Give the gift of light this Christmas

A world without light might be unimaginable, especially to Filipinos. After all, many of us live in places where there are lighted parols and twinkling lights at every step, and even extravagant light shows in the parks during the months of November and December.

But surprisingly, there are still 16 million Filipinos who yearn for light not just for decorations during the holidays but also for year-round practical use in their homes and communities.

The initial spark for the Liter of Light Project

In 2011, MyShelter Foundation received a partnership grant from its pioneering sponsor Pepsi Philippines to provide sustainable lighting solutions through the Liter of Light project. The original “day light” (a plastic bottle filled with bleach which defracts and magnifies the natural light of the sun into homes) has been upgraded to provide light when it is needed the most – at night. This is made possible through the attachment of solar panels and a simple circuit to power an LED light inserted into the bottle.

This simple technology is able to provide up to 10 hours of light at night and could last up to 3 years.

Within the last 4 years, Pepsi has helped the foundation put up over 190,000 lights in 95,000 homes, affecting more than 475,000 people in the Philippines. Due to the simplicity and adaptability of this technology, this program branched out and is currently spreading light in 24 countries worldwide.

Aside from that, solar-powered gasera-style LED lanterns with no carbon emissions were provided, as well as over 500 “moonlights” that children can wear during their early morning treks to their schools.

Recently there has been increase in clamor for Liter of Light, and so Pepsi Philippines sent its associates from nearby Tanauan, Leyte to install community street lights and to give out solar lanterns in Barangay Maasin in Leyte, in partnership with the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

The 20 Pepsi volunteers were able to contribute 240 volunteer hours to light up a whole community.

Another partnership made was with the Miss Earth Pageant. It’s a fitting collaboration between Pepsi, Liter of Light, and Miss Earth to drive up awareness on simple solar lighting solutions. With 2015 Miss Earth Angelia Ong, as well as 5 delegates, the accompanying Pepsi volunteers were able to produce 25 solar bottle lights in the TESDA Women’s Center in Taguig in only 90 minutes.

A Liter of Light Christmas

This Christmas, superstars Daniel Padilla, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Yassi Pressman join Pepsi in its Liter of Light project to give much-needed Christmas cheer. Every purchase of the Pepsi 1.5L bottle will help bring solar-powered lights to communities without access to electricity.