29 November 2013
As an early present, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and My Shelter Foundation will distribute several units of solar night lights to some communities affected by powerful typhoon Yolanda to brighten up their Christmas.
The joint project plans to initially produce 1,300 solar night lights to be given to Leyte and Samar, and select communities in the country's poorest municipalities. Distribution will continue as production of the lights proceed with available funding.
"Light is a basic need. When there is light you can move around, you can be productive," Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, said in an event organized on Friday (November 29) to showcase the production of the solar lights at the TESDA Complex in Taguig City.
"The list of what's lacking in tent cities and makeshift shelters of the typhoon survivors is long, but near the top is light. TESDA and My Shelter are doing their share of helping," he said.
During the event, the covered court serving as a multi-purpose hall at the TESDA Complex was transformed into a production area to display how the solar night lights were assembled.
Trainees from the TESDA Women's Center, several persons with disabilities and students from the University of Sto. Tomas and the Malayan Colleges worked on their solar upgrade kits to produce the lights ready for distribution. A total of 1,000 kits were assembled that day.
To spread the use of the technology, hands-on training on how to assemble the solar light was conducted by TESDA trainers side by side the production line.
Villanueva and My Shelter Foundation executive director Illac Diaz took part in the activity.
TESDA and My Shelter Foundation earlier gave several units of the solar lights to families in Tacloban City, but they said they are aiming for mass distribution soonest.
Diaz said the lighting of the homes will be timed with the country's commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, who began the revolution for independence. With the project, the country is now embarking on a new green revolution, he added.
Diaz's group earlier started the Liter of Light project that uses bulb and plastic bottles. The design features a solar lamp that uses solar energy to power the lamp that will illuminate the bottle at night.
"Rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged provinces is not an easy task, but a flicker of light, in this case, a single solar-powered light, is a good way to start," Villanueva said.
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