an integrated liquified natural gas facility with power giants AboitizPower and Ang-led San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp.

The deal is expected to augment the country’s power supply with over 2,500 MW of generation capacity once fully operational.

Rubio succeeds Jaime Azurin as president, CEO and member of the MGen’s Board of Directors, which is also chaired by Pangilinan. Azurin will stay as president of Global Business Power Corp., a wholly owned unit of MGen.