It started out as a small project headed by My Shelter Foundation Executive Director Illac Diaz in a small pilot community at San Pedro Laguna (Phillipines), where Mang Demi Solar “Solar Demi” lives. Isang Litrong Liwanag has grown into a viral campaign, spreading across the Philippines and the world, lighting up thousands of homes with a simple formula: used plastic soda bottles, water, bleach.
Isang Litrong Liwanag is a sustainable lighting project that aims to bring the eco-friendly solar bottle bulb to low-income communities. Designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Solar Bottle Bulb is a device based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.
Isang Litrong Liwanag is a sustainable lighting project that aims to bring the eco-friendly solar bottle bulb to low-income communities. Designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Solar Bottle Bulb is a device based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.
There is a continuous problem of access to light and legal electricity by a millions of homes across the globe, whether they are located in urban or rural areas. Small, crowded communities (shanty areas) are often covered in darkness even during the day because of the lack of interior lighting. Where available, using electricity 24 hours a day raises household expenses greatly; especially burdensome where income ranges from minimum wage to less than a dollar a day. Using candles as a light source may be less expensive but creates a fire hazard for the entire community.
The solar bottle bulb is quickly fabricated from a recyclable plastic soda bottle; corrugated metal sheet; and a solution of water, chlorine, and salt. At test sites the project produces an almost viral effect by having people clamoring for the technology and reproducing it themselves. Local governments are able to act on the demand and assist in expanding installations within the community and into the next one.
By using daylighting a household can save on its expenses, reduce risk, and maximize its potential during the day. Residents can work on domestic chores; children can study under better light; and households and small-scale businesses can save on their monthly expenses.
Outreach
As the project grows bigger, Isang Litrong Liwanag doesn’t stop at traditional NGO campaigns and efforts. Can an NGO with limited resources and personnel help a million beneficiaries without a multimillion infrastructure? This viral lighting technology is spread rapidly through social media, where volunteerism and self-empowerment thrive. The project has launched its improved website with a distinctly Filipino twist. Entertaining not only local but also international audiences.
Another twist is the newly released music video with the project’s official song. Performed by rock artist Raimund Marasigan and Aia de Leon, the song shows the realities a typical Filipino family faces and the impact of this simple technology in improving their day-to-day lives.
These two non-traditional efforts are part of the foundation’s kick-off to set a world record on the 30th of November. Partnered with the Rotary Club District 3830 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Isang Litrong Liwanag is set to light up 10,000 homes from 30 communities in 17 cities in one day.
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