Cover What began as a lamp powered by saltwater has grown into a broader vision: clean energy designed not for headlines, but for the dignity and resilience of everyday communities (Photo: Courtesy of Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla)
What began as a lamp powered by saltwater has grown into a broader vision: clean energy designed not for headlines, but for the dignity and resilience of everyday communities (Photo: Courtesy of Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla)
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A simple lamp powered by saltwater has become Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla’s challenge to the energy industry, proving sustainability can be practical, inclusive, and designed for everyday life
Engineer, educator, social entrepreneur and Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla has built a career around a deceptively simple idea: innovation should begin with the realities people face every day. Through SALt, her Manila-based venture, she transformed a metal-air lamp powered by saltwater into a compelling statement about what sustainability can look like when designed with communities—not just industries—in mind.
The SALt lamp was first conceived as a solution for households living beyond the reach of conventional electricity. By activating a metal-air battery with ordinary saltwater, the device provides several hours of light without the hazards and cost of kerosene lamps or disposable batteries. Yet its significance extends beyond the technology's mechanics. In a field often dominated by complex systems and large-scale infrastructure, Labastilla’s work reframes clean energy as something that can also be small, practical and immediately useful.
That approach has resonated far beyond the communities it was initially designed to serve. Recognition, such as the 2025 Sustainability Prize in London, helped bring international attention to SALt’s work and marked a turning point for the project. The milestone also paved the way for the release of a retail version of the SALt lamp, allowing the innovation to reach new markets and audiences while maintaining its original purpose.
Above Aisa Mijeno Labastilla reimagines sustainability with SALt, a saltwater lamp bringing light, dignity and practical solutions to off-grid communities (Photo: Courtesy of Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla)
Aisa Mijeno Labastilla reimagines sustainability with SALt, a saltwater lamp bringing light, dignity and practical solutions to off-grid communities (Photo: Courtesy of Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla)
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Labastilla’s journey has unfolded within an engineering landscape where women are still frequently underestimated. Rather than conforming to expectations of what leadership in technology should look like, she has built authority through persistence, empathy and a clear understanding of the people her work is meant to serve. Her story illustrates how meaningful innovation often emerges not from technological spectacle, but from listening closely to the communities most affected by a problem.
Today, SALt stands as a reminder that sustainability is not only about ambitious climate targets or sophisticated infrastructure. It can also be about designing tools that restore dignity, resilience and possibility to daily life. For Labastilla, every lamp that reaches a household represents something larger: proof that thoughtful design—rooted in empathy and practicality—can illuminate new paths for both industry and society.
Q&A
Looking at where your industry is now, where do you feel your work has made the most lasting impact?
I believe SALt’s most lasting impact has been demonstrating that sustainability can be deeply practical, not merely aspirational. In an industry often shaped by complex, high-tech approaches, SALt proved that some of the most transformative innovations are those that remain simple, accessible, and intentionally designed for communities too often excluded from the conversation.
By developing a metal-air-based lamp activated by saltwater, we helped reframe the narrative: clean energy is not only about large-scale infrastructure, but also about resilience, dignity, and everyday survival.
What about your work feels most urgent or necessary today compared to when you first started?
When I began, SALt was focused on addressing a specific need, providing lighting for off-grid communities.
Today, the urgency has grown significantly as we face overlapping global crises: climate change, energy insecurity, and widening inequality. What once seemed niche is now undeniably universal.
Winning the Sustainability Prize in London in 2025 and being part of LIF Global 2025 enabled us to release the retail version of the SALt lamp. That milestone reinforced an essential lesson: sustainable solutions must scale, not remain confined to prototypes.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in your field, and what have they taught you?
As a woman in engineering and innovation, one of the most persistent challenges has been being underestimated, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly. There were moments when I had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, particularly in spaces where leadership and technical authority were assumed to look a certain way.
These experiences taught me resilience, clarity, and the value of building strong communities of support. They also reminded me that representation matters, not only for visibility, but for reshaping who is heard and trusted in innovation.
Above A family uses a SALt lamp to read, study and do home works (Photo: Courtesy of Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla)
A family uses a SALt lamp to read, study and do home works (Photo: Courtesy of Aisa Mijeno-Labastilla)
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Beyond your own projects, how do you hope your journey inspires the next generation of women in your industry?
I hope my journey shows young women that they do not need to fit a predetermined mould to belong in science or technology.
Innovation is not solely about brilliance; it is also about empathy, persistence and purpose. I want them to see that solutions rooted in compassion can be powerful, that leadership can be authentic, and that their voices are not exceptions in the industry, they are necessary.
If SALt inspires even one young woman to believe, “I can build something that matters,” then the impact extends far beyond the lamp itself.
Looking back, is there a moment in your career that stands out as a turning point or a proud milestone?
One of the most defining turning points was standing in London in 2025 to receive the Sustainability Prize. It was more than recognition—it became a catalyst for growth.
That award helped us transition SALt from a mission-driven prototype into a retail product capable of reaching more households and communities.
Beyond the stage, the true milestone was realising that what began as an idea in service of others had become part of a broader global movement toward sustainability and inclusive innovation.
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, Tatler honours 25 remarkable women whose vision and courage are transforming industries, communities and the national conversation—each one taking a decisive step and leaving an enduring mark on Philippine society
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Syrah is Tatler Philippines’ Power & Purpose editor, where she spotlights extraordinary journeys shaping the Philippines and Asia. She covers business, innovation, impact, and culture—chasing the people, ideas and forces shaping how we live and think today.
