Team H20 Catalysts at the turnover of the rainwater harvesting project to SHL Resto­ration VillageTo commemorate International Day of Climate Action, we highlight the milestones of the winning teams of “Ideathon 2021: Innovate for the Climate”—Team Sustainababes and Team H20 Catalysts of Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas (LPU-B).

Team Sustainababes won as the Top Climate Innovator in Sustainable Energy-Youth Challenge while Team H20 Catalysts was named Top Climate Innovator in Water Sufficiency-Youth Challenge on top of receiving the Mentors’ Choice Award.
Team Sustainababes
On their last year in senior high in LPU-B, Shainne Maica Ayap, Trisha Quival, Ma. Beatriz Antonette Baxa and Shane Dennisse Ramirez thought of a climate action project that would address warmer temperatures, higher electricity bills and higher demand of cooling systems. They proposed the Fandora Eco Cooler, an alternative cooling system that they can offer to their community.
The cooler is made out of scrap plastics and is powered by solar energy. It has an evaporative cooling system that will help homes become more comfortable through lowered temperatures. The design of the Fandora Eco Cooler is economically and environmentally friendly as it provides a natural and energy-efficient means of cooling that will also lessen greenhouse gas emissions.
The team was able to develop the prototype in July 2022. Despite the difficulty in accessing tools and the intricacies of the design, their mentors—Hilda Carreon, Brenda Valerio and Paula Valencia of New Energy Nexus; their partner engineer; LPU-B; and First Gen Corporation through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—made the Fandora Eco Cooler possible.
“It was the first time any of my team members have joined an ideathon. We gained new experiences and knowledge that we’d be able to use in our careers. Furthermore, we took time to research and understand what climate change is and how it affects the Earth. Through what we’ve learned, we wanted to help not only a small community but, if possible, everyone. Our long-term goal is to sustain and maintain the planet through a series of small steps,” said Ayap.
Team Sustainababes will continue to collaborate with more groups to further develop the Fandora Eco Cooler.
Team H20 Catalysts
Another reason to celebrate International Day of Climate Action is Team H20 Catalysts’ successful turnover of their rainwater harvesting project to the community of Sotero H. Laurel (SHL) Restoration Village, Batangas City.
Johanna Lim, Alessa Angelyn Cay, Karen Perez, Zandra Nicole Sagun and Alliah Denylle Toledo joined “Ideathon 2021: Innovate for the Climate” when they were Grade 12 students at LPU-B. They proposed a rainwater harvesting system and a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program.
The team saw the need to help their chosen community as it was struggling with water insecurity and poor accessibility. The community is prone to water-related diseases and is badly affected whenever disasters strike and contaminate their water pipes. Their rainwater harvesting system and WASH program will allow the community to have fast access to safe and clean water in times of disaster and preserve a hygienic environment.
Team H20 Catalysts was able to finish and bestow their project to the community because of their hard work and the collaboration among the team, the LPU-B Community Extension Office, their mentor Yang Villa of Isle Utilities and First Gen CSR.
“Participating in the ideathon is a great opportunity for us, H20 Catalysts. We were able to develop innovative solutions to problems, particularly water insufficiency, in our chosen community—SHL Restoration Village. Lastly, completing the rainwater harvesting and WASH program and handing it over to our chosen community.
. . allowed us to see the value of our work first-hand. It gave us great satisfaction to realize that our work has made a difference in people’s lives. We also learned a lot from the process, which will be invaluable in future projects,” the members said.
The team is actively monitoring the project and is looking forward to partnering with other organizations and the local government unit to scale up the project to benefit more communities.
Team Sustainababes’ Fandora Eco Cooler

(Story/Photos by:Dianne Datu)