Environmental activists lit candles and held up over 1,000 paper birds in Metro Manila Tuesday evening to express support for people seriously affected by the nuclear tragedy in Japan. About 100 Greenpeace members and supporters held the vigil at the Monument of Heroes in the suburbs of Quezon City. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan. The Filipino people are no strangers to disasters and understand deeply what the Japanese are going through," said Amalie Obusan, a climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Japanese people already have a lot to contend with as a result of the earthquake and tsunami and "it is unfortunate that they still have to focus attention and resources on the nuclear fallout," she said. Artists and writers also joined the activities, which included an update on the situation in Fukushima prefecture where the damaged Dai-ichi nuclear plant is located. Obusan said that if a nation such as Japan has to struggle handling the effects of a fallout, "then what about a country that is more ill-prepared for disasters such as the Philippines?" She said the nuclear crisis is a man-made disaster, the impacts of which will be felt for decades. "The smartest move for our country and governments around the world is to redouble their efforts to harness safe and secure renewable energy sources and invest in energy efficiency technologies." Related reports Fukushima’s Christian heroes risk allLiving in the shadow of Fukushima Daiichi PM13959.1649