Save energy at all times, authorities remind public

CEBU, Philippines - Conserving energy should be a constant practice, not just during the observance of Earth Hour, the Department of Interior and Local Government reminded the public yet again.

This as DILG encouraged local government units to support the initiative by encouraging residents to turn off their lights for an hour today, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“We do encourage local governing bodies to participate (Earth Hour) that is, to save energy, but we don’t have to wait for Earth Hour. It should be part of our system instead. If time would come and we experience power deficiency, we will be the one who will suffer,” said DILG 7 Director Ananias Villacorta.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas earlier issued a directive for all provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays to support Earth Hour, saying good governance does not only mean serving the people but also involves conserving the environment.

Apart from government agencies and units, the Department of Energy  7 also expects the private sector, non-government organizations, corporate firms, academe, even households to support Earth House, which started in 2009.

DOE 7 Director Antonio Labios said the amount of power load saved in last year’s Earth Hour was lower than what was saved in 2013. Based on the DOE registry, an estimated 17.15 megawatts was recorded in 2013 for Cebu province alone, but this dropped to 10.4 megawatts last year.

“Nag-awhag mi sa tanang stakeholders to participate Earth Hour, to switch off unessential lights from 8:30 to 9:30,” Labios said.

For its part, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 7 encouraged the use of compact fluorescent light (CFLs) instead of incandescent bulbs to help conserve energy.

It has been found that CFLs use up 75 percent less electricity and last up to 13 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has issued a memorandum directing all lights in all DENR offices and their vicinities nationwide to switch off in support to Earth Hour.

He likewise called on all local government units, educational institutions, commercial establishments, outdoor advertisers, civic groups and households to do the same.

The Philippines has been dependent on coal-fired or fueled energy, which is considered as ‘unclean’ source of energy because it emits a certain amount of carbon which is one of the GHGs.

Dubbed as the single, largest, symbolic mass participation event in the world, Earth Hour is held every last Saturday of March on the initiative of the Washington-based environmental group World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

Last year, a record of 7,000 cities and municipalities from 150 countries observed the 60-minute lights-out. — May B. Miasco and Jessa J. Agua/JMO (FREEMAN)