Alodia Gosiengfiao for 'Alter Space'

As a renowned cosplayer (short for costume player) and avid gamer, Alodia Gosiengfiao likes keeping tabs on what’s new in the gaming scene. One of the latest games to catch her eye is the social networking game, Alter Space, which is set to launch this month.

Alter Space is the first Philippine-made Facebook game that aims to educate people on what carbon foot print (CF) is, how people can lower their CF emission and help preserve the Earth’s resources. AboitizPower Corp., one of the country’s leading producers of Cleanergy, its brand of cleaner and renewable energy, had the game developed to encourage people to do their part in protecting the environment.

Alodia finds Alter Space to be an enjoyable challenge.

"The great thing about Alter Space is that it's not just any typical game that you play. In a creative way, it actually teaches people to be conscious of the carbon footprint they produce, which means changing their habits for the good of the Earth," says the 22-year-old Alodia, who’s also an artist, model and TV personality.

The main concept of Alter Space is for players to take care of their own little planet. They need to balance their Happiness, Current-cy (the game's term for money) and CF levels while accomplishing tasks.

The real challenge for the players, though, is keeping their CF percentage low throughout the game, lest they encounter "disasters" that will harm their planet. This is why making environmentally sound choices is paramount.

"The first thing you will notice when you play the game is its visual appeal. With all those cute avatars, well-designed graphics and uniquely Filipino touches, it really is a blast to play,” Alodia shares.

She adds that more than that, “the fact that it's a social networking game that allows lets me interact with other gamers by promoting a good cause is another reason for people to take up the game.” Alodia, who currently has thousands of online fans from all over the globe, really values Alter Space's digital impact.

As a gamer herself, Alodia believes that Alter Space would definitely appeal to people regardless of age.

"First of all, from the sneak peek alone, I knew I would enjoy playing the game. And I'm sure many people from all sectors will, too. Imagine, moms will be able to learn how to lower their electric bills and see their kids discover the importance of conservation,” she says.

Alodia adds that Alter Space is “indeed an innovative way to help promote environment-friendly practices, especially among young people.”

“One thing I notice with children nowadays is that they're very much hooked on games and the Internet. By combining both, Alter Space would be able to better reach out and communicate its message in a fun medium. Especially one that’s also easy for them to understand, inspiring them to apply what they learn to their everyday lives,” she concludes.

To find out more about Alter Space and Alodia, check out www.facebook.com/alterspacegame.

AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, retail and power services. It is a major producer of renewable energy in the country with several hydroelectric and geothermal assets in its generation portfolio. The non-renewable portfolio consists of plants throughout the country. The distribution utilities it owns and operates are located in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. (www.aboitizpower.com)