“A power outage can be catastrophic for the economy,” said Fabia Tetteroo-Bueno, country manager for Philips Philippines. “We lose the comfort of our homes and the stability of livelihood and business.

Jointly organized by Philips, Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) Bank, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the #MayMagagawaKa campaign seeks to raise awareness and build urgency on energy conservation in the country.

“When it comes to power interruptions, it affects the quality of power and disrupts business,” said Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of ECCP.

Saving energy is also an emerging environmental issue. Lighting alone accounts for almost a fifth of global energy — equivalent to 1.9 billion tons of carbon emissions every year.

For his part, Joel Palma, WWF president and chief executive officer, said “everybody has to lend a hand. We are running on a [power] deficit.”

Initially launched for the upcoming Earth Hour on March 29, 2015, Palma says the power-saving campaign should go beyond the event.

As part of the #MayMagagawaKa campaign, Philips launched an online video series on Facebook and YouTube last month featuring real-life testimonials from Filipinos, whose lives were or would be afflicted by power outages — including small-business owners, tricycle operators, employees, and homeowners.

When it comes to electrical consumption, she advised, it is the little things that matter — like switching from conventional lighting to LED.

Philips marketing manager Christine Villanueva said changing light bulbs to the LED kind is the “simplest way to help solve the problem, but we must do it now. There is a sense of urgency [in the campaign] because of the energy situation [in the country].

Based on studies from Philips, switching to LEDs can reduce home lighting energy consumption by 85 percent. On average, lighting accounts for 20-30 percent of a Philippine household’s monthly electrical bill — underscoring its importance in energy conservation at the household level. “Of the P1,000 you spend on your electricity every month, approximately P200 goes to lighting. If you made the simple switch to LED, the P200 could become P30 — giving you P170 worth of energy savings,” Tetteroo-Bueno said.

Switching to LEDs can reduce a household’s carbon emissions by 50 to 70 percent.

Villanueva added that Philips will be launching several new lighting solutions within the year to accommodate various client requirements.

Source: Manila Bulletin