(29 Mar 2014) CITY OF MALOLOS—The Earth Hour campaign in Central Luzon is gaining more supporters as part of their contribution to the global effort in mitigating the impacts of global warming and climate change.

In the Philippines lights were turned off from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

In Bulacan province two SM malls not only observe the one-hour light-off campaign but also raises its commitments in protecting and saving the environment by switching to light-emitting diodes (LED) lights.

At SM City Baliwag, LED-powered strobe lights and the 60+ walk of fame adorned the 50-meter stretch of the mall.

At SM City Marilao, the glow-in-the-dark TRON dance, better known as “ElecTRONica” dance movement, inspired this year’s theme “Use Your Power.”

The performers reinforced the statement of “be a superhero for the planet” by the precisely timed sequences and carefully coordinated LED-luminescent light suit choreography.

Each of the performers wore custom-designed LED outfits that could be controlled remotely, dancers could immediately appear and disappear in a pitch-black stage providing a super-hero and futuristic stop-motion component, as well as amazing visual impact.

“Earth Hour is an opportunity to show off how our imagination can inspire and engage our shoppers in saving the environment,” SM City Marilao Mall Manager Bernadette Velasco said. “Today, we would like to promote energy-saving alternatives.”

Following the LED performance, the symbolic 60-minutes Earth Hour campaign began when local government participants, together with SM executives, switched on LED candles as the mall switched off 100 percent of the buildings’ logo including external signage, bill boards and lamp posts.

Preceded by the 10-second countdown, stores and car park lights were set at the minimum level to conserve energy while ensuring the safety of mall customers.

The observance of the Earth Hour campaign in Central Luzon is part of the region’s contribution to the effort in fighting global warming and climate change, said Francisco Milla Jr. of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office in Central Luzon.

Studies showed the country expects to save at least 738 megawatts of power during the one-hour lights-off period, equivalent to cutting down roughly 508 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Records from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) showed that each Filipino emits about 0.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and that each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed is equivalent to 0.5 kilogram of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

In Central Luzon alone, each of the 800,000 registered vehicles pumps into the atmosphere at least 2.3 kg of carbon dioxide per liter of gasoline or 2.7 kg of carbon dioxide per liter of diesel.

Milla said the global call for energy-conservation measures is led by the Washington-based environmental group WWF in cooperation with the Department of Energy, the Green Army Philippines Network, and the SWITCH movement.

This year’s Earth Hour ambassador is the comic superhero “Spider-Man” who epitomizes the power of the individual, inspiring fans to become superheroes for the planet, according to the Earth Hour official website.

The Philippines earned the distinction of being “Earth Hour Hero Country” by consistently registering the most number of participating towns and cities since it first joined the event in 2009.

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 as a “lights-off” event. Since then, it has grown to engage more than 7,000 towns and cities worldwide.