OUR YOUNG MAN IN MERALCO
I think our generation can be very passionate about even the smallest of things — Marco Mañalac
When you hear a young man define his role as that of “empowering both media and the public with updates, information, news and data relevant to Meralco and the power industry, that can benefit or improve, brighten their lives,” you know that this is the man who makes life better for you. While he may not provide the power himself, he tells you what you need to know, and in this world, information is power. He is right, he empowers you.
I am referring to Marco Mañalac, who is the Media and External Relations officer of Meralco.
Let’s listen furthermore to Marco talk big (okay, make that proudly) about what they do at Meralco: “Our main goal, really, is to power the progress of our nation and empower our customers, providing the best service while having consumer welfare at our very heart and core.” Of course, nothing is small about Meralco; hence, this handsome gentleman talks along the lines of power, no less.
And yet, he could be equally humble and helpful when he goes, “I am also ready and willing to personally assist anybody with any questions, concerns in case the need may arise.” He says it with a smile, of course.
I am lucky to have met this good-looking, charming, smart and articulate bachelor at our Daily Tribune (DT) office in one of the Meralco team’s media rounds, with his boss, Joe Zaldarriaga, pleasantly introducing Marco to the staff.
Marco graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University where he majored in Communications and minored in Literature. I sent him some questions via email and he immediately replied. Not a single one was about power rate increases and brownouts. Instead, we gave ourselves the chance to know more about our man from Meralco. Marco, by the way, joins the DT list of the Most Promising Young Men and Women of the Decade 2021-2030.
Daily Tribune (DT): Do you still find the time to write despite being busy in your work with Meralco?
Marco Mañalac (MM): Up to now, I still write on the side, on top of the writing I do for my full-time job, of course. I create my own indie comic books. I was a columnist in a daily for three years, focusing on comic books and pop culture. Currently, I am a columnist for an international Spider-Man website called “Crawlspace,” and I am also a columnist for The POST, a new and exciting online news platform for the youth.
DT: How was college life?
MM: College life was exciting. During my time in Ateneo, I was blessed and honored to be given the cum laude recognition, but I think it was really more of a balance between my focus on grades, friends, public service and skills acquisition.
DT: Are you a millennial? How would you describe your generation? MM: I think I technically fall under the millennial range, though I don’t know if I fit the role. But if I were to describe my generation, it would really be “passionate.” I think our generation can be very passionate about even the smallest of things, but we also stand up and shout when it comes to the more serious issues and topics. Social media also helps our generation to be heard.
MM: My mission in life remained the same — to contribute and help the country, whether it be in my full-time job or with my personal life. The pandemic may have created “distance,” but that was easily overcome by technology, innovation, creativity and just sheer resilience.
DT: What do you think should be the concern of people of your age?
MM: Right now, it’s finding your place in the world and seeing where you fit. Discovering how to do the most good that you can do. How to touch lives.
DT: What did you learn about yourself during the pandemic? What new skills did you acquire?
MM: I was never very good at video games. But I think my midnight “me-time” playing all sorts of games improved by critical thinking, hand and eye coordination and boosted my creativity.
DT: What past experiences define you to this day as a person and as a professional?
MM: I think my time doing theater, when I was the lead in Equus in Repertory Philippines, was a defining moment in the sense that I was able to do something that I never thought I would do... ever. But I hope my stint as an actor was able to positively impact the lives of those who watched (us).
DT: Of your many accomplishments in school, what are you proudest of?
MM: Without a doubt, it is the cum laude honors I got from ADMU. This was a testament to all the hard work I put in.
(A longer version of this interview appears in the online version of the Lifestyle section of the Daily Tribune today. Please click tribune. net.ph).