Earth Hour in the philippines

ON March 29th, from 8:00pm to 9:00pm, the Philippine Capital of Manila and more than 30 cities nationwide joined the world for Earth Hour. The entire stretch of Roxas Boulevard - spanning three cities - was plunged into darkness to symbolize unity in fighting climate change. Thousands flocked to the Cultural Center of the Philippines where Earth Hour Ambassadors held a heartfelt countdown ceremony.

Malls, museums, offices, households, billboards, monuments and streets were plunged into darkness. Even the Presidential Palace of Malacanang switched off.

Dozens of corporations pitched in, led by Philips Lighting Systems. The SM group - the nation's most extensive network of malls - all switched off. The Ayala group, McDonald's, Jollibee, Max's, Red Ribbon, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, HSBC, Intel, Shangri-la and Peninsula Hotels, Smart, Globe, Canon, Dell, Cemex, Colliers and Tetrapak were but a few of who took part.

The switch-off was supported by every major media network - with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Star, BusinessWorld, ABS-CBN, GMA-7, numerous stations and publications not only providing coverage, but also participating in the nation's biggest and most memorable campaign on climate change. Rarely have the Filipino people been roused to such levels.

Earth Hour in the Philippines is an initiative of WWF-Philippines, the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change (PTFCC), Green Army and Philips. Major support was given by the cities of Pasay, Manila, Paranaque and Makati.

A developing nation of 7107 isles. A people working together to make a difference in the growing fight against global warming.

Earth Hour in Asia

Reports from the Philippines say Manila's Earth Hour event was a success. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila City Hall, shopping malls, several streets and government buildings of the financial hub of Makati City and the Roxas Boulevard along the Manila Bay switched off for the hour.

In Bangkok, WWF-Thailand said the lights out campaign saved 73.34 megawatts of electricity, which would have produced 45.8 tons of carbon dioxide.

Earth Hour Goes Nationwide in the Philippines

The entire Philippine nation joins the rest of the world for Earth Hour. Even the Malacanang Palace will shut down its lights for one hour.

Partner Cities:

Pasay
Manila
Paranaque
Makati




Partial list of supporting cities:

Quezon City
General Trias, Cavite
Bais City, Negros Oriental
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Dipolog City, Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
Iligan City
Talisay, Negros Occidental
Escalante, Negros Occidental
Baguio
Mandaluyong
Marikina
Iloilo
Puerto Princesa
Tarlac
Laoag City
San Fernando City and Bauang, La Union
San Fernand City, Pampanga
Santiago City, Isabela
San Jose, Nueva Ecija
Naga City, Camarines Sur
Legazpi City, Albay
Iriga City, Camarines Sur
Calbayog
Ormoc
Tangub

Partial list of participating businesses and establishments:

Ascott Hotel
Ayala Land
Canon
Cemex
Chowking
Coke
Colliers
Cultural Center of the Philippines
DeliFrance
Edsa Shangrila Hotel
Globe Telecoms
Greenwhich
Heritage Hotel Manila
HSBC
Intel
Jollibee
Manila Peninsula
Max's
PDI
Philips
Red Ribbon
Shangrila Hotel Makati
SM Super Malls
SM Department Stores
SM Supermarket
Smart Communications
Tetrapak

SM Mall Of Asia Shows Full Support for Earth Hour

SM Mall of Asia, with its 400,000sqm area on a 19 hectare property is the world's third largest mall in the world. It boasts of a panoramic view of the Manila Bay, an IMAX theater, an Olympic size ice skating rink, over 600 local and international shops as well as over 150 indoor and al fresco dining outlets.


On March 29, 2008 at 8:00pm SM Mall Asia leads all the other SM Supermalls nationwide as it turns off its lights in full support for Earth Hour.

Makati Joins Earth Hour

Join the celebration at Ayala Tower One!

A significant number of business establishments have pledged their participation in the observance of Makati Earth Hour on March 29, in which lights will simultaneously be turned off in various parts of the city from 8pm to 9pm.

Department of Environmental Services (DES) chief Danilo Villas said Adel Licos, Manager of the Ayala Social Initiatives Center for Social Development of the Ayala Foundation Inc., has confirmed that Ayala Land, Inc., Ayala Malls, Makati Commercial Estate Association (MACEA), Ayala Center Association, and Ayala Foundation will participate in the city’s observance of Earth Hour this Saturday, simultaneous with 24 other cities worldwide.

According to Licos, the Ayala Malls group will turn off 50 per cent of common area lights in Greenbelt and Paseo de Magallanes in Makati, as well as its properties in adjacent localities, including Market! Market!, Bonifacio High Street, Serendra, Alabang Town Center, Metropoint and Pavilion Mall at 8pm.

Likewise, commercial buildings including Tower 1, Makati Stock Exchange, Ayala 6750, Ayala Life-FGU Center, and BPI, parking areas including Dela Rosa 1, 2 and 3, and residential buildings will reduce by 75 per cent their total light illuminations in areas like corridors and common areas.

Also in the ‘lights off’ list are Ayala Triangle, monuments, pedestrian lights, and double-arm street lights along Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue, and Paseo de Roxas. Meanwhile, 50 per cent of Salcedo and Legaspi Villages park globe lights, or 405 bulbs, will be shut off. Licos said they have sent out invitations to other business establishments located in the Makat central business district to take part in the community-wide undertaking, and are actively campaigning among employees of the Ayala Group.

“On behalf of the city government of Makati, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the Ayala Group of Companies for their support and cooperation in this noble undertaking. They have been our staunch partner for years in protecting and preserving our environment. Likewise, I call on other business organizations and establishments to also take part in this global campaign,” Villas said.

Meanwhile, the city government will hold the Makati City Earth Hour Program at Tower 1, Ayala Avenue at 7pm. WWF-Philippines, the city’s partner organization in the event, will present the rationale behind the Earth Hour. They will also show a video presentation regarding the project.

Mayor Jejomar C. Binay will lead other officials and guests in the one-minute countdown to Earth Hour from 7:59 to 8:00pm. He will also do the ceremonial turning off of lights in the area at exactly 8pm.

Starting 8 pm Saturday, the city government will turn off the lights in 741 lamp posts on Kalayaan Avenue, South Avenue, Makati Avenue, J.P. Rizal, Buendia, and F. Zobel St. The lights at the Makati City Hall will also be turned off, along with those in the city’s 33 barangay halls. All barangay chiefs have pledged to encourage residents to switch off all or some of their household lights during Earth Hour.

Binay has directed the Makati Police, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the barangay Bantay Bayan to maintain high visibility during the one hour lights-off period, which will be duplicated in key cities in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

In the city’s central business district, underpasses will also close at 8 pm, two hours earlier than its regular closing time of 10 pm, and pedestrians will be asked to use road crossings.

To signal the start of the one-hour activity, fire trucks from the Makati Fire Department will turn on their sirens a minute before 8 pm. Jeepney drivers will also blow their horns as a signal for residents and participating establishments to turn off their lights. At 9 pm, the sirens and horns will again be sounded to signal the end of Earth Hour.

Manila - Welcome to Earth Hour 2008

Manila is proud to participate in Earth Hour 2008, the global campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More details on Manila's involvement in this momentous event will be released soon. Please visit this page again to find out about the Earth Hour push to raise awareness about climate change.