DOE launches ORAS to conserve energy

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April 21, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a weekly energy-saving campaign similar to the observance of Earth Hour.

In the “Oras Natin sa Efficiency” or ONE campaign, the public is encouraged to switch off non-essential lights and unplug unused appliances from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

“We have proven that if we switch off unessential items or electricity together, we can really generate savings,” Patrick Aquino, director of the
 DOE-Energy Utilization Management Bureau, said at an online briefing yesterday.

“We’ll be partnering with our business sector, our schools, as well as the households and non-governmental organizations to promote this hourly activity,” he added.

Earth Hour has been held around the world annually since 2007 on the last Saturday of March from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

This year, the Philippines reduced 145.43 megawatts of power load during Earth Hour on March 28, equivalent to the consumption of around one million households using 100 kilowatt-hours.

Electricity demand traditionally peaks during the dry season, this year included.

In one of her previous briefings, DOE Secretary Sharon Garin assured the public that they would not suffer from power interruptions amid the oil crisis.

“Ninety-seven percent of our power does not come from diesel, only three percent,” Garin said on April 15. “That three-percent diesel consumption is used mainly in the islands, so that’s the one we’re monitoring.”

‘Protect the environment’

Ahead of the Earth Day observance on April 22, Sen. Loren Legarda warned that the Philippines must urgently scale up its environmental interventions to cushion the severe economic blow of the ongoing global energy crisis.

Noting the sharp spikes in electricity and transport costs, the lawmaker stressed that ecological preservation is now directly tied to national economic survival.

To combat this, she pushed for concrete nature-based solutions, such as watershed rehabilitation to secure water supplies and mangrove reforestation to shield vulnerable coastal communities.

“When the cost of energy rises, everything else follows, from what we eat to how we live. This is why protecting the environment is no longer separate from protecting our economy and people,” Legarda said.

She emphasized that the global theme for Earth Month, “Our Power, Our Planet,” demands a shift away from superficial celebrations toward a comprehensive, whole-of-nation strategy that builds systemic resilience against climate-related disasters. — Neil Jayson Servallos