Earth Hour gains more support

CEBU, Philippines - The organizers’ optimism surely paid off as Earth Hour 2013 in Cebu drew more support than its previous year.

Despite notable decline of public participation for the past years in the lights-off initiative, Visayan Electric Company (VECO) delivered the good news that from last year’s 2,700 kilowatt hour (kwh), this year got a significantly larger amount of electricity consumption savings of 11,000 kwh.

Teresita Gonzales of VECO further announced that around 340,000 households turned off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 Saturday night.

To this, the crowd of about 600 applauded and cheered.

According to VECO data, the very first Earth Hour in 2009 saved 11,012 kwh which rose to 13,249 kwh the following year.

In 2011, it started to drop to 6,983 kwh which continued to an all-time low last year with only 2,777 kwh.

Before the latest Earth Hour at Plaza Independencia co-organized by Aboitiz companies, VECO vice president for operations Sebastian Lacson expressed dismay over declining public support.

“We do not really know why this happened. Why people refuse to turn their lights off for an hour. But we cannot impose it on them since the essence of this cause is volunteerism,” Lacson told reporters.

Committee on Environment chairman Councilor Nida Cabrera shared the same sentiments saying she is also worried about the dwindling support for Earth Hour.

“Two weeks ago, I authored a resolution urging the 80 barangays to join the activity. Barangays Sto. Niño, San Roque and Barangay Luz pledged support,” Cabrera explained, saying there were people assigned to monitor which barangays turned off their lights.

Results of the monitoring is set to be released today (Monday), she added.

The activity also featured pledge of commitment to taking care of mother earth dubbed “I will, if you will.”

Most notable was 13 year-old Angel Coloyan who said “I will ride my bike to school every day, if you will create a bike for me.”

While the lights were off, participants were treated to performances, most of them part of a dance competition where the group New Cycle bagged the first place taking home P15,000.

Also awarded most number of contingents, apart from organizer Aboitiz companies, was barangay Luz with more or less 100 in attendance. — (FREEMAN)