Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi led the site inspection of the on-going construction of the DoE-Luzon Field Office’s (LFO) building in the municipality of Rosales. The building, constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways, is located on a 1,000 square meter property, with 1,200 square meters of office space. The funding allocation was sponsored by Deputy Speaker Conrado Estrella III (ABONO Party-list) through the General Appropriations Act FY 2018. Secretary Cusi said, “We conducted the site inspection to ensure the integrity of the structure, proper implementation and compliance to the safety condition standards and practices. We want the home of our Luzon Field Office to be safe, energy efficient and resilient.” Undersecretary Donato Marcos, Assistant Secretary Gerardo Erguiza Jr. and the Luzon Field Office personnel were also present to check the progress of the construction activities.

Legal experts practicing law in the local energy sector have formed their own group to serve as a forum for sharing and discussing issues and concerns affecting the energy industry. Called the Energy Lawyers Association of the Philippines Inc. (ELAP), the group recently held its first meeting and election at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City, as well as induction, of its pioneering set of offices and trustees. Following the election, Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella (extreme left) administered the formal oath for the first set of ELAP officers and trustees, led by lawyers Pedro “Pete” Maniego (fourth from left), as chairman; and Rassen Lopez (fifth from left), as president. Maniego, who is also a former chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board, has vowed that ELAP lawyers will make themselves available for consultations in formulating policies that will help support the energy industry’s growth. Also elected as members of ELAP’s board of trustees are (from left) lawyers Charles Edward Cheng, Felix Sy Jr., Edward Eviota, Celina Encarnacion, and Ronald Dime. Also in photo is lawyer Jonathan Verdejo (extreme right), treasurer.

Likewise elected as ELAP trustees are lawyers Jose Ronald Valles and Ben Hur Castillo (not in photo).

Coca-Cola Philippines is taking purposeful strides towards their World Without Waste vision. In 2018, The Coca-Cola Company announced its global commitment of collecting and recycling all of the Company’s packaging and to use at least 50 percent recycled content in their packaging by 2030. The transformative vision of The Coca-Cola Company is anchored on the circular economy which aims to close the loop on packaging by exploring the infinite uses and possibilities of recyclable material. Unknown to many, the Company’s local operations remain highly sustainable with a massive 50 percent of its production still comprised of glass bottles. With a long-established bottle deposit scheme, the glass bottles have continuously been collected, washed, and reused. As for their PET plastic bottles, Coca-Cola Philippines continues to lead the charge in sustainable packaging with the launch of the country’s first-ever food-grade PET bottle made of 100 percent recycled material — The Viva! Eco-bottle. The production of this totally recycled PET bottle is one of the company’s first steps towards creating a World Without Waste.

Bataan gets free high-speed Internet from GoWiFi

The historic municipality of Orani in Bataan will soon be able to boast an internet connection that’s easier, faster, and free! With free Internet powered by GoWiFi, constituents of Orani can enjoy more of their favorite content and online activities within key areas in the municipality with speeds of up to 100Mbps.

Recently cementing this landmark partnership were GoWiFi Business Development Manager John Timothy Ang and Jonnelle Tan of Globe Telecom Enterprise Group, together with Orani Mayor Efren Dominic Pascual Jr. GoWiFi services will be available within the year at the Orani Municipal Hall, Town Plaza and Multi-Purpose Gym.

GoWiFi, the country’s largest WiFi service, continues its expansion plans nationwide, particularly in high-traffic areas like malls, hospitals, and schools to make high-quality internet connection accessible and affordable to more Filipinos. As of the first half of the year, GoWiFi is now accessible in 2,500 sites nationwide, up by 500 sites from the previous year.

GoWiFi services are available in regular (free) GoWiFi and premium (paid) GoWiFi Auto, both available to all users with any WiFi-enabled device regardless of network service provider and even international numbers. Subscription to GoWiFi allows users to enjoy connection speeds as high as 100Mbps depending on location. To connect to Free GoWiFi, just open the Wi-Fi-enabled device’s WiFi settings, connect to the SSID “@FreeGoWiFi” or “@_FreeGoWiFi,” register and wait for the SMS verification code, then select a WiFi offer, confirm and start surfing.