MANILA, March 25 : Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Saturday called on Filipinos to join the observance of Earth Hour to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change.

Marcos said the Malacanang presidential palace will observe Earth Hour from 8.30pm-9.30pm local time Saturday night by switching off non-essential lights.

"Let's switch off and give Mother Nature 60 minutes to breathe," Marcos said in a video message.

Marcos noted that the Philippines is battered with an average of 20 typhoons yearly, making the South-East Asian country "one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change."

"As the earth's temperature gets warmer, with the world's carbon footprint reaching a new all-time high of 36.8 gigatons in 2022, the world braces for the irreversible impact of climate change," Marcos said.

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund. The event is held annually, encouraging individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on the Saturday of March, as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

 - Xinhua