Initiative brightens up mountain areas

CEBU, Philippines - Residents of Laguera, Busay in Cebu City would end their 11 years of experiencing dark nights with the help of plastic bottles and clear water.

Electronics and communications engineering students from the University of San Jose-Recoletos voluntarily conducted the "liter of light" project to give light to the dark households in some of Cebu City's mountain barangays.

ECE professor Engr. Efren Barabat said that the Liter of Light Foundation headed by actor and model Illac Angelo Diaz coordinated with them and asked for their help to make pieces of  liter of  light.

Citing the project would do well for the community and for enhancing the skills of the students, ECE department chairman Engr. Reynaldo Ruedas eventually echoed the good news to his co-faculty. From there, the project was then put to a launch. 

For Barabat, making solar-powered lights was easy for it doesn't require a person to be an electronics engineer to make this kind of innovation.

"Dili kinahanglang engineer gyud ka, basta kahibaw lang ka mosulda, dali ra na siya buhaton," Barabat said.

These solar-powered lights were made through assembling a circuit, a double A battery that has three volts and above, one light-emitting diode (LED), one liter of a plastic bottle that contains clear water (to spread the light), a thin hose to house the LED, and most importantly, a solar panel.

The life span of these solar-powered lights is two to three years.

Josenians already made and gave over 400 solar-powered lights for the households of Busay Hills. They have also dispersed 33 street lights.

The making of  these solar-powered lights costs P600-700 because the solar panel costs P250 while the battery costs P350. Other materials will not be bought anymore for they can be found in the house.

The USJ-R Institute of Non-Formal Education and Community Outreach Program department provided the funds to make this project possible.

Due to the effectiveness of these solar-powered lights, the ECE department widened its knowledge by conducting experiments to further improve the solar-powered lights and to make other designs like that of a fluorescent lamp and bulb and storm surge equipment.

"Amo siyang gi-experimentohan, gibutangan namo'g chlorine ba, mura na siya’g fluorescent light, mas miputi na siya'g maayo," said.  — Melissa Q. Cabahug, USJ-R MassComm Intern (FREEMAN)