Lifestyle

By introducing cutting-edge ICT services specifically designed for the city’s government and hotel industries, Eastern Communications improves Baguio’s digital landscape. The organization supports Baguio’s efforts to increase economic and tourism growth in order to aid in the post-pandemic recovery of the area.

The economy of the Cordillera is greatly boosted by Baguio City, which is expected to achieve its 2024 collection target of PHP2.74 billion. Baguio City Assistant Treasurer Fernando Ragma announced a 12% increase in collections compared to 2023, with PHP1.205 billion collected from January 1 to April 30. This is 45% of this goal already collected in the first four months.

To sustain this momentum, Eastern Communications is committed to equipping more businesses with digital solutions to help them thrive.

The telecommunications provider will enhance Baguio’s digital landscape with innovative ICT services tailored to the city’s hospitality and government sectors. This initiative aligns with Baguio’s goal of boosting economic and tourism growth, aiming to support the region’s post-pandemic resurgence.

Strengthening Baguio’s Government Sector

Reliable connectivity is pivotal for Baguio’s economic development. It enables efficient communication, access to global markets, and fostering innovation. Both businesses and public services rely on seamless internet access for transactions, research, and networking. Additionally, robust connectivity supports remote work, enhances education, and drives technological advancement, fueling economic growth and competitiveness.

The partnership between Baguio’s local government and Eastern Communications represents a significant step towards enhanced connectivity and progress. Eastern’s comprehensive internet solutions support Baguio’s vision for a digitally inclusive future, providing the robust infrastructure necessary for economic vitality and community empowerment.

“Eastern’s connectivity services offer a transformative opportunity for Baguio City’s development. By providing free fiber connectivity to barangays, Eastern enables seamless communication infrastructure essential for urban planning and public services. Integrating IoT boxes for sensors and CCTV enhances security and resource management, fostering a smarter, safer cityscape,” said City Government of Baguio Officer in Charge – Management in Information and Technology Division (MITD) Francis Camarao.

Boosting Hospitality and Tourism in the Summer Capital

Eastern Communications is also playing a crucial role in the digitalization of Baguio’s hospitality and tourism sectors. The company has recently partnered with several prime hotels in Baguio, including Soto Grande Hotel, Hotel Cosmopolitan, and Newtown Hotel, to provide top-tier ICT solutions.

Clients have expressed satisfaction with Eastern’s personalized services and ICT solutions, noting that digital adoption is essential for businesses to thrive in the modern era.

Soto Grande Hotel

During the official contract signing event with the newly opened Soto Grande hotel, Resident Manager Marco Fetizanan offered a positive outlook on their partnership with Eastern Communications, noting that it “will significantly enhance our digital processes.”

“Their reliable connectivity ensures our guests enjoy a seamless online experience throughout their stay. Eastern has proven to be our partner of choice, and we believe that adopting digital solutions is crucial for businesses to thrive in 2024 and beyond.”

Hotel Cosmopolitan

Hotel Cosmopolitan, located in the heart of Baguio, also recognizes the importance of digital adoption in accommodating the city’s increasing number of tourists. The hotel seeks to meet this need as it officially sealed the deal for Eastern Communications to be its Fiber1 internet service provider.

Glen Flores, owner of Hotel Cosmopolitan, expressed his confidence in the telco’s service, “Eastern Communications is not only fast and effective but also offers friendly and impeccable customer service.”

Newtown Hotel

Eastern also partnered with the popular Newtown Plaza Hotel, located along Claro M. Recto Street, to offer the business an Internet Direct Service (IDS) leased line.

During the official contract signing, Newtown’s Hotel Manager, Josh Ancheta, highlighted the main reasons for choosing the telco as their dedicated internet service provider.

“Our partnership with Eastern was driven by our need for a provider that offers reliable after-sales support and quick response to our concerns. Apart from this, they also helped us exceed our guests’ expectations. We recommend Eastern as the go-to provider for the tourism and hospitality sector due to their personalized solutions and dependable service.”

Eastern Communications wants to be a Partner in Progress for the city, creating a digitally connected and thriving community through its expanding ICT and connectivity relationships in Baguio. This guarantees that improved services and possibilities are available to both businesses and tourists.

