(This article is available in English and Korean.)

[in English]

Jovie Gil Montajes left a high-paying corporate job in 2018 to become a social entrepreneur. At the time, he was working as a Worldwide Level 3 Solutions Engineer for a private company in Cebu, Philippines. “I am blessed to have a strong support system and my wife and two daughters, ages eight and six have propelled me to pursue my dream that will benefit future generations and help Filipinos living without electricity,” Jovie explained.

Cebu, located some 21 hours ferry ride Southeast from the capital city of Manila, is comprised of small island communities. In the coastal areas communities are dependent on fishing for their livelihood while those in mountainous areas engage in farming. On average households earn an income of Php 2,082 (USD 37) per month. Access to affordable electricity has been an issue for most remote communities and this is exactly what Jovie wanted to change.

Being an engineer, Jovie focused on developing innovative technologies to respond to the challenges of his home province. “In 2019 I designed the portable Cloudgrid solar kit system that has so far provided clean and affordable energy access to 225 off-the-grid households,” Jovie shared. “I named my grassroots-based social enterprise Light of Hope PH because the light source generated from the portable solar kit improves residents’ living conditions and allows them to hope for a better future,” he said.

Jovie’s innovative product and business plan won in the GGGI Greenpreneurs competition in 2021. Greenpreneurs is a 12-week virtual incubator program run by GGGI which supports young people to develop social enterprise solutions that address sustainability and climate change issues in their communities. Several teams from around the world are selected to participate in the weekly learning modules that include webinars and tasks as well as weekly coaching from mentors and subject matter experts. At the end of the program, teams compete for a chance to receive prize money to further expand their initiatives. “As Greenpreneurs winner, my team was awarded USD 5,000 which allowed me to expand my social enterprise to serve more communities in other remote areas,” Jovie explained. The program introduced the value of sustainability to Jovie’s team, which is an important component for Light of Hope PH to be able to continue making long-term, positive impact in the community and the environment.

In 2022, Jovie submitted a project proposal during the second grant cycle of the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) – Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (BKCF). GGGI’s Philippines office provided technical expertise and helped Jovie draft a high-quality proposal. Jovie’s project titled ‘Off-grid Solar Home Systems Deployment in Disaster Vulnerable Low-income Communities in Surigao Province, Mindanao’ was eventually selected as one of the eight projects from a total of 62 projects to be awarded with a grant prize which collectively total USD 3 million.

“Surigao is one of the provinces that is affected by typhoons every year. In 2021, it was ravaged by super typhoon Odette/Rai which severely damaged infrastructures in coastal areas,” Jovie explained. “Before deploying the Cloudgrid solar kit, our team first conducts community assessment through seminars and orientations to familiarize the communities and development partners of the benefits to them and corresponding responsibilities,” he added. “We also offer affordable terms of payment and communities only have to pay Php 300 (USD 6) a month to ensure continuous clean energy access,” he added with joy.

GGGI’s Philippines office will serve as both the implementing partner and fund manager for Jovie’s project, which will receive USD 300,000 out of the US $3 million BKCF grant. Jovie’s two-year project, which will begin implementation in 2023, will positively impact 1,000 families or about 5,000 residents in the island communities of Surigao del Norte Province.

Jovie has come a long way from being a Greenpreneurs mentee to GGGI’s development partner, making a difference in the lives of thousands of Filipinos by ensuring energy security in the most climate-vulnerable communities.

The BKCF, established in 2021, aims to promote inclusive and balanced growth in the East ASEAN Growth Areas (EAGA) as well as enhance connectivity among ASEAN countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

[한국어]

희망의 빛, 필리핀 Greenpreneur 우승작으로 선정

2018년, 조비 길 몬타헤스(Jovie Gil Montajes)는 고연봉 직장을 그만두고 사회적 기업가가 되기로 결심했다. 당시 세부의 한 사기업에서 레벨 3 솔루션 엔지니어로 근무하던 때였다. 그는 가족들의 전폭적인 지지 아래 꿈을 향한 여정을 시작했다. “운이 좋았어요. 제 아내와  8살 그리고 6살 딸 아이들 모두 저의 꿈을 진심으로 응원해 주었습니다. 저의 꿈이 미래 세대 뿐만 아니라 전기를 사용하지 못하고 있는 필리핀 사람들에게도 도움을 줄 수 있었으면 좋겠습니다” 라고 조비가 말했다. 작은 섬들로 이루어진 세부는 수도 마닐라에서 배를 타고 약 21시간이 걸린다. 대부분의 지역이 어업과 농업 등의 1차 산업에 의존하여 생계를 이어 나가고 있다. 평균 가구 수입 또한 2,082Php ($37) 로 매우 낮은 편이다.

