DOE seeks higher PH participation in this year’s ‘Earth Hour’
By Myrna M. Velasco – March 25, 2022, 4:07 PM
from Manila Bulletin
The Department of Energy (DOE) is encouraging consumers to turn off their lights for an hour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm in observance of the “Earth Hour” on Saturday, March 28.
The energy department is collaborating with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines for the “Earth Hour” campaign to raise the awareness of Filipino consumers on the significance of conserving the environment, while they also continuously use energy resources to power homes and businesses.
Last year, the “Earth Hour” was participated in by 192 countries and territories, including the Philippines. Celebrations had been mainly done via virtual platforms because of the niggling pandemic.
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi sounded off that “the DOE highly encourages everyone to participate in this year’s Earth Hour. In just 60 minutes, we would already be able to make significant contribution to our country’s energy efficiency and conservation efforts.”
In 2021, the department logged more than 73 megawatts of electricity demand reduction when Filipino households as well as commercial establishments and other entities had to put off lights for the Earth Hour – and the biggest demand cut was registered by Visayas grid at 53.34 megawatts; followed by Luzon with 10.6MW demand drop; and then Mindanao with usage decline of 9.07MW.
The government has been intensifying its plea for Filipino consumers to make a conscious choice of pursuing energy-efficient lifestyles; especially so since the country – primarily Luzon grid – still continues to wade through ‘thin power supply’ predicaments.
According to the energy chief, the Earth Hour “serves as an opportune reminder of how simple practices could have a great impact on ensuring a brighter future for our country.”
For this, year, the Earth Hour celebration will still be carried out digitally with “on-the-night doubling, which would serve as an avenue to communicate the urgent need for world leaders to come up with a new global action plan for nature in the coming decades.”
Relative to DOE’s mandate and mission, it will also be utilizing this opportunity “to promote practices and measures that would not only reduce energy consumption, but would also address environmental concerns.”
Cusi stressed that an hour reflect on how Filipinos could judiciously manage electricity consumption by turning off non-essential lights will enable them to “connect with the earth,” and via that initiative, “we are able to help shape our future.”