• ‘25 Years Young’ celebrates the 25th anniversary of the foundation
• A global call for contributions will award impactful and innovative youth projects

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is launching a global campaign to commemorate both this significant milestone and the next generation of young leaders dedicated to creating a fairer, low-carbon society.

‘25 Years Young’: A Celebration of Youth and 25 Years of Action

The Schneider Electric Foundation, founded in 1999 by the Fondation de France, supports changemakers who are advancing sustainable development, promoting social inclusion, and empowering communities around the world. Throughout 2024, the foundation will honor the world’s young by raising awareness of their social and environmental impact and rallying corporate personnel. The highlight of these celebrations is the introduction of a global call for contributions with the foundation’s social entrepreneurship partner, Ashoka.

Since its inception, the Schneider Electric Foundation has been a pioneer in supporting constructive projects to address growing social and environmental concerns, with many solutions spearheaded by young people from throughout the world. The foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary by recognizing their efforts to make a difference in the fight for a more equitable energy transition.

‘Youth Innovation For A Sustainable Future’: A Global Call for Contributions

The call for contributions titled ‘Youth Innovation For A Sustainable Future’ with Ashoka’s program Changemaker Companies aims to select 25 of the most impactful and innovative youth projects across all five continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East). This global call for contributions focuses on professional engagement and a fair transition, and a 50,000-euro prize will be awarded to the winning project during the COP29 climate summit in Bakou, Azerbaïdjan. Those projects selected will also benefit from increased visibility across the social media channels of both Schneider Electric’s Foundation and Ashoka’s network of countries. In the Philippines, the call for contributions will be launched on June 17, 2024. Entries can be submitted through the program’s website at https://volunteerin.se.com/#/youth-innovation-for-sustainable-future.

“Schneider Electric Foundation has been dedicated to driving sustainable development for the last 25 years by promoting social inclusion and empowering the youth to champion positive change,” said Norman Roland Ocana III, Head of Government Affairs and Sustainability of Schneider Electric Philippines. “We commemorate this momentous milestone, with our strengthened commitment to support NGOs and Foundations who work with the next generation on various initiatives focused on just transition, awareness and inclusion, professional training in energy management, entrepreneurship and gender.”

Discover the newest perspectives shaping sustainability, electricity 4.0, and next-generation automation on Schneider Electric Insights.

Since 1993, SM, through its social good arm, the SM Foundation, has championed education by granting college scholarships to worthy students from economically vulnerable neighborhoods, demonstrating how education and hard work can lead to a life free of poverty.

Henry Sy, the creator of SM, believed that education was the best kind of resistance against poverty. For him, one of the most powerful ways to make a difference in a community is to assist a student in obtaining a college degree; the multiplier effect continues when that graduate eventually becomes capable of aiding his family, the company for which he will work, and society as a whole.

Aside from assisting approximately 4,200 scholar beneficiaries annually, the scholarship program is also working to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by improving youth education, building school facilities, and providing classrooms around the country.

For Fritz Mendez, this journey is anything but straightforward. Living in a vulnerable community, survival was the only thing he could think of. 

His mother was forced to leave her job as a domestic helper due to the war in Lebanon. This and several other familial problems forced him to stop attending school, feeling that escaping poverty was an impossible dream. 

“When you live in our community, it seems expected of you not to go to college or have a degree because poverty is very rampant. I, however, had a dream inside me to show to my community and family that I can have a college degree,” he said. “Having an opportunity to fulfill that dream through the SM Scholarship is indeed a blessing I prayed for. I took all the courage to apply and the SM Foundation gave me a shot.”

Achieving the once-impossible dream

Starting college at the age of 19, and being older than his peers didn’t stop Fritz from developing his skills and making the most of the opportunity given to him. 

The supportive environment of the scholarship program and his involvement in church activities helped him turn his negative experiences into positive actions. He discovered his passion for writing and performing, his outgoing nature, and his leadership skills, which were honed through various church and school activities. 

Fritz also developed practical skills like budgeting and time management, crucial for his survival and success in college and future career. These experiences boosted his confidence and expanded his horizons.

