CCC joins Earth Hour in nod to address climate change

The Climate Change Commission PH (CCC) joined this year’s #BiggestHourForEarth campaign to further raise awareness on the needed urgent and collective global climate action.

The CCC took part in the main switch-off event at Quezon City Memorial Circle on March 25 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., spearheaded by the Quezon City Government and WWF-Philippines.

CCC Vice Chairperson and

Executive Director (VCED) Robert E.A. Borje shared that, ironically, “an hour of absence of light sheds a light on the collective need to address the climate crisis.”

“By switching our lights off, we want to be a beacon for all and a signal to all. We want to tell the world that we need to act for our country and our world in the face of climate change,” VCED Borje emphasized.

In addition to raising awareness on climate change, Earth Hour 2023 also aimed to promote energy conservation. In the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC, it is estimated that around 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the energy sector.

In the Philippines, the energy sector accounts for 55% of the domestic emissions, with household and commercial energy consumption ranking as the second and fourth highest demand based on the latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, respectively.

To respond to the growing emissions, the National Climate Change Action Plan includes ‘sustainable energy’ as among its thematic priorities with the aim of promoting and implementing energy efficiency and conservation measures.

VCED Borje urged the public to take climate action beyond an hour and make it a part of their daily life.

“Panahon lang ang mai- bibigay natin sa mundo, but the irony of it all, we do not have the luxury of time. Ang climate change ay nararamdaman natin and we need to act together. Tonight, our challenge is to act beyond one hour, at gawin natin ang lahat para ang isang oras na ito ay maging isang commitment at pagmamahal habambuhay, hindi lang isang oras,” he concluded.

Held annually, Earth Hour encourages Filipinos and citizens around the world to switch off non-essential lights for an hour to conserve energy and protect the planet.

In a video message, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. expressed his support to the 2023 Earth Hour.

“It only takes 60 minutes to do good for our future, 60 minutes to take notice and commit to saving Mother Nature, to be united and take action because together nothing is impossible,” said President Marcos.

Earth Hour first took place as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney, Australia in 2007.

For its 16th year, the Earth Hour put a spotlight on the #BiggestHourForEarth to call on the need to address climate change. (CCC PH)

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intentions. She added that the call came at the height of the NPA-initiated violence in six towns of Masbate that affected over 55,199 learners and 2,815 school personnel.

“ACT Teachers, while silent about the NPA operations, apparently needed to come up with something outrageous to divert the public’s attention away from the damage that the NPA attacks caused to our Masbate learners,” she said.

Duterte said DepEd intends to continue hiring additional teaching and non-teaching personnel this year.

She said DepEd is also set to deploy more administrative officers in schools to complement its workforce and ultimately reduce the administrative tasks of teachers.

She added that instead of solely focusing on archaic and ineffective solutions, DepEd will also tap into available technology to address current challenges.

The secretary said these are part of the reforms that DepEd will put into place to guarantee that Filipino students receive a basic education that is effective as well as promote the welfare of teachers.

“The Marcos administration will not be pressured, hoodwinked, or distracted by groups like ACT Teachers. Our objective is to eliminate elements that contribute to learning losses, effectively implement reforms, and exercise fiscal responsibility by using resources wisely through innovations and mechanisms that will improve learning. Nice try, ACT Teachers,” she said.