Earth Hour 2010 in the Philippines is done

Okay, I admit that I and our mother didn’t get to do Earth Hour properly this year, since we were out to dinner. During our drive home, one can’t really say we were in serious darkness. There was still plenty of light, although some did make an effort. Some billboards weren’t illuminated, Quezon Memorial Circle was completely dark, two malls (SM North and Trinoma) were relatively dim, and the main building of GMA 7 was dark all over, save for a couple of billboards. The picture you see on the left was taken across SM North EDSA, and the lights at the bottom come from the vehicles rushing down EDSA. A note was passed around our neighborhood reminding everyone about Earth Hour, and while most people complied, one house in particular didn’t, since the people living there were having a big party. I’d say whatever power we didn’t use, they made sure to make up for it with their event.

Earth Hour in the Philippines is done!

So maybe I didn’t get to properly do Earth Hour because I was on the road and on my way home, but it was ever a surprise to see that our mother sorta, kinda observed it; she lit candles and only had an electric fan on because it’s scorching, and she left a light on downstairs so I don’t fall on my face and break all my teeth going in the house. Our clocks at home must be running a few minutes ahead, because when we turned on the TV, the Earth Hour events all over the country were just getting ready to switch on the lights.

Now that right there is my problem. Earth Hour events? People gathering together in brightly-lit places prior to Earth Hour? Broadcasting during the supposed switch-off hour and updating viewers on Earth Hour events in the rest of the Philippines, then keeping up energy-sapping coverage once the lights have been turned back on? Seems like an odd exercise to me.

All in all, it seems like Earth Hour was more widely observed this year, with the cities of Baguio, Cebu, Iloilo, among others, taking part.

Earth Hour in Manila

On my drive from Quezon City to Manila yesterday, I discovered that there were posters a-plenty advertising Earth Hour on March 28. It was a surprise, especially because Earth Hour hasn’t been seriously observed here, so it’s good that people will be more aware of it. On the other hand, maybe the Metro Manila Development Authority, which proclaims that it “has the energy to support Earth Hour,” should’ve been more sensitive to the environment by, oh, I don’t know, not using too many of those posters.