Meralco

The Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company, also known through acronym as Meralco, is metropolitan Manila's only power distributor. The company was incorporated on March 14 1903 in the State of New Jersey The incorporation granted by Manila for Detroit entrepreneur Charles M. Swift the franchise "to operate an electric street railway service and to furnish electric current for light, heat and power in the city and its suburbs..."

Meralco thus began as a transportation service company using tranvias and autobuses, and then as electric power distributor to Manila. Meralco though shut down its electric street railway services, causing the Manila commuters to depend on the colorful Jeepney. This in effect, unfortunately, caused heavy traffic in the area over the decades. Meralco eventually focused only on electricity distribution, becoming its core business, with Napocor as its major power provider. Currently, it serves about five million customers including the country’s prime business districts and top corporations.