Earth Day in Roxas City
A couple of weeks before March 28, 2009 dubbed as Earth Hour, I already read and heard that it was supposed to be a “global effort that encouraged people from all over the world to turn off their lights... from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., to raise awareness about the effects of climate change and global warming.
According to the report of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), more than 15 million Filipinos were estimated to have joined Earth Hour with 647 cities and municipalities participating, Roxas City and majority of its residents included.
The said report claimed that with this figure, the Philippines ranked first among all the countries that joined this global event. Greece ranked second with 484 participating towns and cities. According to Yeb Sano, WWF campaign manager for the Philippines, only a million of Filipinos joined last year's Earth Hour. Here in Roxas City I could hardly remember that it was observed. Yano attributed this enormous increase of participants this year to the increasing awareness of climate change and its effects among Filipinos. And if I may add, among Capizeños.
Prior to the Earth Hour there was this question whether Capiz Electric Cooperative (Capelco) would shut off the power at the appointed time. An insider at Capelco informed me though, that it would not be so. There would be no power interruption and I believe that this was on the premise that it was up to the consumers to decide whether to participate or not.
I think the decision was reasonable because after all everyone pays for the electric bill and it would be on the discretion of the individual to join or not. I think also that it is more meaningful when the decision should come from the individuals themselves. And isn't it that with the power on, we would really be able to appreciate the participation of those who were willing to deprive themselves of the luxury of electricity? And isn't it that we could also appreciate that darkness amid some lights?
In Metro Roxas especially at the city center, I was able to observe that practically the city was plunged into darkness as the major public and private buildings switched off their lights. As soon as I was able to watch the dimming of the city, I went up our roof deck here at Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion Main Campus to watch the city at dark.
Along the river bank near the public market, there was one glaring electric signboard that was not switched off. It provided a clear contrast between light and darkness and also between those who participated and those who did not. It was a wonderful sight to see the lights coming only from the vehicles especially from our ubiquitous city tricycles that were plying their usual routes. Once in a while, their lights flashed to the rotunda fountain and the bridge whose lights were also switched off.
Soon, and it was too soon, the lights were on again at the strike of 9:30 p.m. But I hope that experience will linger on motivating us all the more in our efforts to save our earth. Hopefully also, those who might not have participated or just simply shrugged their shoulders, will eventually realize the importance of these efforts and will voluntarily say: “Earth gets my support”.