PGMA launches "Switch to CFL" program in Manila

That's where 2000 families in Manila's Tondo district are at the forefront of moving towards more environmentally friendly lighting. They've been given free compact fluorescent lamps in exchange for their power-hungry incandescent light bulbs.

Compact fluorescent bulbs have a reputation of giving off eerie blue or green fluorescent light. But manufa- cturers now offer bulbs that provide light similar to that of incandescent bulbs.(File photo)

The residents are queuing for a bright future.

The Switch to CFL nationwide campaign is distributing 13-million environmentally friendly bulbs... to help families save money on energy bills as well as to safeguard the environment.

The idea is to phase out incandescent bulbs by next year.

Ohail Hasnie, Principal Energy Specialist Asian Development Bank, said, "Ordinary bulbs, the incandescent bulb, consume eighty percent of its electricity to produce heat, that's why a lot of people use them into hatching eggs, but this compact fluorescent bulb uses most its energy for lighting, so you save about eighty percent."