Hike for Light

SM cares is the arm of SM Supermalls where its program serves not only as the retail industry leader but it also acts as a catalyst towards positive change in the Philippines. With this goal, SM Prime and SM Supermalls, through SM Cares Committee on the Environment, together with Hike for Light visited Mt. Apo National Park from February 10 to 13.

 

The collaboration between SM Cares sand  Hike for Light has provided lights to mountain areas with no electricity. (Please include names to the most important SM and Hike for Light people)

 

Hike for Light provides 500 lights for 500 families

During the hike, 40 Solar Ambassadors conducted a clean-up drive in the park. These Solar Ambassadors are environmentally-minded and renowned mountain climbers who represent different regions of the Philippines. These Solar Ambassadors were lead by Kaya ng Pinoy, the group behind the first Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition. They were able to collect bags and piles of trashes left carelessly by other hikers and visitors. "SM truly supported the project. They financed the solar lanterns distributed in the Mt. Apo communities. They covered the fees for the climbers that allowed these volunteers to clean-up the Mt. Apo National Park," Stifftung Solarenergie Program Manager and OIC Chinie Canivel said in a statement.

Hike for Light was supported by environmentally minded Solar Ambassadors who are  renowned mountain climbers from the different regions of the Philippines.

At the same time, solar systems were supplied to six communities living on the 6 peaks in the Philippines--Mt. Apo, Mt. Dulang-Dulang, Mt. Kanlaon, Mt. Madja-as, Mt. Pulag and Mt. Guiting-Guiting. These solar lanterns are durable and shock-proof solar lamps that store the sun's energy which can be used in lights and some USB powered devices like cellphones. Hike for Light also distributed 44 lanterns to United Sugarcane Planters Development Cooperation (USPDC) that they can use for disaster and risk reduction during emergency response operations. Sitio Sabwag, located at the jump-off point for Mt. Apo, also received two solar lanterns.

Hike for Light gives access to a reliable source of light for families living in the mountains.

Partner organizations like Philippine Eagle Foundation sponsored a reforestation project that encouraged families to plant 250 seedlings on a 0.25 hectare. The twenty families with the most number of seedlings planted received a solar lantern.
Hike for Light was a campaign lead by Stifftung Solarenergie, an international foundation who pioneered sustainable electricity for rural development. Hike for Light's mission is to distribute 500 solar lanterns to mountain areas with no electricity. 

 Six communities living in six peaks of the Philippines were supplied solar systems that can be used to store energy supply through the collaboration between SM Cares and Hike for Light

xoxo, Mia