Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, January 26, 2017

DOE Backs UN Energy Agenda in Bangkok Meet

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippines expressed full support for the United Nation’s (UN) energy thrusts that run parallel with the country’s own agenda such as ensuring energy security, promoting a low carbon future, achieving total electrification and improving energy efficiency.

Representing Secretary Alfonso Cusi of the Department of Energy (DOE), Undersecretary Jesus Cristino Posadas led Philippine energy sector delegates in the recent meeting of the newly established Committee on Energy of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

Posadas told the meeting held in at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand that the Philippines also backs the restructuring of the commission including the establishment of an energy committee.

The DOE official led high-ranking delegates as Chairperson and topic discussions Moderator of the session on "Energy Transition and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”

He emphasized the need for regional energy cooperation and interconnectivity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: “Affordable and Clean Energy.”

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Employees of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) tackled 20 flights of stairs plus a host of grueling physical and mental challenges in the annual BPI Vertical Race, which will fund an eco-friendly village in Guinhadap, Masbate.

Over 200 participants climbed to the top of the BPI headquarters in Makati last December 10, 2016, where top male athlete Jose Augurio de Vera Jr. finished in 4:42. Top female athlete Jules Villamor completed all challenges in 5:18, while fastest group ‘Team N’ breezed through the race in 4:24.

The Vertical Race is part of BPI’s employee donation campaign. Launched in October 2016, the move generated P250,000 to support the World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF’s Earth Hour Village in one of the poorest Philippine provinces, Masbate.

“WWF’s Earth Hour Village combines various WWF-tested technologies to provide food, water and energy for local communities,” explains WWF-Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma. Masbate’s Barangay Guindahap for instance, remains underdeveloped due to its remote location. Its people subsist mainly on fishing for food and on kerosene lamps for lighting, prompting WWF to deploy a host of measures to improve local people’s lives.

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In a bid to contribute to the community and drive socioeconomic development, Lamudi Philippines launched a scholarship competition aiming to reward exemplary students. For its first foray, a student from Cavite and Pampanga bagged the scholarship grant for school year 2016–2017.

Walter David Villegas, a third-year Development Studies major at the University of the Philippines Manila, and Jaynie Pajarillaga, a third year communication student from Holy Angel University Pampanga bested more than a hundred applicants from different schools and universities across the Philippines.

Both scholars will receive Php20,000 educational assistance that will be given directly to the school to cover some of their tuition fees. The two will also be awarded with a paid internship in any department at the Lamudi Philippines office.

“We saw in both Walter and Jaynie what we see in the Philippines: exceptional, talented, and determined, and by thoroughly reviewing their application documents and credentials we are very sure that we made the right choice,” shared Bhavna Shuresh, Lamudi Philippines and MyProperty.ph’s new Managing Director and CEO, who took the rein of leading the top local property portal brands in early 2017.

“Working in a tech company like Lamudi will be a great opportunity for the two students. The non-stop innovation and learning in the Lamudi office will surely be a good training ground for these budding and promising talents,” Ms. Shuresh added.