Globe Telecom Business Development & Marketing - Digital Solutions Group Director Janis Racpan, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos Manotoc, Globe Telecom President & CEO Ernest Cu, Globe Telecom Channel Management Executive Vice President Bernard Llamzon, Globe Telecom Enterprise Group Senior Vice President Peter Maquera led the ceremonial MOA signing.
Strengthening its position as a key exponent of digital transformation in the Philippines, Globe has forged another milestone partnership with one of the biggest provinces in the country - Ilocos Norte.
Notable for its historic sites and delectable cuisine, the "Northern Gateway of the Philippines" welcomed Globe, spearheaded by its President and CEO Ernest Cu, in a ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) that officially declares Ilocos Norte as a GoWiFi zone.
Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc, along with key representatives of the provincial government and executives from Globe, formally signed the MOA on February 11. GoWiFi services are now available in key areas in Ilocos Norte, namely the Capitol Building, Laoag City Hall, Batac City Hall, San Nicolas IT Park, and Aurora Park in Laoag, where constituents can access free, high-speed Internet.
“Staying true to our mission of leading the country’s digital transformation, this partnership with Ilocos Norte is of utmost importance for us in reaching and connecting more areas outside urban Luzon to reliable Internet connectivity,” Cu said at the event held in the Ilocos Norte Capitol.
“We are hoping that this connectivity can stimulate the development of the province as one of the economic powerhouses in the entire Northern Luzon - from powering small and medium local businesses with more efficient digital solutions to offering 24/7 quality medical services by telehealth provider KonsultaMD to more citizens," he added.
In line with this partnership, Globe will also be holding sessions of its Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) that aims to educate local government representatives and its community members on responsible online behavior. This includes being knowledgeable about online safety, cyberbullying, online etiquette, identifying fake news, among many others. DTP trainings will be done within the first quarter of the year.
Globe is targeting to power all municipalities in Ilocos Norte with free Internet in the next few years. With a partnership in place, Ilocos Norte is now part of the 2,700 GoWiFi hotspots all over the country. The free Internet service provider continues its expansion plans nationwide, particularly in high-traffic areas like schools, malls, and hospitals to make high-quality internet connection accessible and affordable to more Filipinos.
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 the network service provider. 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 “@<site>_FreeGoWiFi,” register and wait for the SMS verification code, then select a WiFi offer, confirm and start surfing.
As a bonus, Globe Prepaid & TM customers can enjoy 1GB of free GoWiFi for every registration of GoSAKTO, GoSURF & EasySURF worth P50 and above that, they can use in any GoWiFi hotspot. Globe Prepaid GoSAKTO90 users can enjoy 1GB free GoWiFi access on top of 2GB mobile data, 2GB for GoWATCH&PLAY, 1 GCash voucher and unlimited all-net texts valid for seven days for only P90. On the other hand, TM EasySURF50 users automatically get 1GB free GoWiFi access, 1GB mobile data, 2GB for EasyWATCH&PLAY, 300MB for an app of their choice and unlimited all-net text all valid for three days.