Ilonggos pledge to switch off lights at Earth Hour 2010
Iloilo Gov. Niel D. Tupas and Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog led various groups here in expressing their commitment of support to Earth Hour 2010 during the launching of Earth Hour 2010 held March 2 at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas here.
The expression of commitment capped the local launching activity of the global mass action against climate change which will be held on Match 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Tupas pledged to rally the people of the province to Earth Hour 2010 by switching off their household lights and appliances for one hour on the last Sunday of March in support to the global campaign to mitigate the effects of climate change.
On behalf of City Mayor Jerry Treñas and the city government, Mabilog called on every Ilonggo to take part in the advocacy for the preservation of planet Earth.
Representatives from various sectors including schools, business, and community volunteer organizations took turn in pledging their support to the event.
Notably, students from the College of Management of the host university expressed their commitment in a rather unique way by reciting a traditional oath that prompted the other participants to break into a loud appreciative applause.
More than 600 students and representatives from other sectors attended the Earth Hour 2010 launch.
In a message delivered for him by Senior Undersecretary Roy Kyamko, Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes exhorted Ilonggos to vote for solutions against climate change through their participation in this year Earth Hour.
Earlier, DOE officials said public participation in Earth Hour, which was initiated by Australia in 2007 and which generated worldwide support starting in 2008, is a vote against climate change.
With Kyamko at the launch was Climate Change Commissioner and Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano.
The DOE is spearheading the event in the Philippines together with the World Wide Fund, SWITCH Movement and Green Army and with the support of the Philippine Information Agency, other government institutions, local government units, business, academe and other civil society groups.
The country topped the 2008 Earth Hour event in terms of community participation that reached 10 million people. The country aims to bring its participation in this year’s event to 15 million people.
Earth Hour was conceived to rally people to switch off their lights and electricity-consuming appliances and gadgets to save on energy to help mitigate climate change effects. (PIA 6)
