Despite a 43-percent drop in Luzon’s power consumption during this year’s Earth Hour and overall participation in this year’s Earth Hour, the Visayas and Mindanao electricity consumers ramped up their participation, the Department of Energy said.
According to data from the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, this year’s energy demand fell four percent to 165 megawatts (MW) from last year’s 172 MW.
Volume reduction in Luzon from 8: 30 on March 25 decreased by 43 percent from 136 MW last year, down to 77 MW.
The Visayas grid recorded a 44 MW reduction in its maximum load, up 47 percent from 30 MW the previous year.
Mindanao, which last year reduced only 6 MW from its maximum load due to the grid’s power crisis that spurred rotating brownouts, reduced seven times 2016’s level with 44 MW in power reduction this year.
Earth Hour, now on its 10th year, started in 2007 in Australia by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The Philippines’ main event for Earth Hour this year was held at SM by the Bay at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.
“Earth Hour is a great initiative that demonstrates how small, simple steps can help make a difference in making communities reflect on the devastating impacts of climate change,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said in a statement.
Senate Committee on Climate Change chair Senator Loren Legarda also said that the event is a testament to people’s capability to fight climate change.
“The Earth Hour proves that we can protect our planet. It proves that small acts, when put together, create big change. I hope that we can go beyond Earth Hour and imbibe environment-friendly practices as a way of life,” she said.