MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 29, 2012) – Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano on Thursday rallied locals to participate in the Earth Day Celebration, and underscoring the importance of caring for the planet.
This year’s celebration, which carries the theme “Earth Day Every Day, Everywhere!,” will center on the possible solutions to climate change and its adverse effects to the environment.
“Earth Hour” — considered the highlight of the Earth Day Celebration — involves the simultaneous switching off of lights all over the world between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on March 31.
“Participating in the activity signifies one’s support for environmental protection, as well as the campaign to solve or at least mitigate the ill effects of climate change to the environment,” she said.
She said the Philippines holds the record for the best participation among nations that joined last year’s Earth Hour, when over 15 million Filipinos scattered in over 1000 municipalities and cities simultaneously turned off their lights at home.
Because of this, Cayetano said not only the Taguigeños, but every Filipino should to take part in the lights out event to declare to the whole world that Filipinos are in the forefront of efforts to care for the environment and the fight against climate change.
She, however, stressed that the campaign for environmental protection should neither be a once-a-year affair nor confined to the simple task of turning off lights.
“Caring for the environment—as seen in tasks like garbage segregation and avoiding the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam—should be a daily facet of our lives,” she said.
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