His idea was recently picked up by Civil Military Operations group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that is set to distribute 10, 000 bottle bulbs to different parts of Metro Manila's slums.

CNN: Plastic bottles light up lives

As part of his war on terrorism, George Bush sent more than 1, 000 American troops to assist the Philippines' armed forces in their campaign against the Abu Sayyaf, a band of a few dozen armed members of the country's Muslim minority.

ECONOMIST: America's military advice didn't do the trick