IN TODAY’S world, where online access is necessary for practically every facet of one’s life, reliable connectivity has become a basic and vital commodity in creating liveable cities.

This was pointed out by Michelle Ora, Globe Director and Head of Strategic Properties Business Development, during the Liveable Cities Labs’ “Green Buildings and Open Spaces” webinar led by the League of Cities of the Philippines in partnership with Globe.

With the pandemic hampering almost all physical activities and pushing people to go online, Globe is ramping up its network rollouts and upgrades to ensure that every town and city in the country is connected.

“The way we live has changed dramatically, and the need for connectivity has been highlighted and became very important in our lives. We all know that connectivity is a great equalizer. It opens up a lot of opportunities for education, for livelihood. Reliable connectivity equates to better livability in any city,” Ora pointed out.

Globe is committed to continuously improve its network performance as this is a key factor in elevating the lives of its stakeholders.

“As we talk about building resilient communities amidst rapid urbanization, we need to elevate our standard of access to it. This will help in terms of proper coordination when there are disasters.  It allows people to have better access to opportunities — livelihood, education.  It is especially true in the concept of well-planned density,” she explained.

Globe is always on the lookout for resilient networks and uses the best and latest technologies to ensure connectivity, especially during disasters and calamities. Aside from its towers, Globe invests in rapid deployment solutions such as cell sites on wheels, tower on wheels, controllers on light trucks, and mobile command centers.

Meanwhile, Ora said that to achieve one of the goals of LCC to provide open spaces in highly urbanized areas, the government, the private sector, and other stakeholders should closely work together and make a decision as soon as possible.

“Building a green, healthy community should be a priority now more than ever.  Stakeholders should start to come together and establish a place-making framework anchored on what matters to the people.  We can probably start small.  We need to be pragmatic about this. We just have to make that decision now,” she added.

Ora said Globe has been following these green initiatives for its buildings and infrastructures.  For instance, the Globe headquarters uses recycled water to save water, while 13 of its corporate offices and key facilities run on renewable energy.  It also uses solar energy for cell sites, especially in far-flung areas, and has an e-waste recycling and disposal program dubbed Globe E-Waste Zero.

Speakers during the 7th LCC Labs include Paulo Alcazaren, Environmental Planner and Landscape Architect; Dinky Von Einsiedel, President of Alliance for Safe, Sustainable and Resilient Environments; Mayor Jerry Trenas of Iloilo City; and Cathy Saldana, Managing Director & CEO of PDP Architects. The event also featured Jean De Castro, Chairperson of Urban Land Institute.

This initiative is part of Globe’s support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 9, which emphasizes the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development, and UN SDG No. 11, which places importance on building sustainable cities and communities.   Globe is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact Principles and contributing to 10 UN SDGs.

To know more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.