Pinoys urged to switch off lights on Earth Hour

Describing climate change as an issue relevant to the Philippines, Malacañang on Saturday urged Filipinos to switch their lights off for an hour on Saturday night in observance of Earth Hour. (Photo by Adam Sundana/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

MANILA — Describing climate change as an issue relevant to the Philippines, Malacañang on Saturday urged Filipinos to switch their lights off for an hour on Saturday night in observance of Earth Hour.

“We encourage the entire Filipino nation to take part in this collective human effort to save our planet from the ill effects of Global Warming,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

“For one hour this evening, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, let us all switch off our lights in our homes or in our workplaces to symbolize our commitment to saving Mother Earth,” he added.

Roque reminded Filipinos that the Philippines has been identified as among the “most vulnerable to the impact of climate change”.

He pointed out that President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself has recognized this and has made the protection of the environment a priority during his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

On Feb. 28 last year, Duterte also signed the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which aims to strengthen global response to climate change by restricting greenhouse gas emissions.

The blueprint also aims to transform the world’s fossil fuel-driven economy within decades and reduce global temperature by at least 2 degrees Celsius.

The Philippines has committed to reduce its emissions by 70 percent by 2030.

Roque, meanwhile, said that a simple step, when taken all together, “leads to a big stride for the entire human race”.

“Let us join the entire world as it shines a light upon the importance of climate action by going dark,” Roque said.

A recent survey by HSBC showed that the Philippines is ranked third among four countries in the world that are most vulnerable to climate change.

The list was topped by India followed by Pakistan, while Bangladesh came in fourth.

Earth Hour, celebrated every March 24th, is an annual global event that seeks to raise awareness on the need to take action on climate change, as well as to promote sustainable energy consumption.