“The scholarship unleashed a new side of me. From merely thinking about survival, I developed a sense of responsibility, discipline, and an appreciation for the value of labor and money. This growth was particularly evident during my participation in the SM Scholarship’s summer job program, where I learned to budget my earnings effectively. I was able to provide for our household needs while still saving enough for my allowance in the upcoming semester.”

Living the dream

After earning his Accounting Technology degree in 2014, he landed his first and only job at BDO Unibank. 

Climbing the corporate ladder, he is now a senior teller while also serving as the Regional Director of the BDO Employees Association for the Visayas region. While managing key accounts in his area, he uplifts his colleagues, leads effectively, and proposes innovative welfare policies for his fellow employees.

“The SM Group has taught me that family is everything. As an SM scholar, their encouragement and support showed me the true meaning of family. Now, working at BDO Unibank, I get to experience and demonstrate how to nurture my family,” he said.  

Fritz is now able to provide for his family’s basic requirements and maintain a healthy living environment, particularly for his mother, who encouraged his desire of a better life.

“Beyond this, the SM Scholarship gave hope to me, a high school student who could have accepted his fate. The SM Scholarship not only made me the only degree holder in a broken family but also provided an opportunity for me to envision a brighter, more promising future. It highlighted the potential for students like me to begin anew and forge our own paths toward success.”

The ‘Factory Sustainable Solutions’ solution from Tetra Pak is a new factory-wide strategy for optimizing water, energy, and cleaning-in-place (CIP).

The ‘Factory Sustainable Solutions’ business is a recent addition to Tetra Pak’s wider sustainability offering. It provides food and beverage (F&B) producers with a customized combination of cutting-edge technologies and industry-leading plant integration capabilities. In order to assist clients in achieving their sustainability goals and cutting expenses associated with operations, it aims to assist food and beverage businesses in optimizing their use of energy and resources.

Food and beverage companies, who have historically relied on fossil fuels and energy-intensive procedures, are facing mounting pressure to maximize resources and boost energy production from renewable sources. This occurs at a time when operating costs are going up because of increased raw material costs, new CO2 levies, and water waste fines. It will be crucial to find answers to these problems, as companies seek to their manufacturing and supply chains for assistance in cutting costs.

Complementing its resource-efficient equipment and services portfolio, Tetra Pak’s ‘Factory Sustainable Solutions’ embodies a systematic, factory-wide approach. Solutions can be integrated at any stage to recover and reduce the consumption of resources, such as energy, water, and chemicals. Optimized resource consumption reduces long-term operational costs and related greenhouse gas emissions, while supporting compliance against ever-tightening sustainability standards.

The Tetra Pak Factory Sustainable Solutions team will support customers by finding the right technologies and integration solutions for their needs, advising them on the best practice set-up for their line or facility. This results in a tailored pipes and installation diagram that optimizes water, energy, and CIP according to the specific needs of the customer’s operations.

The ‘Factory Sustainable Solutions’ offering boasts state-of-the-art technologies, such as:

• Nanofiltration, developed by Tetra Pak, reclaims caustic cleaning liquid used for CIP. This technology allows for the recovery of clean chemicals and water for future reuse, enabling up to 90% recovery of the total spent liquid.
• Reverse Osmosis, developed by Tetra Pak, uses proprietary membrane filtration technology to improve resource efficiency across multiple applications, including milk separation and water reuse.

Tetra Pak is also collaborating with innovative technology partners to offer additional solutions, including:

• HighLift™ heat pump technology, in collaboration with Olvondo Technology A/S, can be integrated into operations to facilitate the reuse of waste heat to produce steam across plant equipment, including the Tetra Pak Direct UHT unit, at pressures up to 10 bar. 
• High-temperature heat pumps, in collaboration with Johnson Controls, which up-cycles processed waste heat to use elsewhere in the factory.
• Solar thermal collectors, in collaboration with Absolicon, utilize the sun as an unlimited source of clean and renewable energy to power hot water and steam delivery – at temperatures above 150°C – making it suitable for UHT applications.

