Legarda On Earth Hour: Small Acts Can Protect The Planet

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda urged the public to support the global movement to simultaneously switch off lights for one hour on March 28 (Saturday), 8:30pm local time, in observance of the 2015 Earth Hour.

“The Earth Hour campaign shows us what each citizen can do. It tells us that every individual is capable of protecting our planet. Small acts cannot be underestimated because these small acts, when put together, create big changes,” Legarda stressed.

Legarda, author of the Climate Change Act, encouraged all Filipinos to show our solidarity with the rest of the world in an effort to save energy, reduce carbon emission and raise awareness on sustainability and environmental challenges.  

“People are oftentimes overwhelmed with the gargantuan task of protecting the environment, without realizing that the small acts ignite greater action and result in significant achievements,” she said.

Legarda added, “By participating in Earth Hour, we are showing our commitment to create more sustainable and resilient communities. We only have to take that one important step, which is to take action, to save and protect our planet.”

The Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The following year, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched the international Earth Hour. More than 400 cities in 35 countries, including the Philippines, joined the campaign. Now, more than 7,000 cities are involved.

Legarda noted that the Philippines has been regarded as an Earth Hour Hero Country for registering a high number of participating towns and cities and for its staunch support to the campaign.

In 2009, 647 cities and towns in the Philippines and an estimated 15 million Filipinos participated in the Earth Hour, saving 611 Megawatt-Hours of electricity during the one-hour period.

In 2013, records from the Visayan Electric Company in Cebu alone showed a reduction of 11 MW during the time of the event.

“Saving on electricity, using low carbon technologies, conserving water, eating local food, planting more trees, among others, are just some of the simple ways by which we can significantly contribute to protecting our Earth. The results of Earth Hour are clear enough to show what people can do when we work together,” Legarda concluded.