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EJ Macababbad - The Philippine Star
March 27, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — With Earth Hour approaching, its organizer said the hour given to the planet is a stark reminder to conserve resources at all times.
The annual ritual of switching off lights, which will take place this Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., comes at a time when the Middle East conflict is crippling energy supplies around the world.
Jitters about power supply are coming into focus, with the Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday suspending operations of the spot market to unload consumers’ burden.
Angela Consuelo Ibay, national director for Earth Hour at the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines), said the ritual conveys the message that each individual can do their part so that the country can weather the crisis.
“Even if it’s just one hour when we ask people to turn off their lights, it’s really just symbolic, but we want people to imbibe a habit of conservation of our resources, not just energy but also water, because we’re going into the summer months,” Ibay told The STAR yesterday. “People have to be conscious also of the resources that they use and consume so that we can conserve them for future generations.”
“We’re in an emergency, but there is something that we as individuals can do. The government is trying to do its part. Let us, as citizens and citizens of this earth, do also our part to conserve what is necessary so that we have a sustainable planet,” she stressed.
Last year’s Earth Hour conserved 161 megawatts of electricity – good enough to bring power to over 160,000 homes – based on data from the DOE.
This year’s theme is “Switch On Habits for Earth,” stressing that everyday choices are pivotal for a sustainable future.
Earth Hour, now in its 20th year, returns to an in-person switch-off ceremony in Pasig, with sports official Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski serving as ambassador.
Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then, more than 190 countries have given an hour to the planet each year.
