ENVIRONMENTAL advocates have asked Filipinos to give an hour for Earth on Saturday, March 23, and play a role in protecting nature.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature-Philippines requested in a statement that people turn off their lights for an hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to demonstrate their support for the cause of protecting and restoring the environment.
“This year, Earth Hour Philippines’ focus is on addressing plastic pollution, as it is one of the most pressing concerns for our country and a public health issue. We generate 2 million metric tons of plastic waste in the Philippines every year, only 9% is recycled, and 35% leaks out into the open environment. As we are an archipelago of 7,640 islands, the damage caused by plastic pollution to our environment is magnified,” WWF-Philippines executive director Katherine Custodio said.
The local observance of Earth Hour, spearheaded by WWF-Philippines, will be held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan, beside the Manila City Hall.
Since its inception in 2007 as a symbolic event in Sydney, Australia, Earth Hour has expanded to become one of the largest grassroots environmental initiatives in the world, covering over 7,000 cities and 193 countries and territories.
The Philippines joined in 2008.
