BAGUIO CITY, Mar.31 (PIA) — Baguio City joined the worldwide observance of the Earth Hour on March 19.
 
At the Baguio City hall, Mayor Mauricio Domogan led city officials in switching of lights and a program at the city hall grounds.
 
At exactly 8:30PM at SM Baguio, Vice mayor Edison Bilog and SM City Baguio officials, Regional Operations Manager Jansen Pe, Assistant Mall Manager Rona Correa, SM Store Branch Manager Arnel Aguas, SM Public Relations Manager Karren Padilla and led the ceremonial switching off of lights of the mall. Children Alexandra Iris and Djievhon Pix Cawis also assisted in the switch off.
 
The program in SM was highlighted by the fire dance performed following the lights off and the ceremonial lights off by the children at a globe shaped into a light bulb.
 
According to Correa, SM City Baguio joined 56 other SM malls nationwide and the seven malls in China in turning off the lights on Earth Hour. 
 
Correa said this is the eighth year that the largest mall chain in the country has supported the world’s largest public campaign for the environment. The Philippines was one of the top 10 countries with the highest number of participants in 2015.
 
She stressed that the ceremonial lights off of the mall is not only symbolic of the support to the Earth Hour and the campaign to reduce energy consumption. It is also a call for everyone to share advocacies for the people and the planet to consider society and the environment in all of their actions.
 
For many years now, SM has been taking sustainability initiatives that include water recycling facilities, rainwater catchment tanks, and LED lighting systems. Regular Trash to Cash activities are also conducted wherein the public can exchange specified recyclable or reusable trash for cash.
 
In his message, Bilog stressed the need for the people of Baguio to unite to have a common action to protect and conserve the environment and fight climate change.
 
He said that the global climate change being experienced is also being felt in Baguio City with the experience of the city with the damages of the recent super typhoons and the El Nino phenomenon.
 
He added the city government is doing its share in fighting climate change. He said the city council in particular has been enacting ordinances that would promote protection and conservation of the environment and the natural resources of the city.
 
This year’s theme, “Shine a Light on Climate Action”, reiterates Earth Hour’s goals of not only getting public support for climate change mitigation and adaptation but also getting individuals and groups to do their share beyond the one-hour symbolic switching off of lights. (JDP/RMC-PIA CAR)