WWF urges Filipinos to speak up for nature in Earth Hour 2021

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – The past year has been filled with several catastrophic incidents such as extreme weather events, devastating wildfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which all proved that preventing nature loss is crucial for safeguarding our future.

To set the course for our future, World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines rallies every Filipino to take climate action and speak up for nature during the celebration of the annual Earth Hour on March 27 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

''2021 is a crucial year for humanity. As the world tries to turn the tide and recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild itself, we need to put nature at the center of our recovery efforts to future proof our economies and societies," said Marco Lambertini, WWF International director general.

Similar to last year, Earth Hour Philippines 2021 will be mostly digital with several online events held throughout the month of March.

WWF-Philippines' Ambassadors, together with the National Youth Council, have been sharing their visions for tomorrow while encouraging the public to share on social media their hopes and dreams for a sustainable future as part of the rollout for the #SpeakUpForNature campaign.

Meanwhile, the Earth Hour Sustainability Challenge will see local influencers sharing their own sustainable lifestyle choices while meeting various challenges set down by WWF-Philippines. Funds will be raised to support WWF-Philippines' conservation efforts while encouraging Filipinos to make environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices. This initiative runs from March 11 to March 30.

Before the switch-off on the night of March 27, WWF-Philippines will run the EH PHlix 2021 watch party through its Facebook page. The live stream, which will start at 3:30 p.m., will feature several shows on how Filipinos can practice sustainability and speak up for nature from the safety of their homes. Here is the lineup of shows:

- Wildlife Conservation for Kids, hosted by WWF-Philippines Ambassadors Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and Xia Vigor, together with WWF-Philippines' Education for Sustainable Development team

- Feed the Future: Sustainable Dining 101 with WWF-Philippines Ambassadors Pia Wurtzbach and KC Concepcion, the WWF-Philippines Sustainable Consumption and Production team, Rina Papio of Greenspace, and Cyma, Souv and Green Pastures owner Chef Robby Goco

- Tackling the Plastic Problem with WWF-Philippines Ambassador Iza Calzado and KALIPI President Wilma Arevalo, and the WWF-Philippines Plastics Program

The program will end with the Countdown to Earth Hour 2021, hosted by WWF-Philippines National Ambassadors Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez, which will run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Over the past decade, Earth Hour has inspired global initiatives for the protection of nature, climate, and the environment, helping drive awareness, action and policy change. The movement helped in the creation of a 3.5 million hectares protected marine area in Argentina, a 2,700-hectare Earth Hour forest in Uganda, secured new legislation for the protection of seas and forests in Russia, pushed for a ban on single-use plastics and styrofoam products in the Ecuadorian capital, and initiated the planting of 20,000 mangrove seedlings in 13 cities in Indonesia.

Lend your support to the environment and speak up for nature with the official Earth Hour hashtags #EarthHour2021, #EarthHourPhilippines2021 and #SpeakUpForNature.

Visit www.earthhour.org to find out more about events happening this Earth Hour around the world. Follow WWF-Philippines on social media for updates and events related to Earth Hour Philippines 2021.