Stefano Vittor, CEO at Olvondo Technology A/S, says, “By incorporating our HighLift heat pump technology into its Factory Sustainable Solutions business, Tetra Pak is offering an impactful solution to reduce carbon emissions across the food and beverage industry. We’re delighted to be part of this collaboration and play a role in the change Tetra Pak is driving.”

Fredrik Norrbom, Director, Sweden at Johnson Controls System and Service AB, added, “Approximately two-thirds of industrial energy use is driven by heat demand, derived largely from fossil fuels. Heat pumps are vital for increasing energy efficiency and delivering net zero heating when combined with renewable electricity. We are proud to collaborate with Tetra Pak on smart building solutions to help customers achieve sustainability targets while helping the industry make critical progress on emissions reduction.” 

Nicole Uvenbeck, Director of Factory Sustainable Solutions and OEM Components at Tetra Pak, says, “This launch is an incredibly exciting and significant milestone for us at Tetra Pak – especially our team who have been working hard to push the boundaries of the impact and value such an approach can bring for our customers.

To date, we have mainly focused on machine and line optimization, and we have realized the overwhelming benefit of replicating this at a factory level, providing a more holistic optimization approach. Factory Sustainable Solutions is an evolution of our expertise, spanning water, energy, and CIP recovery. This will redefine how we support our customers in achieving their sustainability ambitions while reducing operational costs.”

Fiona Liebehenz, Vice President of Key Components, Plant Solutions and Channel Management at Tetra Pak, says, “I’m extremely proud of the team. Our customers are under more pressure than ever to operate as efficiently as possible regarding resource usage. This is, for many, an existential challenge to secure the future of their operations. Through working with them and understanding their individual needs and objectives, we’re providing them  fit-for-purpose equipment enriched with our holistic food & beverages application knowledge to address that challenge, delivering tangible improvements in a financially advantageous way.”

Tetra Pak’s Factory Sustainable Solutions expertise and guidance are available worldwide as the firm begins today. Tetra Pak wants to keep growing and improving its product line in order to meet the constantly changing needs of its clients in every market.

More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com.  

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Given the difficult lessons learned from the most recent pandemic, investing in healthcare has never been more crucial.

During the peak of COVID-19, one of these lessons exposed the fragility of health institutions collapsing under the weight of enormous medical demands. The need for the public and private sectors to step up was evident, but the need to plan forward rather than just react to potential health crises is even more pressing.

This highlights the significance of accessibility and the efforts made by the private sector to narrow the socioeconomic divide in healthcare. Better community access to high-quality primary healthcare in collaboration with national and local governments is what this implies for SM and its foundations.

Mission NOT impossible

Medical missions allow access, especially of remote or economically disadvantaged communities, to medical care, education and support.  SM Foundation’s (SMFI) medical missions provide free consultations, basic laboratory tests, dental check-ups and proper dosage of appropriate medicine. SM Foundation reached an important milestone by conducting more than 1,600 medical missions, benefiting nearly 1.3 million patients year-to-date.

“Patients who once endured long queues at crowded healthcare facilities now find relief as we bring healthcare services to remote barangays or provide them conveniently at our malls and properties,” Connie Angeles, SM Foundation Executive Director for Health and Medical Programs said.

And more than just a structure

While health facilities offer a venue for the conduct of medical services, fixing it up through thoughtful and meaningful design could do more for the community than just provide space. Rural health centers are considered as lifelines, offering a comprehensive range of health services at a minimal cost or even free to the most vulnerable.

“These opportunities to rebuild health centers do more for human well-being. The refurbishment of public healthcare facilities not only enhance their capabilities by way of improvements and new equipment but also make these facilities more responsive and conducive to the health needs and recovery of those they serve,” Ms. Angeles said.

Furthermore, the renovation allows public health centers to meet PhilHealth Accreditation standards, resulting in an increase in PhilHealth utilization and helping decongest city hospitals and minimizing the spread of communicable diseases.

Through these accredited health centers, patients could avail themselves of PhilHealth benefits such as primary care, maternity care and pharmacy needs at the barangay level. These efforts also result in increased capitalization for local governments.   

Many sectors also benefit from these renovations including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, terminally ill patients and women and children to name a few.

