The Liter of Light movement aims to connect people and encourage them to build solar lights for communities without the use of electricity.

To celebrate 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, SM Supermalls installed a solar-lights of the Santo Niño de Cebu on display display at SM Seaside City Cebu on April 26 and 27.

Hand-crafted solar lights brightened the sky as the Liter of Light, a Filipino-born global grassroots solar-lighting movement, unveiled the largest solar to give a tribute to Santo Niño de Cebu in commemorating 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

“SM Seaside City Cebu is honored to be a partner of [the] Liter of Light organization in its effort to build the largest solar tribute to the Santo Niño de Cebu to commemorate the 500 years of Christianity (500 YOC).  The theme of the 500 YOC is 'Gifted to Give' and it is...truly appropriate that the Liter of Light has gifted and given more than 350,000 lights in 15 countries all over the world. This monumental collaboration [was] truly given more significance as SM Seaside City Cebu and the Liter of Light organization join the Filipino nation in celebrating 500 years of Christianity,” said Marissa N. Fernan, Vice President, SM Prime Holdings Inc.

The very first of its kind in the province, the solar-lights installation was built by thousands of participants who joined the Liter of Light’s “Light it Forward” challenge.

“This would not be possible without SM Seaside City Cebu who has given us a wonderful area to be able to build this largest Santo Niño. The largest mall in Visayas and Mindanao is one with the largest image of the Santo Niño, which is the most sacred image in Cebu,” says Illac Diaz, Liter of Light’s Founder and Executive Director.

The participative solar artwork is the latest in a series of large-scale solar installations that the Liter of Light has built since November 2020. The lighted image of Santo Niño happens at SM Seaside City Cebu on April 26 and 27, to be followed by a lighted image of Lapu-Lapu on April 29.

The installation is made possible with the local government of Cebu City, Philippines Air Asia, Rotary Club of Makati Business District, SM Seaside City Cebu, SM Cares, Dexcom Philippines, Inc., and Lalamove. Collaborating institutions include Rotary Club District 3860, JCI Cebu Sinulog, and Big Seed PR and Events.