At precisely 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 28, 2009, it went pitch black in various parts of the country as participants declared lights out for a full hour. They did so in keeping with "Earth Hour," in solidarity with the global call for action on climate change. 

Hundreds of cities in over 83 countries around the world replicated the effort in support of the initiative.

The Philippines' effort was spearheaded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Department of Energy, and the Green Switch Movement.  "Earth Hour" organizers were jubilant ahead of this year's campaign. 

Yeb Saño, National Director of Earth Hour Philippines, said: "The Philippines ranked number one in having the most number of cities and municipalities participating in Earth Hour, with 647 cities and municipalities switching off their lights, followed by Greece in second with 484 cities and municipalities." 

He noted that power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Philippine Electric Market Corp. (PEMC) estimated last year's effort to have saved an estimated 56 megawatts in Luzon alone.

From a million participants last year focused in Metro Manila, Saño added, around 10 million Filipinos switched off their lights this year.
   
Organizers said this year's nationwide participation was astounding. "This is the easiest idea to sell, and people are very responsive and enthusiastic," he said.

True enough, the sweeping darkness visible in many places was enough proof of the campaign's success.

Makati's Earth Hour

Makati City, the designated Official Earth Hour Flagship City in the Philippines by WWF, conducted a ceremonial switch-off at a program held at the Philippine Stock Exchange on Ayala Avenue. 

Lamp-posts in Makati City's 27 major roads were shut off, buildings in Ayala were plunged into darkness, and hotels and businesses declared a power out.

Candles became the order of the day. EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, for instance, switched off its lights, including those in the poolside, and turned to using candles to lead the way, while guests also dined by candlelight. 

In posh Forbes Park, 97% of residents switched off power in their homes.

In a statement, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said the city's observance of "Earth Hour" was another testament of Makati's wholehearted commitment to the global crusade to save the environment.  He summed up the city's participation by acknowledging the big step Filipinos were taking to save the planet.

"We are heeding the worldwide call to help Mother Earth combat the harmful emissions from the regular electric lights we use and, at the same time, help our country cope with the almost weekly and uncontrollable increases in the price of oil," he said.

"This simple act done simultaneously in households and establishments in cities all over the nation and the world, when taken altogether, can make a tangible impact on global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Let us also keep in mind that this is not a one-time event," he added. "Rather, it serves as a wake-up call for all of us to be more concerned about our environment, and to consciously make this advocacy a part of our everyday lives. There is no better time to start than right now."

Gary V, Lea Salonga 
 
At the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, celebrities, including Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano and Lea Salonga, pledged their support for "Earth Hour" in a youth-led event aired on Studio 23.

Like the cities of Makati and Pasay, lights out was declared from the Humpback Whale research team in Batanes, to Baguio. 

At the People's Park in Davao, the ceremonial switch off was followed by a program in tribute to Mother Earth, at the end of which an estimated 1,061 volts were saved. 

Lights on the streets of Davao were not spared. The effort was replicated in Cagayan de Oro, Naga City, and Bacolod City, where a candle-lighting ceremony symbolized support for the call. 

In Zamboanga City, a covenant was also signed supporting the campaign to save Mother Earth and fight global warming.
 
In Manila, key landmarks like the Manila City Hall, and churches, including the San Sebastian church, also took part in "Earth Hour" after sounding off church bells.
 
Power-distributor Meralco was not to be outdone, as it shut off all the lights for a full hour in one of its floors.

Global movement 
 
"Earth Hour," the global movement against climate change, calls on people to save evergy and the earth by easing up on the use of electricity, a known contributor to carbon emissions which are linked to the warming of the planet. 

The global event symbolizes that by working together, people can make a difference and have a positive impact on climate change.
 
The lights out initiative began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for 60 minutes, allowing the message about climate change to shine.
 
This year was the most ambitious such effort yet, intended to trump last year's bid when "Earth Hour" went global in March. More than 400 cities, thousands of businesses and over 50 million people around the world turned off their lights for one hour to demonstrate their commitment to slowing the effects of climate change.

The movement captured the public's imagination with lights going out at some of the world's most iconic landmarks.
 
While the promotion was not as aggressive in Australia this year, observers noted a bigger participation as The Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge led the initiative by dimming its lights for Earth Hour.
 
If the reception to the campaign this year is any indication, organizers are unanimous in saying there's greater awareness on what "Earth Hour" is and hopes to do, and how people can help the fight against global warming by the mere flick of a light switch.