SM Foundation’s 200th rural health center in Laguna is a classic example. “Marami kaming programa na hindi namin malagyan ng lugar kasi kulang ang space kaya’t naghahagilap kami kung saan ito ipu-pwesto,” said Dr. Elmira Montesa who leads the Santa Cruz Rural Health Unit (SCRHU). [We have many programs that we can’t accommodate because there is not enough space and we are scrambling for places for these.]

Following the Department of Health’s (DOH) guidelines, SM Foundation elevated the

SCRHU. The rehabilitation transformed the center into a welcoming space, featuring comfortable waiting areas, a reception area for health workers and designated facilities for breastfeeding mothers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. It has a mobile play cabinet for children coping with illnesses. SM also included a rainwater catchment system to the renovated facility to contribute to water conservation.

In 2023, SM Foundation breathed new life into UP-PGH’s post-COVID & PulmoCare hub.

Prior to the rehabilitation, UP-PGH Division of Pulmonary Medicine chief Dr. Lenora Fernandez recalled that the facility struggled to expand its services to meet the growing needs of the community.

“PGH does have many donors but they have so many competing priorities, too. Those patients who continued to suffer from debilitating shortness of breath in silence still lacked essential services such as pulmonary rehabilitation equipment,” Dr. Fernandez said.

The newly refurbished facility now has a new lobby to receive patients and spacious rooms with dedicated areas for rehabilitation, ultrasound, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and virtual consultation. Dr. Fernandez expressed optimism about the future of the hub and sees the number of patients served growing every year.

In Brgy. Irawan, Puerto Princesa, a community birthing facility’ serving thousands of residents and indigenous people, had to halt operations in 2018 as it was unable to meet government health requirements.

“Kahit ilang kilometro ang layo nito sa mga kapwa ko katutubo, ito ang pinakamalapit na birthing facility dito sa aming lugar. Kaya malapit ang loob ng komunidad sa facility, lalo na ng mga kapwa ko katutubo. Noong kami ay nahinto, may mga pagkakataon na may nanganganak na sa loob ng sasakyan,” midwife Narcisa Jagmis, a member of the Tagbanua tribe, and who leads the birthing facility said.

[Even though it is several kilometers away from my fellow natives, this is the closest birthing facility here in our area. When we were stopped, there were times when someone was giving birth inside the car.]

SM Foundation supported the community by revamping the birthing facility in 2023, enabling it to obtain the required licenses to resume operations. Dedicated rooms and spaces for storage, scrub-up, breastfeeding, consultations, birthing, clean-up and sterilization, as well as labor and recovery wards were added. It also introduced a rainwater harvesting system and installed energy-efficient lighting fixtures and appliances.

Another SM affiliate, BDO Foundation, also achieved a major milestone as it rehabilitated its 160th rural health unit (RHU) in 2023. This involved renovating exteriors, layout and interior design, lobbies and waiting areas, offices, birthing clinics, consultation rooms, treatment rooms and pharmacies as well as installing breastfeeding stations for nursing mothers, play areas for children, and waiting lounges for senior citizens.

BDO Foundation also installed new signages, furniture, and fixtures to help health workers accommodate more patients in environments conducive to good health and well-being. The improvement of facilities empowers doctors, nurses, and midwives to provide quality primary healthcare services more often and more efficiently to their constituents. The initiative also benefits mothers, infants and children, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and indigenous peoples living in remote areas.

Officers from BDO Unibank and BDO Network Bank also suggested health centers that required support. The DOH, local government representatives, and health authorities supported the project by offering advice on RHU renovations. The BDO Foundation assisted health centers in obtaining accreditation from PhilHealth and favorable DOH assessment ratings in healthcare delivery through the rehabilitation program. One of the objectives of the Philippine Health Agenda is to enhance the healthcare delivery system.

A total of 364 health centers and medical facilities have been constructed or renovated by the combined efforts of the SM Foundation and BDO Foundation.

By continuously granting fair access to high-quality basic services, the organization hopes to effectively contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health & Wellbeing) and pave the way for a brighter and healthier future.

For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com

For inquiries, please contact: [email protected]