Smart supports WWF campaign

MANILA, Philippines -Wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc., a staunch advocate for the environment, is once more supporting Earth Hour, a global movement led by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 

Joining Earth Hour’s ‘I Will, If You Will’ campaign this year, Smart has committed to plant 50,000 seedlings in its planting sites all over the country if 10,000 of its postpaid subscribers switch to e-billing.

“We are one with WWF in taking a stand against climate change, which is the greatest threat to our sustainable way of life. Climate change has already started and it has taken its toll on the Philippines, but it is not too late to take action,” says Darwin Flores, Smart group head for community partnerships.

Earth Hour 2013 will be celebrated worldwide on Saturday, March 23 when households, businesses, and communities switch off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in a call for lasting action on climate change and to symbolize their commitment to build solutions for a living planet.

 â€œSmart has always been a strong advocate for the environment and this time, we are challenging our postpaid subscribers to do their part for Mother Earth,” adds Flores.

Smart has been planting trees since 2005 in an effort to offset the greenhouse emissions of its operations. Since then, Smart, along with its partners and volunteers, has planted over one million seedlings and mangrove propagules in adopted planting sites, including the Ipo Dam and Marikina watersheds; Subic, Mt. Banahaw, Puerto Princesa and Camarines Sur for Luzon; Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Negros Oriental and Occidental, Iloilo, Guimaras and Bohol for Visayas; and Misamis Oriental, Surigao, Zamboanga, Sarangani, Digos, Davao City and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.

Aside from tree-planting, the telco has also been adopting eco-friendly solutions for its merchandising sites, and has been using renewable energy to power over a hundred of its cell sites. 

With the call to its 700,000 post-paid subscribers to switch to e-statements, the Telco hopes to reduce the consumption of paper and ink as well as energy used in printing traditional billing statements. 

“Our campaign for the environment goes beyond the Earth Hour celebration.  It has become an ongoing part of our advocacy,” stresses Flores. “This time, with our subscribers, we hope that our individual actions add up to make a big change. This is our Smart Act for the environment.”