‘Practice Energy efficiency’

MANILA, Philippines — In a message in observance of Earth Hour yesterday, President Marcos called on Filipinos to practice energy efficiency as the Philippines grapples with the challenges posed by climate change and El Niño.

“Let us highlight 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,” the President said in a video posted on Facebook.

Marcos urged the public to participate in the “You Have The Power” campaign and be one with the government in taking steps towards energy security and sustainable systems.

“Let’s make this Earth Hour count towards a greener future,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga pointed out the urgency of our planetary crisis as the country joined the global observance of Earth Hour.

“Our responses to this complex challenge must not only be bottom-up but also top-down, cutting across all sectors. 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,” Loyzaga said.

She added the country renews its commitment this year as it stands with the World-Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines in the observance of Earth Hour with the local theme, “Switch Off Plastic Pollution, Switch On Nature.”

She 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.

“Our Earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago and our earliest ancestors emerged roughly in the last 300,000. Evidence shows that humans, as we know them in Asia, may have emerged genetically less than 15,000 years ago,” she noted.

“And in that blink of an eye, we stand today in the Anthropocene, being the only species able to alter what took billions of years to form. Scientists say we have crossed six of the nine planetary boundaries – leading our earth to the precipice of irreversible change,” Loyzaga added. — Bella Cariaso