Light from the sun for Yolanda-affected families

MANILA, Philippines - They’re innovative, well-designed, functional, extremely cost-efficient – and kind to the environment.Until Dec. 2, MyShelter Foundation (MSF), in partnership with the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council, showcases innovative solar lamps powered by Philips at the Philippine Bamboo Exhibit 2014 at the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP) in the Cultural Center Complex along Roxas Blvd.

These creative lamps made of styrene sheets and bamboo paper use 100 percent solar powered LED lights developed by Philips. During the launch of the exhibit last month, Illac Diaz of MyShelter Foundation shared how this initiative celebrates the fusion of Filipino creativity with Philips solar technology.

“The idea is for us to later on teach people how to assemble solar lights for livelihood so that communities can create an emergency lighting solution in case of disasters. Being able to combine homegrown talent and the amazing creativity of Filipinos with technology opens up opportunities for a more sustainable way of using green light solutions in the country,” says Diaz.

With MyShelter Foundation winning the  “Innovations that Matter to You” initiative by Royal Philips through its affiliate, Philips Electronics & Lighting, Inc. (Philips Philippines), Diaz worked with Philips to use the one-of-a-kind Philips solar LED cards to innovate MSF’s existing Liter of Light DIY solar lighting project.

“Since April, Philips and MSF have been sitting down as a team with one goal in mind – to deliver the very first Philips meaningful innovation that will affect change in the quality of lives of families in the Visayas affected by Yolanda,” says Fabia Tetteroo-Bueno, country manager of Philips Philippines.

The collaboration has yielded remarkable results with the turnover of the Philips solar LED cards and both parties are bound to put together its other components such as batteries, solar panels and enclosure to have a complete functioning system for the Visayas.

Moreover, the creation of the Philips solar LED cards fulfills another objective of the partnership, which is to increase the efficiency of assembly while keeping costs low. Eight components from the old design were reduced to just three, including the LED card and new enclosure. The time to build the lamp was reduced from two hours to 30 minutes and both parties believe that this can still be reduced to 15 minutes.

“We are happy to update the public that we have entered our product design and testing stage, with the very first usage of the newest Philips LED card on solar lamps currently installed at the DCP,” shares Bueno. “The creatively designed solar lamps displayed at the Philippine Bamboo Exhibit show the great progress in setting the stage to bring this innovation to Yolanda-affected areas.”

Using a community livelihood program where beneficiaries are taught skills to build solar lights, Diaz and Philips Philippines aim to bring light to the Filipino families affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda by December 2014. The Solar Night Light Project by the ‘Meaningful Innovations’ program is expected to light up 5,000 homes. These two passionate giants have set the bar high to fuel hope for families in the Visayas.

“Having enough light allows you to do things in life,” says Bueno. “Because of the technology that we are continuously working on, it has ignited the fire to keep on pushing boundaries to light up people’s lives.”