MANILA, Philippines - With Christmas just around the corner, Firefly Electric & Lighting Corp. (FELCO) inspired a green Christmas this year with the launch of the giant Firefly Christmas tree on Dec. 2 at San Miguel by the Bay at SM Mall of Asia. Lighting up the 67-foot-tall Firefly Christmas tree were more than 20,000 individual Firefly Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and 47,000 Firefly LED bulbs. With all the sparkling lights, the Firefly Christmas tree will only consume the energy equivalent of eight flat irons.
The launch of the giant Firefly Christmas tree was highlighted by a one-of-a-kind whimsical holiday celebration top-billed by guest performers Pinky Marquez, Karel Marquez, Micah Torre and Jon Jon Martin who led the countdown to the lighting of the tree. The performers delighted the audience with production numbers on three Christmas stories — the story of the First Christmas, the legend of St. Nicholas, and the story of the Christmas fairies who brightened the holiday with sparkling fairy lights.
Filipinos both young and old can enjoy the vibrant and sparkling lights of the Firefly Christmas tree at San Miguel by the Bay, SM Mall of Asia until January 2010. This new holiday attraction aims to serve as a reminder that a festive Filipino Christmas doesn’t need to be harmful to the pocket and the environment.
According to Jhie Greenwood, Firefly Electric & Lighting Corp. marketing manager, Filipinos can also take the festive Christmas spirit of holiday lights into their own homes by making the “green” switch and using Firefly’s Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) for their home’s holiday lighting.
CFLs are fluorescent lamps that give off light similar to common incandescent bulbs but with reduced energy consumption and longer life, making it economical and practical to use at the same time. A 15-watt Firefly CFL used in place of a 60-watt regular incandescent bulb saves about 82 kWh over a period of one year. This means reduced electricity bills and increased personal savings for Filipino families.
In addition, Firefly CFLs last up to five times longer than regular incandescent bulbs and they only use about one-fourth the energy, producing 80 percent less heat while producing more light per watt. This means that a 15-watt CFL has the same illumination as that of a 60-watt regular incandescent bulb at a more energy efficient rate.
“Amid the energy crisis and recent calamities, we want to inspire Filipinos to have an economical and environment-friendly Christmas this year by switching to CFLs and become more conscious of the importance of protecting the environment. We encourage Filipinos to build energy-efficient homes by using eco-friendly light bulbs in their households,” said Greenwood.
To further encourage usage of eco-efficient CFLs, FELCO gave away free Firefly CFLs in exchange for used or busted incandescent bulbs of any brand through its “Palit Firefly CFL” program. The first wave of the program was held in SM Fairview and SM Mandaluyong Hypermarkets last October wherein over 1,000 CFLs were distributed. Filipinos were given another opportunity to go “green” this Christmas with the second wave of the Palit FCFL held last Nov. 28 at the San Miguel By the Bay in SM Mall of Asia from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“A festive Filipino Christmas must never be harmful to the pocket and most especially to the environment. While it is undeniable how the recent typhoons have affected many Filipino families, there is no reason for our Christmas spirits to be dampened. By switching to Firefly CFLs, high-energy holiday lightings and getting into the Christmas spirit will no longer be an issue,” ended Greenwood.
Firefly CFLs are available in three color temperatures: Warm White (highlights the oranges and reds hues), Daylight (mimics natural lighting) and Cool Daylight (highlights the blue and green hues).
Firefly Lighting products are available in the local market for a “greener” lighting experience regardless of the season. Check them out in hardware and electrical stores all over the Philippines including Ace Hardware, Hardware Workshop, SM Hypermarket, CitiHardware, Wilcon Builders, Handyman, True Value and Federal Hardware.
For more information on Firefly lighting products visit www.fireflyelectric.com, e-mail info@fireflyelectric.com or call (02)242-2060 to 65 and Fax (02)242-2060 loc 707.