Malls join Earth Hour celebrations

MARILAO, Bulacan, Philippines — As the Department of Environment and Natural Resources aggressively pushes for the country’s environmental protection, the SM shopping malls in Marilao, Baliwag and the City of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan have confirmed their participation in the Earth Hour celebration on March 30.

The country’s Earth Hour celebration is anchored heavily on creating awareness on the reduction and elimination of unnecessary use of plastics, especially single-use plastics. The Philippines is ranked as third top plastic polluter of oceans and single use plastics is identified as one of the biggest threats to biodiversity, explained Gladyz May Latiza, public relations manager of SM City Marilao.

Latiza said the Earth Hour 2019 celebration is expected to jump-start conversations on the dangers of single-use plastics and aims to change mindset as well as habits of consumers and make them aware of the benefits of healthy forests, plastic-free oceans, wildlife conservation and sustainable business.

In support of the Earth Hour campaign, SM City Marilao will launch on March 29 “#cleanup challenge” where volunteers are encourage to participate in the cleanup of littered area and post before-and-after pictures on social media that hopes to evoke awareness on proper waste management, environmental rehabilitation and change toward sustainable lifestyle. 

It will also feature a 10-foot Tree of Life made of recycled metal bars, LED lights and plastic bottles to provide an imaginative focal point on recycling while urging people to take positive actions for environment protection.

On the other hand, SM City San Jose del Monte will turn its view deck and lagoon area into a glowing scenic garden and will be complemented by a field of colorful LED powered roses and glowing lights from the lagoon fountain. The installation symbolizes the importance of habitat restoration and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems.SM City Baliwag will be transformed into a fun play avenue using colorful neon patterns with its  “Glow Play Park” that aims to attract families and shoppers to “unplug” for an hour and participate in Earth Hour through fun activities. It also serves as a call to action for the younger generation to minimize excessive use of electronic gadgets to conserve energy.