Press Release
March 25, 2010

Villar urges observance of 'Earth Hour'

Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manny Villar called on Filipinos to participate in the Earth Hour on Saturday by voluntarily turning off lights and electric appliances for one hour to save power.

Villar said this year's Earth Hour should raise the level of awareness about the dire effects of climate change in the Philippines, which is still reeling from the destructive El Niño phenomenon.

"This Saturday, cities across the world will plunge into darkness at 8:30 p.m. not because of power grid failure but because humanity becomes one in a unique event to convey a global message: we can do something against climate change," Villar said.

"One hour without electricity is a small sacrifice compared to the good it will do to our environment. Let us join this event to declare our unconditional support for energy conservation," he added.

Villar said it is high time that Filipinos also adopt environmentally friendly habits in consuming electricity, such as turning off lights, computers and TV sets when they are not in use.

According to Earth Hour organizers, an estimated one billion people from 41,000 cities in 87 countries will switch off their lights in unison on Saturday.

In 2009, over 10 million Filipinos in 647 cities and municipalities switched off their lights during Earth Hour, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity - equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power plants.

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