WIND & WAVES

Young inventors LOUIE VILLALON and PATRICK DE GUZMAN want to make a positive impact on the Philippines' energy crisis

- DANIELLE RAMOS

"I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF, 'What is the problem?' And then, after identifying the problem, 'How can I help?" Louie Villalon shares.

Villalon and Patrick De Guzman know that changing even a small part of the world requires a constant process of tinkering, creating, and innovating.

The two young inventors are using their technical skills to develop resourceful solutions to the Philippines' energy challenges, approaching problems one step at a time.

Louie's approach reflects the understanding that change requires a commitment to identifying problems and finding solutions. "I still solve every challenge step by step because you can't solve it all in one go," the 30-year-old mechanical engineer says.

Villalon co-founded Dali Innovative Solutions in 2021, a start-up dedicated to delivering renewable energy to off-grid communities in the Philippines. Its star invention is a smallscale energy solution called VORTEX, short for Versatile and Offshore Recyclable Turbine for Exergy. Utilizing recycled plastic materials, the product harnesses the power of the wind to create electricity. Now at stages of development, with a pilot model currently funded by Shell and being tested in a facility in Mindoro, Dali hopes to be able to help Philippine fisherfolk power lights on their bangkas [small native boats].