UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE PAOAY CHURCH HOSTS ILOCOS NORTE'S EARTH

HOUR CELEBRATION
Joining the worldwide effort in raising awareness on and addressing environmental
issues, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Paoay Church hosted the Earth Hour
celebration in Ilocos Norte on Saturday, March 28, 2015.
Paoay Church, a centuries-old edifice, is famously known for its distinct architecture
highlighted by the huge buttresses on the sides and back of the building. Being the
Philippines primary example of an earthquake baroque architecture, Paoay Church
has survived many destructive tremors through the years.
Hence, holding the Earth Hour event in the area connotes the provinces resiliency
or its ability to adapt to drastic changes in the environment such as climate change.
Organized by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), the candlelit event
attracted hundreds of locals and tourists with its series of music and performances
including a shadow play conveying its message of protecting the environment.
The event area was decorated with windmills and bonsai plants, signifying Ilocos
Nortes effort in promoting renewable energy and sustainable environment.
The province is known as the capital of renewable energy in Southeast Asia and an
emerging hub for bonsai production, following the establishment of the Bonsai
School at Mariano Marcos State University last year.
Performances continued after turning the lights off from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.
Households, establishments and institutions throughout the province also
participated in the campaign.
Organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the event encourages
individuals, communities and business establishments to switch off non-essential
lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to protect the planet and
promote sustainability.
Now on its ninth year, the annual global campaign started in 2007 in Sydney,
Australia with a simple lights-off event and has since engaged more than two million
individuals and over 7,000 cities and towns worldwide.
Governor Imee Marcos said that the activity serves as a reminder of the importance
of constantly engaging into efforts in promoting a cleaner, healthier and greener
environment for the present and future generations.
Furthermore, Gov. Marcos said that PGIN continues its efforts in building a resilient
and sustainable environment in the province by instigating effective measures for
disaster risk reduction and management, supporting renewable energy and
promoting sustainable environment-friendly practices.

In her State of the Province Address last year, Gov. Marcos announced the creation
of the Provincial Resiliency Council which aims to intensify efforts on disaster
preparedness involving all public and private sectors in Ilocos Norte.
With this years Earth Hour message, Use your power to change climate change,
Gov. Marcos expressed confidence that the collective efforts of the millions of
participants globally, including Ilocanos, will inspire the rest of the world to continue
acting on climate change and other related issues in order to attain a sustainable
future.