Everyday should be Earth Day—Legarda
As the world faces a worsening climate crisis, observing Earth Day every single day is now a necessity, Senator Loren Legarda said.
“Earth Day should not be observed only once a year. It must be a daily reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and preserve our environment,” Legarda stressed, urging Filipinos to ditch making it just as a ceremonial observance.
“Earth Day must be every day,” she stressed, citing the need to embrace sustainable living and support clean energy policies.
In celebrating this year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” the senator called for nationwide action to accelerate the energy transition which, she said, should not be left to the energy industry alone.
“The energy transition cannot be left to industry alone. Our energy transition must include every Filipino. When a household installs a solar panel, participates in net-metering, or when a business chooses the green energy option, it is not merely adopting a new technology—it is asserting its right to clean air, lower costs, and a livable future,” the lawmaker explained.
“Community microgrids bring not just power to homes but economic gains to businesses, lower bills for everyone, and stronger resilience during crises,” she said.
Legarda, author and co-sponsor of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513) and principal author and co-sponsor of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (RA 11285), also highlighted how energy choices directly impact public health.
“Cleaner energy means fewer emissions—and fewer lives lost to asthma, heart disease, and maternal complications linked to pollution,” she said.
“It means protecting women and children, who are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation,” she noted.
Moreover, Legarda said the public should resort to adopting simple but impactful habits:
“This Earth Day, I call on every Filipino to take part—at home, in the barangay, at work. Plant trees. Turn off what you don’t need. Choose LED lights. Explore solar technologies and local microgrids. Demand clean energy choices from providers and support policies that bring us closer to a decentralized, democratized energy future,” she stressed.
“Our shift to cleaner energy is more than a change in infrastructure—it reflects a deeper shift in values,” Legarda emphasized.