Saving energy pledge preludes Earth Hour event

Wednesday 28th of March 2012

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March 28 (PIA) -- Around 300 people participated in a pledge to save energy and save the environment at the Oriental Hotel, MacArthur Park, Leyte, Tuesday as a prelude to the observance of Earth Hour.

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Regional Office Region 8 partners with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Department of Energy (DOE) gathering participants from government agencies, schools, business establishments, the army, media, and non-government organizations to commit themselves to save energy.

Led by a student of Tanauan, Leyte high school, the 300 participants pledged to "save energy everyday."

The pledge culminated the half-day Seminar on Electricity Conservation in Households and Schools.

Earth Hour is a worldwide event organized by the WWF for Nature, held every last Saturday of March that encourage households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness and take action on climate change.

The pledge stemmed from the ‘I Will if You Will’ pledge about planet earth which Atty. Angela Ibay, National Director of Earth Hour Pilipinas, said is snowballing in cyberspace.

She added that the pledges empower people to share a personal dare with the world by asking everyone what they are willing to do to save the planet.

During the Earth Hour 2011 a record-breaking 1661 cities and municipalities in the country participated in the activity, which made the Philippines an Earth Hour Champion for the third time and an official "Hero Country".

Ibay added that Earth Hour is now the largest annually recurring environmental event on earth. (NIBQ/EOPT-PIA 8 Samar).