Meralco COO Comes Home: Ronnie Aperocho Traces Humble Beginnings; Gives Back to South Cotabato

Before becoming Chief Operating Officer of Meralco, the largest private electric distribution company in the Philippines, Engr. Ronnie Aperocho was just a humble student from a remote community in the southern part of Mindanao.

- 

Engr. Aperocho called home the quiet and quaint farming community of Sto. Niño in South Cotabato—a far-flung municipality located more than 1,400 kilometers away from his office in bustling Pasig City, Metro Manila.

During a recent visit to his alma mater, M. Roxas Elementary School, an emotional Aperocho shared how he started his long journey to success to the students in a mix of Ilonggo, Tagalog and English: "Time flies so fast. While I was looking at you, I was reflecting on myself wearing the same short pants, except now, you already have uniforms and many of you wear shoes. During our time, we had no uniform. There were times when I went to school without slippers. I had to walk far that my slippers would not last long. But having a worn-out slipper or having no slipper at all did not deter me then from going to school."

Due to limited class offerings, Engr. Aperocho had to attend two different public schools: M. Roxas Elementary School for first, fifth and sixth grade and J. Blanco Elementary School for second, third, and fourth grade.

In 1981, despite the odds, he finished elementary school at the top of his class. He then faced the next stages in his academic years: high school in Koronadal National Comprehensive High School where he, again, graduated with honors. The young aspiring engineer then packed his bags, left home, and pursued a degree in Electrical Engineering at the Mindanao State University in its Marawi campus, more than 200 kilometers north of his hometown. As a result of his hard work and perseverance, he topped the October 1991 Electrical Engineering Board Exam.