With the heat index reaching up to 46°, it’s no surprise that Filipinos are fond of ice. In fact, whenever we host a gathering at home, buying ice can be a challenging errand, as nearby stores are always out. Imagine going out to buy ice on holidays, when families gather to celebrate.

I never actually thought about the importance of ice (at least, to us Filipinos) until LG sat us down in a room during the recently concluded LG InnoFest 2026, to talk about their Ice Solutions. As someone who often drinks carbonated drinks, ice is indeed very important. There should always be ice in our refrigerator, and in the heat in the Philippines (especially now in the summer), I’m sure many will agree.

LG’s Ice Solutions include producing different kinds of ice – from Craft Ice and Mini Ice to UVnano Hygiene – helping bring a premium beverage experience. I always thought that ice was just, you know, frozen water. But turns out the best kind of ice can be determined by its transparency and how it's made, and LG has considered this. And I appreciate how much they have given thought to this.

Another thing that they have considered? The high cost of electricity, which has been in the news of late. The summer heat has pushed people to keep coming back to the refrigerator for a cold glass of water or to turn on the air conditioner for relief. LG’s AI (Affectionate Intelligence) can take note of users’ patterns on when they use their refrigerator the most, let’s say when preparing meals, opening and closing the door of the refrigerator to get ingredients, and at the same time, they can also take note when the refrigerator is not that much in use, like when everyone is asleep. With this pattern in mind, LG’s AI can allocate more energy to the appliance’s busy hours, rather than when it is not used as much, helping save on electricity.

With prices going up, every bit saved can make a big difference.