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Panasonic Corporation is committed to the 100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project to donate a total of 100 thousand solar lanterns to the world's non-electrified areas by the company’s 100th anniversary in 2018. Around 5,000 solar lanterns have been delivered to the Philippines from fiscal year 2014 to 2015, and they help light up rural places in the nation with supports of Panasonic’s volunteer employees.
Last fiscal year, a total of 2,392 solar lanterns were delivered to the Philippines and similar numbers are scheduled for donation this year as well. As a part of these efforts, on September 5, 2015, five volunteer employees of Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation (PMPC) visited and donated solar lanterns to indigenous people living in the off-grid village of Magata in Tanay municipality of Rizal province on Luzon Island.
Magata Village locates about 50km east from the capital of Manila, is a mountain village home to 480 indigenous people. Until now, the people in this village without electricity had only the light of kerosene lamps and flashlights, which greatly limited health and medical services provided at night, not to mention increased risk. Magata is supported in the areas of health and medical care by one of last year's solar lanterns recipients, Integrative Medicine for Alternative Healthcare Systems (INAM) and the village was chosen once again to receive the recent donation
These solar lanterns, based on PMPC employees proposal were decorated with handmade lantern shades with images and messages drawn by 20 of its employees. The lanterns gave courage to the villagers who without access to electricity face much harsher conditions in comparison to those in the city in terms of safety, health, and education.
Panasonic, together with employees and the general public, will continue to deliver solar lanterns to people of the world living without electricity.
