A Liter of Light

PLASTIC BOTTLES TO HELP STOP ELECTRIC-RELATED FIRES IN POOR AREAS

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:50:00 -0500

We Pinoys often say: “Mabuti nang manakawan, huwag lang masunugan”. Indeed, unlike thieves that can only steal as much as they can carry, fires can take one’s possessions, as well as life, in a flash.

Unfortunately, in the Philippines, it is often those who have less that are more exposed to the perils of fire.

Within the metro, a huge number of poor families source electricity illegally, which is a major fire hazard among depressed communities where shanties are usually made from easily-flammable materials. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reports that in 2009 alone, 2,520 fires broke out because of electrical connections. It is also worth noting that the BFP does not conduct safety checks among these illegal settlements.

Confronted with this problem, MyShelter Foundation aims to provide an ecologically- and economically-sustainable source of light to poor households nationwide, and reduce the incidence of fires in the country. Through the “Isang Litrong Liwanag” (A Liter of Light) campaign, the organization plans to introduce a very simple invention by the students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to depressed communities: the solar bottle bulb.

“As we celebrate Fire Prevention Month this March, we need to provide disprivileged families actual alternatives which will diminish the incidence of electric-related fires,” says MyShelter executive director Illac Diaz.

A plastic bottle filled with a solution comprising of water and readily available chemicals, the inexpensive solar bottle bulb harnesses the power of the sun to bring rooms during daytime. This innovative device is based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.

FIRE HAZARD NO MORE. A local sari-sari storeowner now enjoys the bright light coming from the installed Solar Bottle Bulb, which not only allows her to avoid using candles or other open-fire light sources but also provides a safer and healthier condition for her livelihood.

SAN PEDRO FAMILIES BENEFIT FROM SUSTAINABLE LIGHT WITH MYSHELTER’S SOLAR BOTTLE PROJECT

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:33:00 -0500

San Pedro, Laguna – Hundreds of families will never have to live in the dark again.

Socio-civic organization MyShelter Foundation, with Rotary Club International District 3820, has recently unveiled the solar bottle-lit homes in Sitio Maligaya 1 – one of the depressed communities in San Pedro, Laguna. Together with Rotary Club International District 3820 officials District Governor Fortunato Dimayuga and Deputy Governor Jun Mendoza, San Pedro vice mayor Norvic Solidum, and Barangay Chairman Allan Villena, Illac Diaz, Executive Director of MyShelter Foundation, presented the 400-plus houses installed with the solar bottle bulbs.

“Access to energy is a great social divider among Filipinos,” says Diaz. “But through the solar bottle project which plans to brighten up a million households in the Philippines by 2012, we hope to democratize light energy and provide light to our fellowmen.”

A simple device made from a PET bottle filled with a chemical solution, the ecologically- and economically-sustainable solar bottle is the brainchild of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.

The Solar Bottle Project plans to introduce the solar bottle to houses in Pasay City next.

(Left to Right) Rotary International District 3820 Deputy Governor Jun Mendoza and District Governor Fortunato “Tayo” Dimayuga, MyShelter Foundation Executive Director Illac Diaz and Vice Mayor Norvic Solidum of San Pedro, Laguna welcomed everyone at the Baranggay Hall Satellite Office in Pacita Complex 1 before heading to Sitio Maligaya 1 for the unveiling of the 400+ Solar Bulb installations.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: MYSHELTER UNVEILS THE “ISANG LITRONG LIWANAG” CAMPAIGN

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 23:48:00 -0500

Poverty, without doubt, can leave one powerless.

In the Philippines, one can immediately see the climate of despair based on the November 2010 survey by the Social Weather Station, wherein 49% of Filipino families (or an estimated 9.2 million) considered themselves as poor.

But in the country, the poor are powerless not only figuratively, but also literally: according to statistics by the National Electrification Commission in 2009, some 3 million households remain without electricity outside Metro Manila.

To address this issue, MyShelter Foundation has spearheaded a daunting project. Through the “Isang Litrong Liwanag” (A Liter of Light) campaign, the foundation seeks to provide sustainable lighting to a million households by 2012. And to accomplish this, the organization led by social entrepreneur Illac Diaz plans to use a very simple invention by the students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): the solar bottle bulb.

This innovative device is based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities. A plastic bottle filled with a solution comprising of water and readily available chemicals, the inexpensive Solar Bottle Bulb harnesses the power of the sun to light the rooms of houses, schools or warehouses during daytime.

With its promise for long-term sustainability, these solar bottles are now being used to light disprivileged communities in Brazil and Mexico. Here in the country, My Shelter Foundation has already initially introduced this technology at San Pedro, Laguna. Currently, the foundation is exploring partnerships with both private and public entities to implement this project nationwide.

“With the ‘Isang Litrong Liwanag’ campaign, we seek the democratization of light energy here in the Philippines. Through the solar bottle bulb and the support of likeminded people, we aim to make that a reality,” notes Diaz.

POWER IN NUMBERS. A snapshot of the few hundred assembled Solar Bottle Bulbs lined up for installation to give light to the residents of Sito Maligaya, San Pedro, Laguna. With at least a thousand bulbs per community, Isang Litrong Liwanag hopes to cause a revolt from darkness.