The celebration of the Earth Hour 2012 in the Queen City of the South turned out to be a huge success last March 31, 2012 at the Plaza Independencia.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in collaboration with the Aboitiz Group of Companies and the Cebu City government joined hands in saving electricity and reduce carbon footprint for an hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m on the said date.

The said annual activity became a worldwide event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) which started in Sydney, Australia in 2004 and observed on the last Saturday of March. In the Philippines, it started in 2008 and initially only in Metro Manila. This year is the first time that it is held simultaneously in Davao, Cebu and Makati. The activity encouraged everyone to turn off their unused lights and gadgets for an hour to strengthen awareness about the urgent call to care for the climate change.

Bearing the theme, “Uniting Filipinos to Protect the Planet,” Cebuanos unite to observe the Earth Hour activity. It highlighted video messages of prominent people in this movement like President Benigno Aquino III, International leaders of WWF such as Earth Hour co-founder Andy Ridley among others, and its Filipino ambassador Marc Nelson with their “I will, if you will challenge” and the freedom wall where the participants wrote their environmental commitments.

Moreover, adding color to the event were the lighting of candles, walkathon from Fuente Osmeña Circle to Plaza Independencia, Biggest delegates which won by Brgy. Ermita, the eco-bazaar which featured recycled products and organic foods, and the cultural presentation by the UV Cheering Squad, Knap Sack Dancers, and Lumad Basakanon of Basak San Nicholas among others.