Cusi Pushes Energy Resiliency

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of President Duterte’s directive to develop a resilient energy sector, the Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi yesterday signed the Energy Resiliency Policy entitled “Adoption of Energy Resiliency in the Planning and Programming of the Energy Sector to Mitigate Potential Impacts of Disasters”.

Secretary Cusi said the Energy Resiliency Policy will aid industry partners to plan and address potential impacts of disasters since the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters.

The Energy Resiliency Policy revolves around four principles: (1) strengthen existing infrastructure facilities; (2) implement the Build Back Better principle in terms of reconstruction and rehabilitation; (3) improve existing operational, maintenance and practices to ensure continuous operations and energy supply; and (4) develop resiliency standards that will be used as basis in the future construction of energy facilities.

“These principles are geared towards mainstreaming disaster risk reduction to ensure energy resiliency as a priority to protect the people,” Cusi said.

One of the key features of the policy is the institutionalization of the Resiliency Compliance Plan, which provides engineering and non-engineering measures to ensure infrastructure and human resource disaster preparedness.

“Through this policy, we enjoin all the energy stakeholders to put upfront disaster risk reduction programs into their respective planning and investments,” Cusi pointed out.

To oversee the implementation of the policy, the DOE is strengthening the Inter-agency Task Force on Securing Energy Facilities through the creation of the Task Force on Energy Resiliency.

The Task Force is composed of representatives from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM). The Task Force will continue its partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the other agencies under the Department of National Defense.

The Energy Resiliency Policy is anchored on President Duterte’s directive to improve the resiliency of the country.

Unity in Diversity: Mapua University's 93rd Foundation Week

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mapúa, the premiere engineering school in the country, will be having its 93^rd Foundation Week themed “Unity in Diversity” on January 22-27, 2018. This momentous week will feature various activities including the Parade of Excellence, Don Tomas Cup, activities from Student Organizations, exhibits, seminars, contests and the much-celebrated Mr. and Ms. Cardinals.

All the students and staff are invited to participate in the weeklong activities to usher in the new year of Discipline, Excellence, Commitment, Integrity, Relevance. It is indeed a celebration for all the success of Mapúa and a stepping stone towards world-class state of the art research, development and innovation."

 #MapúaUat93  #MMC2018

Find Our Purpose in Life

Wazzup Pilipinas!

At a media thanksgiving, we were once asked to write on a piece of paper one word that clearly defines us ... but it should also start with the first letter of our name.

I wrote "restless" since my name starts with an "R"

My real friends would know why and will agree that it is very appropriate.

No rest for the wicked! I keep saying to myself that I will rest only when I'm six feet under, or ashes in a jar.

That's why I always feel like I have all the energy to boost everything about me - including my confidence.

You could see me so confident that others perceive my aggressive behavior as arrogance. I can't blame them because not too many would dare declare themselves as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - even if it was originally intended as a joke.

However, having that title pushed me to exert extra effort towards a nationalistic goal so that I could leave this world a legacy worth remembering.

Our life is a continuous and never-ending story that only ends when we are finally laid to rest. While living, we do pause every now and then, but there should always be something bothering us which keeps us waking up very early to start our day.

What should bother us? When other people are not bothered by what's happening around us.

Sadly, when a considerable amount of time has passed and we still could never cure the problems we encounter, we give up and dismiss  them already as unsolvable and now common and natural occurences.

We often go with the mindset of the many no matter how mindlessly passive we become especially when it is now widely accepted as an everyday scene. We feel better if we go with the majority to avoid conflict even if it means suppresing our voices.

Not too many wishes to stand out as too weird or crazy in fear that others would ridicule us. Thus we avoid those who would seem to cause trouble for us, as we try to silently go with the flow, rarely against it.

In a nation that sees us as peculiar when we don't meet their standards or expectations, we are branded as nuisances to a systematically arranged existence they impose on the majority.

We should never follow the same path as we are all genuinely unique. We don't realize that we lose our real selves when we stray away from what we believe in.

Life becomes meaningless if we are living a life dictated by others.

Find ourselves again before it's too late! Find a reason to wake up early to give our existence a worthwhile purpose!