How many families are finding their way out of the dark
AT A GLANCE
Let there be light. — Genesis 1:3
It’s not unknown that Filipinos in different parts of the country still have no access to electricity.
Children have a hard time studying due to the lack of electricity, parents squeeze in chores during the day to utilize daylight, and families move around with more difficulty in the dark during the night. These remain a daily reality for families across the Philippines and continue to be a dilemma for many households.
For Panasonic, finding solutions to lived realities such as electricity inaccessibility is a challenge that needs to be taken on. In 2013, it launched the BG-BL03 Solar LED Lantern, a solar-powered rechargeable lantern that doubles as a charger for households that live without electricity daily.
Since its release, the lantern has become a major part of the brand’s efforts to better the lives of Filipinos. “The lantern was primarily developed by our headquarters in Japan as a means to provide awareness on the possible use of renewable energy,” says Panasonic human resources manager Mike Borja. “With the small lanterns and solar panels, a lot of homes will improve and will get better.”
Panasonic brand ambassador Gary Valenciano, Shining Light Foundation Inc. president and
chairman of the board Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano, Panasonic president Kazuya Higami,
Panasonic executive director for finance and admin Atsushi Kozuma, and Panasonic director
Angelo Tamayo
This 2023, the brand is partnering with Shining Light Foundation to supply 150 families in Antipolo, Rizal with these lanterns. This partnership further highlights how carefully developed technologies can create opportunities, foster remarkable moments, and help improve people’s lives. It also marks five years since the successful completion of the company’s 100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project, which brought the same lanterns to various communities across 30 countries. It also serves as an exciting continuation of this ambitious project to bring sustainable light to more Filipino families.
With the addition of the lantern to Filipino households, children can now study better, and families can move around more easily and live more comfortably in well-lit homes with electricity within their reach.
