TAGUIG CITY JOINS EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS

Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano has expressed full support behind the upcoming Earth Day Celebration even as she rallied Taguiguenos to participate in the “lights out” activity that will be observed worldwide on Saturday, March 31.

Mayor Lani underscored the importance of caring for our planet Earth, even in our small, individual ways.

Under a memorandum issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), this year’s celebration, which carries the theme “Earth Day Every Day, Everywhere!”, will center on the possible solutions to climate change and its adverse effects to the environment.

“Earth Hour”—considered the highlight of the Earth Day Celebration—involves the simultaneous switching off of lights all over the world between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on March 31.

Mayor Lani said that participating in the activity signifies one’s support for environmental protection, as well as the campaign to solve or at least mitigate the ill effects of climate change to the environment.

She proudly pointed to the fact that the Philippines holds the record for the best participation among nations that joined last year’s Earth Hour, when over 15 million Filipinos scattered in 1,076 municipalities and cities simultaneously turned off their lights at home.

Because of this, Mayor Lani said not only the Taguigeños, but every Filipino should to take part in the lights out event to declare to the whole world that Filipinos are in the forefront of efforts to care for the environment and the fight against climate change.

Mayor Lani, however,  stressed that the campaign for environmental protection should neither be a once-a-year affair nor confined to the simple task of turning off lights.

“Caring for the environment—as seen in tasks like garbage segregation and avoiding the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam—should be a daily facet of our lives,” the mayor stressed.

Meanwhile, Atty. Darwin B. Icay, Mayor Lani’s spokesperson and chief of the Public Information Office (PIO), the recent weather phenomena, including the worsening floods, should spur everyone to contribute in addressing the effects of climate change.

He noted that under the policy direction of Mayor Lani, Taguig City is consistently doing its part in the campaign against climate change through various green programs, including tree planting, river clean-up, waste segregation, and similar other activities.

TAGALOG VERSION:

NAGPAHAYAG nang pagsuporta si Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano sa Earth Day Celebration kasabay ang panawagan sa mga Taguigeno na makiisa sa pagdiriwang, particular sa sabayang pagpapatay ng ilaw sa buong mundo sa Sabado ng gabi, Marso 31.

Binigyan-diin ni Mayor Lani ang kahalagahan na maglaan ang bawat isa ng kanilang sariling kontribusyon sa pangangalaga at pagbibigay-halaga sa mundong ating ginagalawan.

Base sa memorandum na ipinalabas ng Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), ang pagdiriwang ngayong taon—na may temang “Earth Day Every Day, Everywhere!”—ay nakasentro sa paglutas sa mga mapaminsalang epekto ng climate change.

Ang Earth Hour, na tampok sa Earth Day Celebration—ay ginagawa sa pamamagitan ng sabayang pagpapatay ng ilaw  sa buong mundo pagsapit ng alas-8:30 hanggang 9:30 ng gabi sa Marso 31.

Ayon kay Mayor Lani, ito’y pagpapahayag na rin ng bawat isa ng kanilang panata at pakikiisa upang tumulong mapangalagaan ang kapaligiran at isulong ang kampanya upang kundi man tuluyang mapigil ay maibsan ang masamang epekto ng climate change.

Ikinagalak ni Mayor Lani na kinilala ang Pilipinas sa paghawak ng record sa pinakamaraming bilang ng mga lumahok sa nakalipas na Earth Hour  kung saan mahigit sa 15 milyong Filipino mula sa humigit-kumulang na 1,076 na bayan at lungsod sa bansa ang nagpatay ng ilaw sa kani-kanilang tahanan.

Bunsod nito, umapela si Mayor Lani na hindi lamang ang mga Taguigeno kundi lahat ng Pilipino ay dapat makibahagi sa darating na ‘lights out event’  upang patunayan sa buong mundo na nangunguna tayo sa kampanyang pangalagaan ang kapaligiran at paglaban kontra climate change.

Subalit binigyan-diin ni Mayor Lani na hindi dapat maging isang beses kada taon  lamang o sa simpleng pagpatay ng ilaw lamang maging aktibo ang lahat sa kampanya para sa environmental protection.

“Sa pang-araw araw po nating pamumuhay ay dapat nating gawin ang pangangalaga sa ating kapaligiran gaya na lamang sa paghihiwalay ng basura, pag-iwas sa paggamit ng plastic bags, styrofoam at iba pa.” dagdag ng alkalde.

Samantala, iginiit ni Atty. Darwin B. Icay, tagapagsalita ni Mayor Lani at siya ring chief ng Public Information Office (PIO) na dahil sa mga nakaraang kalamidad, tulad ng lumalalang mga pagbaha, dapat nang magising ang lahat at tumulong sa paglaban sa masamang epekto ng climate change.

Sa ilalim ng mga direktiba ni Mayor Lani, sinabi ni Atty. Icay na ginagawa ng Taguig ang bahagi ng lungsod sa kampanya laban sa climate change sa pamamagitan ng mga “green programs”, katulad ng tree planting, river clean-up, waste segregation at mga iba pang katulad na programa.