BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan has issued an administrative order enjoining Baguio citizens, business sector, government officials and employees to join and be part of the “Earth Hour 2017” celebration on March 25 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm with the theme, “Shine a Light on Climate Change”.
Administrative Order No. 28 series of 2017 also tasks the City Environment Parks and Management Office (CEPMO) to be at the forefront in drumming up the celebration of the “2017 60 min+ Earth Hour” activity.
“The Philippines is one of the 178 countries in the world that signed the ‘Paris Global Climate Deal of 2015’ ensuring an emission reduction of 70 percent by 2030. This global campaign will visually present the need for every Filipino to take action today as climate change affects people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures,” it states.
Since Baguio is a consistent partner of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines, it joins other countries in celebrating the event where simple and doable activities are encouraged including switching off or dim non-essential lights at homes, street lights, signages and key monuments on March 25, 2017 starting 8:30 pm for one hour and pledge to go “Beyond the Hour” by publicly promoting renewed ways and practices of initiating change to include environmental protection and actions that offices and individuals are willing to undertake throughout the year.
To drum up the event, the city will conduct a “LED and Dance of the Gongs March” from the Post Office, Session Road, down to Abanao Street and end at City hall for a culminating program participated by cultural groups, ethnic dance troupes from schools, academe and other sectors.
The CEPMO’s management division is tasked to spearhead the unified march and program and coordinate with the various ethnic dance troupes from the different sectors of the city to join the activity.**gaby keith and rebecca tial (pio intern)
