‘Earth Hour needs Pinoy power’

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) called on the public to take part in Earth Hour, which will be observed worldwide tonight to increase awareness of the need to take action on climate change.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said Earth Hour provides an opportunity for Filipinos to once again showcase their environmental awareness by turning off non-essential lights for one hour.

“Earth Hour is definitely the most vivid and dramatic measure of our unity for a common cause. This

This mass switch-off means less consumption of electricity, slowing the build-up of climate change-inducing carbon dioxide in our atmosphere,” Paje said.

Earth Hour is a worldwide event organized by the World Wildlife Fund to encourage households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the participants’ local time in support for action on climate change.

Since 2009, or two years after Earth Hour was launched in 2007, the Philippines consistently had the most number of participating local government units among all countries observing the event, thus earning the title “Earth Hour Hero Country.”

Because of this recognition, Paje said there is no doubt Filipinos are “among the most environmentally conscious people in the world.”

The DENR chief also expressed hope that the environmental consciousness of Filipinos won’t end with the country’s participation in the annual event.

“We hope that we can maintain and harness this unity for our other environmental advocacies,” Paje said, noting that Earth Hour is just “one of the many ways by which we manifest our environmental citizenship.”

Re-electionist Senators Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero also called on Filipinos to join the event during their separate visits to Bulacan.

“Let us participate in the Earth Hour, not only to conserve energy but to raise awareness on the need to protect the environment,” Legarda said over Radyo Bulacan. 

Meanwhile, Parañaque City Mayor Jun Bernabe and Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel Aguilar reaffirmed their commitment to support Earth Hour, urging their constituents to participate. “The City Government of Parañaque reaffirms its commitment to implement environment-friendly programs and projects in support of the worldwide effort to protect the environment and halt global warming and climate change,” Bernabe said.  â€“ With Dino Balabo, Perseus Echeminada