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Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
March 30, 2026 | 12:00am
Runners wearing neon shirts and shades join a community run in observance of Earth Hour at a mall in Marikina on Saturday.
Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — This year’s Earth Hour reduced 145.43 megawatts (MW) of power load, equivalent to the consumption of around one million households using 100 kilowatt-hours.
In a statement yesterday, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Luzon recorded the highest load reduction at 75.25 MW, followed by the Visayas at 66.6 MW and Mindanao at 3.58 MW.
The Philippines observed Earth Hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. last Saturday, with homes and businesses switching off non-essential lights to support environmental conservation.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin stressed that energy-saving efforts should continue beyond Earth Hour, particularly as the country navigates the global oil crisis.
“Simple actions such as turning off unused lights, using energy-efficient appliances and managing our energy consumption wisely can collectively strengthen our country’s energy resilience and help secure a more sustainable future,” she said.
Amid soaring global energy prices, the DOE is accelerating the grid integration of 22 power projects with a combined capacity of 1,471 MW, with commercial operations targeted for April.
These committed capacities consist of one wind, 12 solar, six hydropower and two biomass plants, along with a 20-MW integrated renewable energy storage system.
The projects form part of the 200 power plants that President Marcos has directed the DOE to speed up over the next three years.
“Every MW that can be safely and lawfully brought into the grid strengthens our ability to meet demand, manage supply risks and protect consumers,” Garin said.
