Europe Award 2022 for Clean and Green Energy
The Renewable Energy for Livelihood and Youth (RELY) project, funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German government, has been awarded the Europa Award 2022 for Clean and Green Energy. The Europa Award is recognizing the urgency of sustainability and is in line with the European Commission's efforts towards a European Green Deal. The ECCP (European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines) is organizing its 2022 Europa Awards on 23 June 2022. It aims to promote and recognize companies with exceptional performance and contributions in promoting sustainability in line with global standards and the Philippine Development Plan. The Clean and Green Energy Award is given to a company or project that has helped the Philippines achieve its greenhouse reduction targets by promoting clean energy.
CSR Guild Award for the Improvement of Education
RELY bested two other nominees at the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Guild Awards 2022 on 7 July and won the award for Outstanding CSR Project in Education. The CSR Guild Award, organised by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) in the Philippines, recognises RELY's contribution to improving education through the installation of solar energy in off-grid and remote schools. The new energy source not only ensures good learning in the classrooms, but also gives students access to essential learning tools such as computers.
With the completion of the RELY project in April last year, 16 off-grid and remote schools in Cebu, Bohol and Palawan in the Philippines are now using solar energy. At the time the project ended, some schools in the Philippines were again preparing to hold face-to-face classes after 2 years of distance learning due to COVID 19 restrictions, which can now take place in a better learning environment thanks to RELY.
In order for the outcome of the project to be sustainable, in addition to the solar energy supply and community livelihood components, RELY has also improved technical-vocational training at five national high schools near the off-grid schools. The tech-voc education component establishes a pool of senior high school students with knowledge of solar technology in electrical installation and maintenance. The senior high school students will repair and maintain the solar installation as part of their practical training.
Project RELY was implemented jointly by sequa gGmbH, Vivant Foundation and PROCESS-Bohol. Project implementation began in 2019 and lasted 39 months.
The EU support came under the Access to Sustainable Energy Programme of the EU and the Philippine Government’s Department of Energy.
