Makassar, Indonesia – To commemorate the launch of the “Philips LED Bright City” program in 2015, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, illuminated the iconic Tugu Mandala in Makassar today. The program will support cities across Indonesia to become more livable by choosing smart, energy-saving lighting.

Recently honored as one of Indonesia’s most livable cities by the Indonesian Association of Planners (IAP, 2014), Makassar is a thriving gateway to East Indonesia with rapidly developing property and tourism sectors. Like many growing cities in Indonesia, however, Makassar suffers from electricity supply shortages and rising electricity costs.

“Philips is honored to support the city of Makassar to beautify its public spaces with energy-efficient LED lighting. By illuminating the historic Mandala monument, we hope to instill civic pride in the people of Makassar and simultaneously help the city to reduce its electricity consumption,” says Chandra Vaidyanathan, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for Philips Lighting Indonesia.

Philips LED (light emitting diode) technology significant reduces electricity consumption for a lower electricity bill, without reducing the quality or brightness of lighting. LED technology also improves flexibility in lighting design and can be digitally managed—a valuable feature for city infrastructure and industrial applications.

To illuminate Mandala Monument, Philips has installed 16 pieces of ColorReach Powercore  lights (270W each), 24 pieces of ColorBlast Powercore light (50W each), and five pieces of iW Blast Powercore light (50W each), to create the grand illusion of fiery motion on the monument’s façade. The new LED lighting installation at Mandala Monument can save up to 67% of energy compared to the same installation using conventional lighting. Furthermore, the lighting system can be controlled remotely, giving the city administrator the flexibility in creating lighting theme for the monument. Philips has also provided the city government with a Philips Lighting Services agreement that ensures end-to-end lighting service, from installation to maintenance and replacements.

“In addition to working closely with the government, Philips hopes to encourage Makassar’s home consumers and business professionals to explore how light can play a prominent role in enhancing their quality of life—at home, in the workplace, and in public spaces,” concludes Chandra.

For household and business consumers, making the transition to LED lighting is as easy as upgrading from a conventional bulb to a long-lasting LED bulb. Consumer can benefit from the energy-efficient LED technology based lighting, resulting in reduced electricity bill. Philips provides an online calculator application that can show how much money consumer can save by switching to LED at www.switchtoled.philips.com.

The “Philips LED Bright City” program in Makassar hosts ‘Philips Lighting Week’ (25 February - 1 March), a week-long program highlighting the benefits of LED lighting. At Mal Ratu Indah, Philips Lighting Week features a professional seminar, university workshops, community and professional association talk show, and exhibitions showcasing the LED lighting applications Philips has developed for homes, businesses, and city and industrial infrastructure. It will culminate with an illumination ceremony and Kota Terang concert in the TSM Area at Tanjung Bunga tonight.

To learn more about Philips Lighting Indonesia and our programs, visit www.philips.co.id, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/PhilipsLightingIndonesia, or follow us on Twitter @Philips_ID. For consumer information contact Philips Care 0800-10-LAMPU (52678). Inquiries regarding Philips Lighting Services may be addressed to info-prof@signify.com. Tel: +62 21 2965 1333. Fax: +62 21 794 0050.