DOTr Bares Two New NLEX Exits in Meycauayan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In a bid to decongest traffic in Meycauayan, Bulacan, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), has approved the construction and opening of Libtong and Pandayan exit ramps along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

The construction of the P31.5-million exit ramps project was started by the NLEX Corporation this year to ease vehicular traffic at the Meycauayan Interchange. Apart from constructing additional exits, the Meycauayan southbound toll plaza is also being expanded, while the east portion of its roundabout is undertaking signalization.

During the opening of the exit ramps held last July 6, NLEX Corp. President Rodrigo Franco revealed that more traffic-decongestion programs and enhancements are being undertaken in NLEX to deliver quality service to motorists.

Meanwhile, in her speech, Congresswoman Villarica recognized the significant role of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade in making the traffic improvement program in Meycauayan possible.

Also present during the ceremony were Meycauayan City Mayor Henry R. Villarica, Vice Mayor Rafael S. Manzano, Jr., other LGU officials, NLEX Corporation Senior Vice President for Tollways Development and Engineering Raul L. Ignacio, Senior Vice President for Communications and Stakeholder Management Romulo S. Quimbo, Jr., Vice President for Project Management Nemesio G. Castillo, Vice President for Asset Management Jennifer Jane T. Go, and Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Roberto N. Tañada.

Incidentally, one of the five stations that were marked during the PNR Manila - Clark Station Marking Event held on June 26 is also located in Meycauayan. The PNR Manila – Clark Railway System is a 106-km railway that will lessen travel time from Tutuban in Manila to Clark in Pampanga to just 55 minutes.

National ID System: A Cure Worse than the Disease?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Statement of the Foundation for Media Alternatives on a National ID System

As a response to various plans and proposals to implement a national ID system, the Foundation for Media Alternatives aims to raise awareness of the possible implications of such unified identity schemes. We believe
that a national ID system could:

1. Expand the bureaucracy and increase its maintenance costs;
2. Make the privacy and security of Filipinos vulnerable; and
3. Be used as a State surveillance tool against the people.

Officials of the Department of Finance made headlines recently with the pronouncement that the government plans to earmark PhP2 billion for the implementation of a national ID system next year. Together with their peers in the executive and proponents of the measure in Congress, these officials all proclaim the merits of having a centralized identification system: a panacea to red tape, and an obvious solution to terrorism, crime, and other security issues. 

We, at the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), believe that such sweeping claims deserve a thorough and in-depth look, lest this turns out to be one of those instances wherein the much-touted cure becomes worse than the disease it is supposed to prevent. 

With red tape, for instance, the problem is by no means unique to government. It is common in organizations owing to poor communication, inflexible systems, and inefficient processes. As such, solutions almost always require comprehensive changes in the way things are done. That is what this administration should aim for and not an ID system, which is far from the vaunted solution it is made to be. If anything, introducing such a system may aggravate the situation by requiring more (and not less) bureaucracy. After all, most proposals seek the creation of a new database, which essentially duplicates the existing civil registry. They also require the establishment of registration centers here and abroad, thereby demanding more manpower or at least additional work for existing state employees. Truly, the system could end up expanding the bureaucracy and increase its maintenance costs. 

In terms of security, for all its supposed merits as a boon for law enforcement and national security agencies, a Filipino ID system also makes Filipinos more vulnerable. If we take the consolidated House bill, for example, it requires a considerable amount of sensitive personal data to be stored in a centralized repository. Having all these information in one place makes millions of Filipinos vulnerable to identity theft and other related crimes, via unauthorized access and other threats. After the Comelec breach incident last year, there is a real and substantial basis for this concern, especially if one considers that no system is ever completely secure or immune from breach. 

Finally, it is also worth reiterating how any ID system is one slippery slope away from being used as a systematic and pervasive State surveillance tool against the people. This is because it affords the government the power to monitor not only transactions, but also other activities and events in a person’s life. And it retains all this potential for misuse and abuse, despite the existence of Constitutional and statutory safeguards (i.e., Data Privacy Act). 

In other countries, their experience has shown that a national ID system, once installed, is never used only for the purpose it was originally intended. Here in the Philippines, we have the unrelenting socalled War on Drugs and a renewed drive towards militarization in the South. Amid such climate of fear where respect for fundamental human rights continues to erode, how far-fetched really is the idea that an ID system will be exploited by the government in pursuit of its self-determined priorities? And how unlikely really is the possibility that it will be used, not as a tool for development, but as a weapon for abuse and injustice?

Cusi: 'E-Power Mo! To Empower Energy Consumers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi led today the launch of the government's “E-Power Mo!” campaign designed to empower consumers by providing them information and options on the intelligent utilization of energy resources.

The "E-Power Mo!" campaign brought together the Department of Energy (DOE), the Presidential Communications Operations Office, the Philippine Information Agency and the USAID B-Leaders at the Philippine International Convention Center.

In his keynote message during the event, Cusi emphasized that energy sufficiency is a cornerstone of the Duterte administration's thrust towards a globally competitive and inclusive economy that improves the quality of life of all Filipinos.

Without sufficient energy to power industries, Cusi said, it would be most difficult to pump-prime the economy en route to creating more jobs, improving the delivery of government services, and fast-tracking infrastructure projects.

The DOE, Cusi explained, is pursuing a neutral stance insofar as fuel and energy sources are concerned, and the guiding principle is for the energy mix to take into account both economic and ecological concerns.

The agency, he said, should keep an open mind on the country's options insofar as the energy mix is concerned.

The Energy chief emphasized that the DOE will "work on initiatives to ensure affordable, reliable, modern and sustainable energy. We will pursue a fuel and technology neutrality, balancing environment and socio-economic growth through competitive selection process."

"And contrary to what people might think," he stressed, "I am not against renewable energy, I am against high-energy rates."

He said he supports all energy sources as long as they make economic sense in the long term for consumers, industries and the economy as a whole.

Cusi cited DOE's projection that the country would need an additional capacity of almost 44,000 megawatts from 2017 to 2040.

In order to meet the additional capacity requirements, Cusi said, President Duterte recently signed Executive Order 30 to streamline the regulatory procedures that affect foreign and local investors' appetite to bankroll energy projects.

The EO created the Energy Investment Coordinating Council tasked to coordinate the efforts of various government agencies and private sector participants in fast-tracking the implementation of major energy projects.

The projects will be endorsed by the DOE as undertakings of "national significance" if they are in accordance or in support of the ‎2017-2022 Philippine Energy Plan, Cusi told his audience at the PICC.

"Our projections show that we need additional capacity of almost 44,000 megawatts from 2017 to 2040. We have on hand the Philippine Energy Plan ‎2017-2022 and its comprehensive sectoral roadmaps to guide us in our long-term planning on energy," Cusi said.

The Philippine Energy Plan ‎2017-2022 is the blueprint for attaining the government's vision of economic development contained in "Ambisyon 2040."

He added that the DOE is also institutionalizing disaster resilience in the energy sector for strengthening energy systems and facilities, quick restoration and provision of alternative sources that would lessen the burden to consumers during calamities.

"The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to natural calamities. We experience an average of around 20 typhoons per year, flash floods, storm surges, earthquakes and landslides," Cusi pointed out.

"Just last week, the Visayas experienced a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that affected electricity supply in Leyte, Samar and Bohol. In circumstances like these, it is our task to make sure that electricity services are restored at the fastest possible time.”