Filipinos turn off lights for Earth Hour 2024

Filipinos switched off their lights for 60 minutes on Saturday night in support of Earth Hour.

From 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., lights were turned off in several buildings in Quezon City, including those in Eastwood and GMA Network, Super Radyo dzBB's Luisito Santos and Rod Vega reported. 

LOOK: Nakiisa rin sa Earth Hour ang ilang establisyimento sa Eastwood City sa Quezon City sa pamamagitan ng pagpatay ng ilaw @dzbb pic.twitter.com/tO24ubR1nA

— Luisito Santos (@luisitosantos03) March 23, 2024

Nagpatay rin ng mga ilaw ang GMA Network Inc. bilang pakikiisa sa 2024 Earth Hour. | via @Rodveg72 pic.twitter.com/XLdSmrLhgh

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) March 23, 2024

An Earth Hour event was also held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila, which was organized by the World Wide Fund For Nature Philippines, according to dzBB's Sam Nielsen. 

“This year, Earth Hour Philippines’ focus is on addressing plastic pollution, as it is one of the most pressing concerns for our country and a public health issue. We generate 2 million metric tons of plastic waste in the Philippines every year; only 9% is recycled, and 35% leaks out into the open environment. As we are an archipelago of 7,640 islands, the damage caused by plastic pollution to our environment is magnified,” WWF-Philippines executive director Katherine Custodio said.

Nakiisa rin ang Manila City Hall sa 2024 Earth Hour. | via @dzbbsamnielsen pic.twitter.com/LL2m1bU5Ng

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) March 23, 2024

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga urged knowledge and innovation leaders across all sectors to confront the socio-economic realities of plastic use and develop and design alternative materials that are as functional and affordable as petroleum-based plastic. 

''Industry, government, and academia must lead the change lest our Earth choke in the hands of the most intelligent species that ever lived. We broke this planet. We may still have a chance to fix it, but we must act today,'' she said. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile, emphasized the crucial role of energy efficiency in addressing climate change. 

''By embracing energy-efficient practices, we can reduce our carbon footprint and create a sustainable future. In the Philippines, our commitment to promoting energy efficiency paves the way for a cleaner, more climate-resilient nation,'' he said.

''Amid challenges like El Niño, efficient resource management becomes absolutely important. Let’s adhere to energy efficiency directives not only to preserve the environment but also to foster a robust adaptive nation for the New Philippines that we envision.''

Earth Hour is a global grassroots movement uniting people to take action on environmental issues and protect the planet by switching off lights for one hour.

The annual switch-off event is an initiative of WWF, which started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. 

Since then, it has grown into a global grassroots movement, engaging millions of supporters in more than 185 countries and territories. 

The Philippines joined in 2008. — VBL, GMA Integrated News