Muntinlupa National High School

From pollution to solution: This school’s simple and yet novel environmental action yields tangible results

Muntinlupa National High School, a government school in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, has become a powerful force in environmental action, propelling the school and its community towards a greener and healthier future. The oldest and biggest school in the city of Mutinlupa, it sits in the National Bureau of Prison Reservation and caters for students whose relatives are imprisoned or who are relatives of the employees of the prison. Through its simple, affordable, and yet innovative Revitalised Algae Microfarm Project (RevAMP), the school harnesses the potential of microalgae and embraces an integrative approach to education, transforming the school landscape and spearheading tangible solutions to combat pollution and revolutionise climate action.

Situated in one of the most polluted parts of the country, the Metro Manila, Muntinlupa National High School also lacked adequate ventilation systems, where poor quality of air seeped into the classrooms passing through windows and other open spaces, hindering the conducive students' learning environment. In response, the school launched ReVamp, adopting algaculture techniques and photobioreactors to cultivate the Chlorella Vulgaris algae, renowned for its exceptional ability to absorb greenhouse gases and pollutants.

While the solution quickly and significantly improved air quality by reducing the levels of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds, the school also integrated RevAMP into the curriculum, establishing a learning laboratory to provide students with a means to explore and invent valuable outcomes for the algae that serve the community's needs. Thus, the students have discovered that algae, known as a superfood, can be used for various economic advantages, such as food production, medicine, and supplements.

Muntinlupa National High School has already extended its solution to other schools in the area with the same success, but the impact of RevAMP could extend even beyond borders. The Chlorella vulgaris algae’s absorption capacity reaches an impressive 17,000 to 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide per acre per year. Microalgae also serve as effective purifying agents for potential clean water source solutions in rural and remote areas. It is also an affordable energy alternative, such as converting it into biodiesel, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting sustainable practices.

If Muntinlupa National High School wins the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action, the school intends to further expand the RevAMP project for a sustainable future and enable the school community to become self-sufficient and independent in meeting their needs. Furthermore, 50% of the prize would go towards expanding the development and legacy of RevAMP, while the remaining 50% would be divided among ten academic institutions nationwide in the Philippines to ripple the effects of its environmental sustainability programmes, thus creating a lasting impact beyond excellence.