Senators urge public to observe Earth Hour, Earth Day

MANILA, Philippines - Sens. Juan Edgardo Angara and Loren Legarda encouraged the public yesterday to observe Earth Hour and Earth Day in a bid to promote awareness in saving the environment.

Angara has filed a resolution reaffirming the support of the Senate for the objectives of Earth Hour and Earth Day.

“This year, Earth Hour has a global focus on climate change. Given our vulnerability to natural disasters, the objectives of these celebrations are particularly relevant to our country,” Angara said.

Earth Hour is a global annual environmental movement encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March as a symbol of their commitment to the planet.

The Philippines has been participating in the annual Earth Hour since 2009 and has earned the title of “Earth Hour Hero Country” from 2009 to 2013 for topping participation records with over 15 million Filipinos joining the event.

“Our support for Earth Hour and Earth Day should not waver. I call on the public to show once again to the world our solidarity in combating climate change. More importantly, we must go beyond one hour in showing our commitment to the planet by taking accountability for our ecological footprint and engaging in dialogue and resource exchange to provide real solutions to our environmental challenges,” Angara said.

For her part, Legarda, author of the Climate Change Act, noted that the “Earth Hour campaign tells us that every individual is capable of protecting our planet. Small acts cannot be underestimated because when put together, small acts create big changes.”

Likewise, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle yesterday encouraged Filipinos to join the worldwide observance of Earth Hour tonight.

“I am also hoping that this would be part of our lifestyle as part of our being stewards of creation. I am hoping that God’s rule over our hearts and our minds would be seen through our actions toward nature and the actions of human beings who are made in the image of God,” Tagle said over Church-run Radio Veritas.

“To abuse Mother Nature, in the end, is an indication of going against the teachings of the Lord to become His helpers,” he added.

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) also expressed its support for the Earth Hour campaign.

Alfredo Panlilio, Meralco senior vice president and head of customer retail services and corporate communications, noted that all the lights in the company’s head office, business centers, extension offices and sectors within the franchise area would be turned off for Earth Hour.

“The Earth Hour is one program that Meralco constantly supports, and we hope that in our own little way, we will be able to help create awareness on the need to protect the environment, encouraging other people to do their part to support the cause,” said Panlilio.

A Zumba Fitness Party, led by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), would be held tonight at the Quezon City Memorial Circle to celebrate Earth Hour.

The WWF is calling on participants to come in their glow-in-the-dark Earth Hour shirts or their most eye-catching neon attire. “The brighter, the better,” the group said.

“Over the past eight years, the movement has grown from a symbolic switch-off event to a fun, modern and open-sourced environmental campaign mobilizing hundreds of millions of people in over 7,000 cities and 162 countries. Earth Hour 2015 highlights concrete actions on renewable energy and energy efficiency, plus climate-centric education, legislation and business practices,” noted lawyer Angela Consuelo Ibay, Earth Hour Philippines national director.

Organizers made it clear, however, that celebrating Earth Hour at home is in line with the spirit of the movement. “A quiet evening with your family, reflecting on the important roles we play in fighting climate change, is a great way to celebrate the hour,” said Ibay.

Proceeds from Earth Hour Philippines would go to WWF’s Gift of Light project, which funds the deployment of hundreds of portable solar lamps for off-grid communities in Beton, northern Palawan.

Meanwhile, Earth Day, annually celebrated worldwide every April 22, seeks to broaden the base support for environmental programs, rekindle public commitment and build community activism.

In the country, the Earth Day Network Philippines and the Alliance for Green Philippines are composed of more than 2,000 entities from various sectors working for environmental protection, conservation and awareness. – With Rhodina Villanueva, Non Alquitran, Evelyn Macairan