Catbalogan Turns Plastic Bottles Into Wi-Fi

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What Readers Should Know

Catbalogan City launched Eco-Connect, a student-developed machine that exchanges each accepted plastic bottle for two minutes of Wi-Fi access. Introduced during RScene 2026 on October 6, the project connects waste collection with digital connectivity.

Key Takeaways

Eco-Connect exchanges each accepted plastic bottle for two minutes of internet access.
Samar National High School student Mary Angelique Cabrigas developed the machine.
Cabrigas said it uses a Raspberry Pi processor and detects plastics and tin cans.
The project launched on October 6 during RScene 2026 in Catbalogan City, Samar.
Eco-Connect is ready for adoption, but installation locations and operating schedules were not specified.

A student-developed machine connects waste collection with internet access, offering a practical example of community-focused technology.

In Catbalogan City, Samar, a plastic bottle can earn two minutes of internet access through Eco-Connect, a Wi-Fi vending machine designed to address plastic pollution and limited connectivity.

The project, supported by the city’s Information and Communications Technology Office, was officially launched on October 6 during the Regional Smart Communities Exposition and Networking Engagement, or RScene 2026.

For residents, the concept links a familiar environmental task—collecting discarded bottles—with a useful digital service.

A student’s idea becomes a community solution

Mary Angelique Cabrigas, a senior high school student from Samar National High School, developed Eco-Connect. The idea emerged from the previous year’s RScene, which Catbalogan City also hosted.

The machine follows a concept similar to coin-operated internet services commonly called “piso-net.” Instead of inserting coins, users deposit plastic bottles to receive Wi-Fi time.

Each accepted plastic bottle converts into two minutes of internet connection. According to Cabrigas, the machine uses a Raspberry Pi processor and can detect plastics and tin cans.

The announcement specifies the internet-time equivalent for plastic bottles but does not state whether tin cans receive the same allocation.

Connecting environmental action with digital access

Eco-Connect brings two community concerns into one system: managing discarded plastic and helping people get online.

By giving bottles a practical exchange value, the project offers an incentive to collect and deposit them. Its Wi-Fi service also provides another way for users to access internet connectivity.

Eco-Connect was one of five smart city solutions launched in Catbalogan during RScene 2026. The project was presented as ready for adoption, although the announcement did not identify installation locations, operating schedules or a wider deployment timeline.

Technology shaped by local needs

During the event, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. emphasized that technology should reflect a locality’s context, culture and geography.

His message highlighted the role of local government units in bringing science-based solutions to communities under the agency’s “Agham na Ramdam” approach.

RScene is a DOST initiative that promotes science-based, innovative and inclusive solutions. Eco-Connect illustrates how that approach can take a practical form: a student’s idea developed around everyday environmental and connectivity needs.

Its introduction gives Catbalogan a concrete example of what community technology can offer—an accessible exchange that connects responsible waste disposal with time online.

Reader Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Eco-Connect?

It is a Wi-Fi vending machine that exchanges plastic bottles for internet access, connecting waste collection with digital connectivity.

How much Wi-Fi time does one plastic bottle provide?

Each accepted plastic bottle provides two minutes of internet connection.

Who developed the machine?

Mary Angelique Cabrigas, a senior high school student from Samar National High School, developed Eco-Connect.

Can the machine detect tin cans?

According to Cabrigas, it can detect plastics and tin cans. The announcement does not specify the Wi-Fi time allocated for tin cans.

Where can residents use Eco-Connect?

The announcement does not identify installation locations or operating schedules. These details need confirmation from the city’s Information and Communications Technology Office.