MANILA: A young Filipino’s project on renewable energy has earned a spot in the Youth Sustainable Project (YSUP) Competition 2024 by the delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Jason Occidental is one of the 10 winners of the YSUP competition which collected 152 entries — ranging from medical technology to waste management and mental health — from ASEAN countries.
The 10 best projects were selected based on their relevance to the topics of Global Gateway Priorities and the European Green Deal, as well as their potential to scale, the EU said in a news release.
The projects covered issues on climate and energy, circular economy, health, digital, agricultural, biodiversity, education, and research.
Occidental, together with the other winners, received a series of mentorship on EU-ASEAN Green Business Landscape and Project Communications to further strengthen their respective
projects.
Occidental, through his project titled “Resource Assessment of Pote
ntial Alternative Sources of Energy for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in Mindanao”, encouraged the Filipino youth to actively engage in renewable energy.
His project conducts research to identify suitable renewable energy for different villages.
“This research project is for us to better understand renewable energy designs that are more appropriate in far-flung communities especially in the Southern Philippines,” Occidental said in his video presentation.
“We are trying to use data from automated weather stations as well as satellite internet technology for us to better understand not just the technical but also the social aspects of these communities.”
The project has four installations of small-scale energy systems across southern Philippines.
Each installation aims to provide access to the internet and renewable energy which would contribute to the improvement of quality of life of the host communities.
First launched in 2021, the YSUP Competition provides a platform to bring
ASEAN youth to the forefront of the global stage as the future of ASEAN.
Source: Philippines News Agency
