Two Philippine energy projects won the Energy Globe Award 2015 — the largest and most important environmental prize in the world.
The Energy Globe Foundation gave the 2015 National Award for the Philippines to “Bell and Bottle: Low cost early warning system for landslide prone communities in remote areas.” The project is by Dr. David Manalo of the Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute (FSSRI) of the University of the Philippines- Los Banos.
The second National Award was given to “Rainforestation: A community-based forest restoration initiative on Negros Island” by Apolinario Carino from the non-profit Pederasyon sa Nagkahiusang mga Mag-uuma nga Nanalipud ug Nagpasig-uli sa Kinaiyahan Inc. (Penagmannaki).
The Energy Globe Foundation cited Manalo’s Bell and Bottle innovation which is used an early warning system for hard-to-reach landslide communities where transportation and advanced communication facilities are inadequate. The foundation recognized how people were trained to use an empty soda bottle which is cut into half and turned upside down to identify the critical rainfall rate where landslides will probably occur. If the rainfall readings reach critical level, the people will hit the bells to inform the community to prepare for an evacuation.
The Bell and the Bottle early warning system saved no less than 20 villages where no casualties were reported since the project’s installation.
The Negros project involves farming restoration through native or indigenous tree planting combined with agricultural crops. The Foundation said Carino’s rainforestation site in Negros Oriental verified that endemic and indigenous trees can be planted alongside fruit-bearing trees and crops that are profit generating which also provides livelihood opportunities for the community.
The two winners received a certificate from the Energy Globe Foundation signed by the foundation’s Jury chairperson Maneka Gandhi and Energy Globe’s founder, Wolfgang Neumann. The Energy Globe Certificate is an internationally recognized hallmark for sustainability. Over 170 countries participated in this year’s awards with over 1,500 project submissions.
The Energy Globe Foundation was founded by Wolfgang Neumann, an Austrian energy pioneer; The awards given by the foundation focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
