Ang Pahayagan

LIMA, Batangas – The Global Technical Center of Excellence (GTCOE), a training facility launched by Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) and JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), honored its second batch of graduates from the Basic Operations and Maintenance program, composed of 17 technical professionals, including batch valedictorian Nathalie Abdon.

The program aims to help bridge the gap between textbook and industrial reality, transitioning engineers from “steady-state” academic models to the “non-linear”, high-responsibility environment of actual power plant operations.

“In school, we solve for neatly defined conditions, but in the plant, the system is non-linear,” Abdon explained. “I learned that I had to move from learning for understanding to learning with responsibility. Real-world decisions have real consequences, and that shift made me more intentional and accountable.”

During her valedictory address, Nathalie reflected on the power of resilience and the importance of representation in the energy sector. She is the first woman engineer in her family.

Valedictorian and Chemical Engineer Nathalie Abdon delivers her speech during the GTCOE’s recognition of performance excellence in Lima Commercial Center in Batangas.

“This journey made me realize that genuine connections can grow beyond differences,” she said. “It’s about bringing a unique perspective that values care, precision, and purpose into every technical challenge I face. My journey has grown from solving equations to powering progress for a more resilient Philippines”.

For Nathalie, joining AboitizPower’s Therma Luzon, Inc. was the fulfillment of a lifelong curiosity. Growing up in Quezon, she often looked at the tall chimney of a nearby power plant, mistaking it for a lighthouse.

Nathalie and her colleagues were trained under the Five Pillars of GTCOE: Safety, Technical Mastery, Adaptability, Collaboration, and Communication. The curriculum ensures that graduates are immersed in live control room environments and high-capacity equipment.

Even in the age of Artificial Intelligence, Abdon remembers the core principles of her craft. “While AI can optimize systems, it must be guided by solid engineering principles like thermodynamics and physics to stay grounded,” she noted. “Our duty is to anchor every decision in safety and operational integrity”.

GTCOE Director Engr. Mayshelle Rosario noted that these principles are what drives the center’s mission, stating that people excellence is what ultimately drives business excellence. Hideaki Oana, Chief Technical Officer of JERA Philippines, echoed this sentiment, praising the graduates as leaders who can turn technology into real solutions.

TOP 📸: Filipinos and Japanese graduates during the recognition and awarding ceremony