조비는 기술 개발 혁신을 통해 세부의 문제를 해결하고자 했다. “2019년에는 휴대용 클라우드 그리드 태양광 키트 시스템을 개발하였습니다. 이를 통해 총 225개의 가정에 깨끗하고 저렴한 에너지를 공급할 수 있었습니다.” 며 “저희는 필리핀 농업 지역에서 활동하는 사회적 기업, 희망의 빛(Light of hope) 입니다. 저희의 빛이 주민들의 삶과 미래를 밝힐 수 있기를 바라는 마음을 담은 이름입니다.“ 라고 설명하였다. 

조비는 획기적인 제품과 사업 계획서로 2021년 Global Green Growth Institute(GGGI)가 주최한 Greenpreneur 대회에서 우승을 거머쥐었다. Greenpreneur는 GGGI가 운영/주관하는 12주간의 가상 인큐베이터 프로그램이다. 전 세계 청년들로 이루어진 각 팀들은 지역 사회의 지속 가능성과 기후 변화 솔루션에 대하여 고찰해 볼 기회를 갖게 된다. 웹 세미나, 과제 등을 포함한 주간 학습 모듈, 전문가 멘토 코칭에도 참가할 수 있다. 프로그램 마지막에는 사업 확장을 위한 상금을 걸고 팀 별 경쟁이 벌어진다. “ 저희는 상금 5,000달러를 소외된 지역 사회를 활성화시키는 데 사용하고 싶어요.” 라며 “이번 Greenpreneur를 통해 지속가능성의 가치에 대해 알 수 있었습니다. 지역 사회는 물론 환경에 긍정적, 장기적인 영향을 주는 중요한 요소라고 생각합니다.” 라고 말했다.

한편 2022년, 조비는 BIMP-EAGA-ROK Cooperation Fund (브루나이, 인도네시아, 말레이시아, 필리핀 동아세안 성장지역 대상대한민국 협력기금, BKCF)의 두 번째 보조금 주기에 프로젝트 제안서를 제출했다. 그는 GGGI 필리핀 사무소의 기술적 도움 아래 양질의 제안서를 작성할 수 있었다. 이를 통해 ‘민다나오주 수해 취약 저소득 지역의 오프그리드 태양광 가정용 시스템 설치‘ 사업은 총 62개 사업 중 최종 8개 사업의 하나로 선정되어 총 30만 달러의 보조금을 지원받게 된다.  

“수리가오는 매년 태풍으로 피해가 막심한 지역입니다. 예로, 2021년 태풍 수해약탄/라이라이는 바다 근처 지역의 인프라를 모두 마비시켰습니다.” 며 “저희는 해당 서비스 설치에 앞서 이익은 물론 동반되는 책임에 대해서도 알리고 싶었습니다. 이를 위해 개발 파트너들을 대상으로 세미나와 오리엔테이션을 실시하여 지역 사회 평가를 진행할 예정입니다.”라고 말했다. “저희는 저렴한 가격으로 양질의 서비스를 제공하고 있습니다. 주민들은 매달 단돈 300Php ($6)로 친환경 에너지를 지속적으로 사용할 수 있습니다.” 라고 덧붙였다.

GGGI 필리핀 지역 사무소는 조비의 사업 수행 파트너 및 자금 관리자로서 활동할 예정이다. 프로젝트는 2023년부터 시작되어 해당 섬 지역의 약 1,000가구(약 5,000명)에게 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 것으로 전망한다. 

조비는 Greenpreneur 멘티로 참가하여 현재 GGGI의 개발 파트너로 활동하고 있다. 긴 여정이었다. 그는 안정적인 에너지 확보를 통해 기후 취약 지역인 필리핀 주민들에게 ‘희망의 빛’ 이 되었다. 

2021년 출범한 BKCF는 동아세안 성장 지역(EAGA)에서 포괄적이고 균형 있는 성장 촉진을 목표로 한다. 브루나이, 인도네시아, 말레이시아, 필리핀을 포함한 아세안 국가 간의 연결성을 향상시키기 위해 노력하고 있다. 

BKCF에 대해 더 알아보기:
외교부 BKCF | GGGI BKCF