Tricia Mae Visperas May 6, 2019

Sec 21
LITER OF LIGHT
I. Introduction

 Practical Background of the Advocacy

When I was in senior high school, we have a subject named Applied Research,
where we were required to make our own thesis. Our teacher asked all of us to list
down some simple problems that we encounter in our daily life. I live in the
province of Pangasinan and our place have sufficient access in electricity but we
don’t have enough streetlights; it bothers me because I always got home late and I
always walk in darkness for about 5 minutes just to reach our house. As I search
for the topic for our thesis, I discovered the Liter of Light and gradually, I felt
inspired about its advocacy because they help people in a way that they don’t make
them stagnant, but in a way that they impart knowledge so that the people can make
use of it in their daily lives or can use it to make a living.

 Historical Background of the Advocacy

Alfredo Moser is the one who had the original idea of Liter of Light in 2002, it
consists of giving plastic bottles full of water and bleach (to prevent algae from
growing in the water) to households and schools in areas without access to
electricity. This method can also be of use in areas where there’s insufficient access
to electricity or if people can’t afford to pay for electricity bills. One bottle is
inserted into a whole made in the roof of the house, and provides the equivalent of
a 55-Watt bulb during the day, with the sunlight refracting through the water in the
bottle and into the house.

Then, a Filipino named Iliac Diaz, a social

entrepreneur who works in the ASEAN region to
empower cities through his works, adapt its idea and
innovate the idea of Moser by using solar panel and
battery as its source of power so that people can use it
at night. At 44 years old, from Peru to the Philippines,
his NGO Liter of Light has already helped 382,000
Filipinos, and 690,000 people throughout the world, to
get out of energy poverty.
What is Liter of Light?

Illac's latest project is a sustainable lighting project called "Liter of Light," which aims to
bring green, zero carbon, no electricity lighting to homes at a low cost by distributing Solar Bottle
Bulbs made of plastic bottles to communities worldwide. It is a safe and affordable lighting option,
made of a small solar panel, a second-hand battery gathered from partner electronics stores, and a
wire connected to a LED lamp, refracting the light through a recycled plastic bottle.

Liter of light is a social business that is created and designed to address a social problem.
Beyond the income collected from its lamps, this social business allows poor communities to create
new economic activities for themselves. The initial installation of the lamps is either financed by
private donors, companies, public institutions, or by the community itself.

In a groups of 5 women, Liter of Light asks for a deposit of 20% margin on top of its own
purchasing costs for solar lamps and its parts, in order to account for administrative expenses. The
women then assemble the lamps, and can sell them to reimburse the micro-credits made to the
community. Those lamps cost around 3,900 Pesos for a solar street lamp, or 3,100 Pesos for a
household lamp. As for the parts, a spare LED bulb that can last over two years costs only 50 to
100 Pesos, and the spare battery about 700 Pesos and will last over four years. By managing their
stock, the payback on the micro-credits, the installation and the repairs, those women become
entrepreneurs of their own, while also contributing to the improvement of the living conditions of
the community.
 II. Audience to Communicate

The audience is from the village of Rizal which is less than two hours north of
Metro Manila, in the Philipines. Rizal and the neighboring communities of Mabolo,
Bagong Sigla and Malasia in the Barangay of Puray (the smallest administrative unit in the
Philippines), used to live with the sun, as about 30% of Filipinos not yet connected to an
electricity grid, that is why these villages is suitable for the project. Most men leave the
village during the week to work in the neighboring hills since their source of income is by
making coal from trees or by growing vegetables. Women stay home and take care of the
household, while kids go to school and help their parents during the weekend.

III. Advantages in Joining

A. They can use the knowledge they gained in their daily life for them to save money, to
use light that is safer than using candles and kerosene.

Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2

Figure 1.1 shows the family uses Liter of Light while in the Figure 1.2, the family uses
candles as the source of their light at night.

B. The liter of light can contribute in human

development especially to their children who
are studying during the night.

C. It allows the poor communities to create new

economic activities for themselves.
D. While the men work outside the house to make
a living, this advocacy can also help women to get a better role to play in their
household by reproducing the liter of light which can make them social entrepreneurs.
IV. Activities they can join

A. Seminar about the solar energy

Our group will conduct a seminar regarding what solar energy is and how it works
to widen the knowledge of the audiences that they still can have lights even without
using or having an access to electricity. This activity will be held on June 2 at the
barangay hall in barangay Puray at 8:00 in the morning.

B. Seminar about the liter of light

Our group will also orient well what is the project all about and its purposes. We
will inform them that the initial installation of the lamps is either financed by private
donors, companies, public institutions, or by the community itself. With proper
orientation, the community will be well-informed and prepared in making the solar
lamp. This activity will be held on June 3 at the barangay hall in barangay Puray at
8:00 in the morning.

C. Step by step process in making a solar lamp

In this activity, we will be discussing them the important information about the
product like its lifespan, the minimum of hours each day the battery sustain, the list of
materials needed, the place where they could buy if they want to reproduce and the
costs of it. The team will demonstrate the process and will guide the community in
making the solar lamp. This activity will be held on June 4 at the barangay hall in
barangay Puray at 8:00 in the morning.

V. Conclusion

Our world is full of resources so let’s use it wisely and using solar energy is a choice
that you won’t regret because of its benefits that you and your family will gain and its help
to our environment. The purpose of this project will not be achieved without your help and
cooperation. Let us unite and help each other in widening our knowledge and skills in
making solar bottle bulbs so that together, we can be the solution to the problem that our
community is facing. I believe that this project will help communities to have a brighter
household and a brighter future by giving light to the communities that have no access to
electricity.