P-Noy says tapping renewable energy
to take years before becoming practical
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 28 (PIA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III clarified that though his administration is bent on pursuing renewable sources of energy but in the meantime, the country cannot do away with fossil fuel, the traditional energy source in order to keep the economy running.
“What we launch (referring to the National Renewable Energy Program) will take 20 years to get to the point in time na talagang very, very significant. But to go predominantly green will take improvements of the technology to take about 20 years before it becomes practical to all of us,” President Aquino explained
Aquino was in Cebu yesterday to inaugurate the second 200-megawatt power plant of the KEPCO SPC in Barangay Colon, City of Naga, Cebu after which, he met with members of the Cebu media and the Malacañang Press Corps for an informal press conference.
During the informal presscon, a Cebu-based reporter Cebu asked the President if he will continue to support a coal-fired power plant considering that in the next three to five years, the roadmap to energy security is the renewable sources amid a proposal between the Province of Cebu and a sister company of the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to put up another coal-fired power plant.
Aquino said that adopting total green technology is not practical within the next three to five years as technology to be used is expensive and cited the case of tapping solar energy which would increase the cost of electricity four or five times more than the present fossil fuel.
The President said the country right now has mixed alternative energy sources; meaning power sources are based from fossil fuel and renewables including geothermal and hydropower.
Although the President commented that it is possible to go into renewable sources of energy but then pointed out “pero kapag pinuntahan natin iyan, ikaw siguro hindi papayag na times five iyong electricity bill mo.”
Likewise, Aquino added that a high cost of electricity will turn away investors who are supposed to come here to invest in businesses and generate more jobs to the people.
What we want to see is the additional exploitation of renewable sources of energy increasing our consumption of alternative sources over time, according to Aquino.
Meanwhile, the President said his administration is starting the E-Tricycle Program of which the target is to produce at least 20,000 units by the end of this year. The use of e-tricycles mean less pollution but the most important thing is that operators can double or triple their earnings which can easily sway people to go for green technology. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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Mining companies install rain gauges for disaster mitigation
By: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 28 (PIA) --- Eight (8) mining companies in Central Visayas has installed rain gauges to provide information to neighboring municipalities to alert residents on potential areas of landslides, flooding and other geological hazards.
Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7 (MGB-7) regional director Loreto Alburo said this practice among mining companies in the region is a manifestation of responsible mining of trying to provide assistance to proper authorities particularly the local government units and ultimately the communities in responding very cautiously to disasters.
Alburo appreciated the initiatives of the mining companies, the first time that is being done in the country as part of their contribution to the communities.
Alburo further said that data or information that will be gathered or collected from the rain gauges will be used to advance disaster mitigation and preparedness.
It maybe recalled that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) trained personnel of these mining companies on the proper installation and maintenance of rainfall measuring apparatus, site selection and gathering of rainfall data.
The mining companies have maintained the operation of their rain gauges, do the collection, reading and recording of the data as prescribed by PAG-ASA.
The 8 inches diameter standard rain gauge is installed in a metal support that is attached to three stakes driven in the ground. The support is mounted firmly to make the top of the gauge on the level, and the base is 10 to 15 inches above the ground.
The mining companies in Cebu with rain gauges are Carmen Copper Corporation in Toledo City; Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc. and Solid Earth Development Corporation in San Fernando; JLR Construction and Aggregates Inc., in Naga; and Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Dolomite Mining Corporation in Alcoy, Cebu .
In Bohol, they are the Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Bohol; Limestone Corporation in Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol.
In Negros Oriental, the Goodyield Resources Development Incorporated in Ayungon, Negros Oriental while in Siquijor province, we have the Lazi Bay Resources Development Incorporated in Lazi, Siquijor. (PIA-7/HFG & DENR-7)
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DSWD, POPCOM agree on responsible parenting in Pantawid Pamilya lecture series
By: Minerva BC Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, June 28 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development and Population Commission inked a memorandum of agreement on June 24 for the integration of Responsible Parenthood in the conduct of Family Development Sessions of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Central Visayas.
Pantawid Pamilya focal person Ailene Lariba said that Responsible Parenthood as simple as it sounds, but it is a complex subject which should be approached with respect and simplicity for people to understand its utmost importance.
Module 5, of Pantawid Pamilya’s Family Development Sessions (FDS) will now focus on responsible parenting which POPCOM as the expert resource.
POPCOM has started giving technical assistance and capability trainings to DSWD’s Provincial and Municipal staff assigned to the Pantawid progam to enhance the conduct of FDS, Lariba noted.
POPCOM regional director Atty. Bruce Ragas, the move of POPCOM to enhance Module 5 of Pantawid Pamilya’s FDS will have a significant impact on the social development aspect to the beneficiaries.
“They would be educated on the importance and value of responsible parenthood and the various options of family planning as explained in the most understandable manner,” Ragas said.
DSWD-7 regional Ddrector Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre on the other hand, emphasized the need to educate the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries to empower them to make better decisions.
Macapobre said, the Pantawid Pamilya program is intended for the poorest of the poor and part of the program’s design is to educate, informand empower them.
Family Development Sessions are conducted to educate the grantees; inculcating values essential to improve attitudes and create a stable family environment through taking up various topics, one of which is Responsible Parenthood, Macapobre added.
The partnership of the two agencies is in support of the national government’s call on social protection and poverty reduction strategies and one of them is the conduct of responsible parenting seminars with continous provisions on disseminating proper information on Family Planning method.