Editor’s note: To celebrate 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, a solar-lights installation of the Santo Niño de Cebu is on display at SM Seaside City Cebu on April 26 and 27. Below is their press release.

Hand-built solar lights illuminated the sky as the Liter of Light, a Filipino-born global grassroots solar-lighting movement, unveiled the largest solar tribute to Santo Niño de Cebu in commemorating 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

“SM Seaside City Cebu is honored to be a partner of [the] Liter of Light organization in its effort to build the largest solar tribute to the Santo Niño de Cebu to commemorate the 500 years of Christianity (500 YOC).  The theme of the 500 YOC is ‘Gifted to Give’ and it is…truly appropriate that the Liter of Light has gifted and given more than 350,000 lights in 15 countries all over the world. This monumental collaboration [was] truly given more significance as SM Seaside City Cebu and the Liter of Light organization join the Filipino nation in celebrating 500 years of Christianity,” said Marissa N. Fernan, Vice President, SM Prime Holdings Inc.

The first of its kind in the province, the solar-lights installation was built by thousands of participants who joined the Liter of Light’s “Light it Forward” challenge. The movement seeks to connect people and encourage them to build solar lights for communities without electricity. 

“This would not be possible without SM Seaside City Cebu who has given us a wonderful area to be able to build this largest Santo Niño. The largest mall in Visayas and Mindanao is one with the largest image of the Santo Niño, which is the most sacred image in Cebu,” said Illac Diaz, Liter of Light’s founder and executive director. 

The participative solar artwork is the latest in a series of large-scale solar installations that the Liter of Light has built since November 2020. The lighted image of Santo Niño is on display at SM Seaside City Cebu on April 26 and 27, to be followed by a lighted image of Lapu-Lapu on April 29.

The installation is in partnership with the local government of Cebu City, Philippines Air Asia, Rotary Club of Makati Business District, SM Seaside City Cebu, SM Cares, Dexcom Philippines, Inc., and Lalamove. Collaborating institutions include Rotary Club District 3860, JCI Cebu Sinulog, and Big Seed PR and Events.

For more updates, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow @smsupermalls on all social media platforms. You can also check out www.literoflight.org for more information. – Rappler.com