WWF launches Earth Hour 'dare campaign' for Filipinos

By Anna Valmero

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA—The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) follows a more personal approach in launching Earth Hour 2012 with a campaign that empowers Filipinos to perform a personal dare by asking everyone to do their part to save the planet.

Dubbed the “I Will If You Will” campaign, it uses the YouTube video platform to urge people worldwide to take a creative leap from the annual lights out event, said Earth Hour Philippines national director and lawyer Gia Ibay.

The concept of “I Will If You Will” centers around the fulfillment of a “social contract between two parties.”

It aims to connect one person, business, or organization to a “promise to reduce carbon footprint” and their friends, family, customers or members to a “personal dare or challenge”—uniting them behind the common goal of creating a positive environmental outcome.

The promise can range from recycling, to switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, turning off your mobile charger when not in use, or signing up for paperless banking, explained Ibay.

The Earth Hour YouTube channel hosts a global library of ‘I Will If You Will’ challenges. Meanwhile, people are urged to share their ‘dares’ publicly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email.

Friends can join and accept each challenge using these social networks.

WWF-Philippines is now seeking official local partners for Earth Hour 2012, set on March 31 at 8:30 p.m.

“We call on corporations, local governments, media networks and other organizations to stand with us for this year’s switch-off. When public and private sector forces unite—then we will be able to effect change on the scale required to change the world,” said Ibay.

Earth Hour Philippines has led the global switch-off since 2009, ranking number one globally in terms of town and city participation for three consecutive years.

A record-breaking 1,554 Philippine cities and municipalities switched lights off in 2011, 1,076 for 2010, 647 for 2009, and over 50 establishments during the country’s inaugural Earth Hour in 2008.

(Photo courtesy of WWF-Philippines)

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