MANILA – The conservation organization, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, aims to further draw public support for legislation on plastic waste management to help address environmental degradation and biodiversity loss from plastics pollution.
On March 30, WWF Philippines will spearhead in Makati City the Philippines' main 2019 Earth Hour (EH) celebration that is anchored on the organization's campaign against single-use plastics.
"For this year, we're emphasizing what and how everybody can be part of the crusade to save the planet," WWF Philippines president and CEO Joel Palma said at the launch of this year's EH in Pasig City on Thursday.
The Philippines' rank as third top plastics polluter of oceans and the havoc that plastic waste continues to wreak on nature, raise the urgency for collective action on the matter, he said.
"We Filipinos must unite and create concrete steps to stop this worsening situation," Palma said.
He said nature is important to daily life so preventing plastic waste from polluting the environment "is a big step towards a greener, more sustainable planet."
EH is a grassroots movement, which WWF Philippines' mother organization, WWF, has been promoting worldwide annually to inspire and empower individuals, organizations and governments on taking tangible action for Earth.
By switching off lights for an hour at a designated time, EH participants worldwide signify support for such bid.
The switch-off of lights is the highlight of the EH’s annual celebration.
According to WWF Philippines, actual 2019 EH switch-off of lights in the country will be at 8:30 p.m. on March 30.
"Everyone all over the Philippines is encouraged to switch off non-essential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in solidarity with millions around the world who'll do the same," the organization said further.
The country's main 2019 EH celebration will be from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Makati's Globe Circuit Event Grounds, WWF Philippines said.
Various booths, activities and performances honoring Earth, as well as the main switch-off, will be featured during the celebration.
WWF Philippines said that for more than 10 years, EH has inspired individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible action for nature.
"More recently, EH has focused on raising awareness and inspiring conversations on why nature matters -- the movement recognizes (the) role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet's most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses (the) collective power of its millions of supporters to build a sustainable future for all," WWF Philippines added. (PNA)
