Global Peace Festival Foundation
Philippines
University Students and Officials celebrate 3rd Global Peace Festival Day in the Campus by giving to GPFF-ALS Communities
SM City Manila and GPFF
Support Earth Hour Campaign in the Philippines.
On March 31, 2012 the City of Manila, SM City Manila and GPFF spearheaded the switch off from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM in support of the annual Earth Hour campaign. The Earth Hour is an annual event of the SM Supermalls through the Environmental Committee of SM Cares in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund Philippines. Earth Hour became a global initiative in which homeowners, individuals, businesses and communities are invited to turn off their lights for one hour, to show support for environmentally sustainable action.
SM Supermalls, City of Manila and GPFF support Earth Hour: (LEFT- RIGHT) Jimberly Wong (Assistant Mall Manager of SM City Manila); Ms. Sally Quimson (Executive Director, GPFF-Philippines); Loida Buyoc (Branch Manager of SM City Manila Department Store); Councilor Robert Ortega (City of Manila); Engr. Rodolfo Velasco (Chief of Mines and Geosciences Bureau); Ms. Lea Casamayor (Asst. Mall Manager, SM City Manila); Col. Franklin Gacutan (Chief of the Mayor’s Complaint and Action Team) and Dr Giovanni
Earth Hour first started in Sydney Australia last 2001. From a single City initiative, it has since developed into a 5,251 city international movement, reaching 1.8 Billion people in 135 countries across the globe.
SM CITY MANILA together with forty two SM Supermalls in the Philippines and four in China-made the switch and joined the Earth Hour Celebration. By making this commitment, the SM Malls showed how this year’s Earth hour theme “I Will if YOU Will” could inspire people across borders and cultures through performances, pledges and environmental activities.
In a statement by Ms. Sally Quimson, GPFF-Philippines Executive Director, she explained how environmental sustainability campaigns such as Earth Hour may also contribute to sustainable peace. “Scarce resources brought by our population’s environmental negligence could trigger violence amongst communities and even nations. It is therefore important to support initiatives such as Earth Hour,” she said.
Earth Hour at a Glance:
The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian nation to pledge full support. Over 50 local towns and cities participated in the one-hour lights-out.
Total power savings amounted to 80MWh. 56MWh was saved in Luzon alone – equivalent to shutting down a coal-fired power plant for one hour. In 2009, the Philippines became the top Earth Hour country in terms of town and city participation, with 647 Philippine towns and cities joining in. Ten million Filipinos saved at least 611 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity in 2009 – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power plants. In 2010, 1076 Philippine towns and cities participated – more than enough to retain the title.
A record-breaking 1661 Philippine cities and municipalities switched off their lights for Earth Hour in 2011 – making the country a three-time Earth Hour champion and an official Earth Hour ‘Hero Country’.