Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said “climate change is a problem of global proportions but reducing its adverse impacts must be done locally”.
The governor issued the call to help reduce climate change as the Negros Occidental provincial government joined the world in celebrating Earth Hour by switching off its lights 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26.
Lacson said 97 percent of climate scientist agrees that climate warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.
“We all must recognize our part in causing the problem and accept the responsibility to do what needs to be done,” he said.
He said joining Earth House shows that “we are not only aware of the gravity of climate change and its impact on our lives, our existence and our planet but we are also willing and prepared to do our active part to change the course of environmental destruction due to climate change.”
“Right now humanity is in a race against time to save our planet,” he said.
The Negros Occidental provincial government joined the Earth Hour with a program themed “Shape Our Future” in front of the Capitol in Bacolod City led Provincial Environment Management Office head Julie Ann Bedrio.
“In attaining a healthier environment and more sustainable earth, as stewards of our planet, we must all take action and make it an everyday decision to save the environment. This is not a one hour event in one day, but an everyday commitment,” Bedrio said.
“This is a promising wake-up call, but only if we act immediately…We must work together to focus all of our efforts in saving our Mother Earth,” she said.
The Earth Hour program was joined by Capitol employees, and representatives of the Diocese of Bacolod Social Action Center and Commission on Youth, Linghod, Youth for Climate Hope, Negros Youth Leadership Institute, Gugma Banwa Movement, Philippine Youth Network for Interfaith Dialogue, YSLEP-Bacolod, St. Joseph School-La Salle, University of the Philippines-Visayas, Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, La Consolacion College, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and Youth Empowering Youth Initiatives Inc., she said.*