Department of Transportation Encourages Commuters to Reload Beep Cards Outside Train Stations

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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is encouraging train commuters to reload their BEEP or stored value cards in off-site reloading centers to shorten queues in ticketing stations and to reduce their commute time.

MRT-3 and LRT Lines commuters may reload their “tap-and-go” cards in 76 sites in Metro Manila, 16 of which are within walking distance (200 meters) from stations. Commuters may reload at Bayad Center and its partner outlets, Tambunting, Villarica, and SM Bills Payment centers.

Since its introduction in April 2016, the off-site ticketing system has generated over 50,000 top-up transactions.

By September, commuters will also have the option to reload in over 1,100 Metro Manila branches of 7-Eleven, Mini Stop, and Family Mart. This is on top of over 300 more Bayad Center branches that will allow top-up transactions.

The Department is also encouraging the over one million daily train commuters to shift from single journey tickets to stored value cards. As of June 2016, around 45% of passengers are still using single-journey tickets, falling in line at the ticket stations every time they ride the train.

The Beep card system, a unified ticketing system, was introduced last October 2015, allowing passengers to transfer from one train to another. The MRT-3 and LRT Lines 1 and 2 used to run on two different payment cards.

Exclusive Two-Night Omakase Dinner with Both New York and Manila Chefs of Nobu

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Nobu New York's Filipino Executive Chef, Ricky Estrellado, teams up with Nobu Manila’s Head Chef, Michael De Jesus, for a rare and exclusive two-night Omakase dinner.

The two chefs have collaborated to come up with a gastronomic feast that Nobu-fies timeless Filipino recipes with Japanese-Peruvian influences, for a special engagement on August 18 and 19.

The two-night event highlights the collaboration of two talented Filipino chefs who have both worked with the renowned Chef Nobu Matsuhisa for years. Chef Ricky, who has worked with Nobu for 22 years, is the Executive Chef in New York, overseeing both the Nobu New York in Tribeca and Nobu Next Door along Hudson Street. Chef Michael, a Fil-Am who grew up in the USA, started his nine-year career with Nobu in the Los Angeles restaurant then worked in Nobu Las Vegas, immediately before coming to Nobu Manila early this year.

The dinner’s indulgent eight-course menu highlights Nobu-style interpretation of Filipino classic cuisine starting with Sisig Foie Gras on a Gyoza Cone followed by Seared Tuna Kinilaw with Ceviche Gelee and Green Papaya Salad in Shiso Crepe and Lapu-Lapu with a choice of Jalapeno or Matsuhisa dressing. One of Nobu’s signature dishes, Yellowtail New Style, is reintroduced with a green mango salsa while the Spiny Lobster Tempura is served in Miso Sinigang Consomme. The evening’s entrees, Sous Vide Crispy Pata with Amazu Ponzu and Rencon Laing and Beef Short Ribs Kare-Kare Anticucho, proffer a refreshing perspective to the traditional Filipino pork and beef dishes. Before dessert, an array of sushi likewise incorporates local cooking methods and ingredients, such as Saba Tinapa Style, Local Tuna Toyomansi, Whitefish Sharsado Style, Salay Salay Paksew, and Mixed Seafood Kilawin Taco. The Nobu-Style Water Halo-Halo offers a delightfully sweet ending to the dinner’s full-on experience.

Akbayan Youth to Palace: Remember Mark Chua, Don't Revive ROTC!

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Akbayan Youth today appealed to palace officials not to push through with their plans to revive the compulsory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) for college students in memory of Mark Chua, the student from University of Santo Tomas who exposed corruption in the ROTC program and whose murder led to the passage of the "National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001" which rescinded ROTC as a pre-requisite to graduation.

"We hope Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo remembers how many young people fought for the abolition of mandatory ROTC in college, including Mark Chua who bravely exposed the corruption within their ROTC program and ended up giving his life for speaking truth against power," said Rafaela "Paeng" David, Chairperson of Akbayan Youth.

The youth group emphasized that instead of instilling discipline and patriotism, ROTC instead promoted bullying and violence in campuses. "At such a young age, ROTC exposes the youth to grueling and violent hazing practices, from physical to psychological abuse, to instill in them fear and blind obedience. Worse, it is their fellow youth who becomes perpetrators of this cyclical system of abuse. It is not love of country nor discipline that ROTC instills in the youth, but the greed for power and bullying." added David.

David also said that the program will only promote sexism and discrimination among the youth.

"If you are physically weak, feminine or gay, ROTC will force you to 'man up'! With premium on being 'macho', the ROTC openly discriminates against those who are weak or those who stand out of the mold of a standard cadet," David said.

The youth groups lastly urged government to instead bolster democratization within the school, not militarization.

"The colleges and universities must be safe spaces for the youth, where they can learn how to responsibly use their freedoms and learn how to be active citizens. Government thus must promote other citizenship-based education courses and community service programs that instead empowers the youth to act and creatively express their solidarity with their fellow Filipinos, not programs such as the ROTC that seek to silence, disempower and force the youth to conformity." concluded David.

Akbayan Youth has actively pushed for the abolition of the ROTC and has vowed to fight against efforts that seek to backtrack the reforms already achieved in making ROTC non-compulsory for college students.

DOE: Reliable Power Supply Ensures Sustained Economic Growth

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With the current power supply situation, the Department of Energy (DOE) is looking for mechanisms to ensure the adequacy, availability and stability of electricity necessary to sustain the country's economic growth.

The recent spate of Yellow Alert Status declaration by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) prompted the DOE to assess whether there are enough measures or standards for power generation companies to ensure their power plants are always in good condition and are able to meet their obligations to their respective customers. It has been observed that the lack of power supply or thinning power reserves for the past days have been due to the forced outages of various generating plants in Luzon.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said “We are keen on improving the power supply situation in the country. We will strengthen the policies and programs and we will work with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure that all standards are enforced to ascertain reliable, stable and reasonably priced electricity, because we cannot let the people suffer from power interruptions.”

Mechanisms that are being studied by the DOE include looking into the provision of replacement power for contracted capacities and the creation of technical audit teams to assess the operations and contracts of generation companies and distribution utilities as well as strengthening the promotion of energy investments to augment the supply of electricity in the country.

Today (04 August), the power supply situation in Luzon was placed again in Yellow Alert Status following the forced/unplanned outage of various plants totaling to 1,297 megawatts (MW), including the 50MW Angat Main Hydropower Plant Unit 4, the 180 MW Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plant U1, the Makban Geothermal Power Plant U1 and U10 with a combined capacity of 83 MW, the 60 MW Limay Cogeneration Plant Block 5, the 382 MW Pagbilao Coal-Fired Power Plant U2, the 122 MW South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp. Coal-Fired Power Plant U1, 280 MW Malaya Thermal Power Plant U1 and the 140 MW Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. Coal Fired Power Plant U2.

Meanwhile, the power plants on planned maintenance shutdown are the 180 Kalayaan U2, the 265 MW Sta. Rita U2, the 55 MW Bacman Geothermal Power Plant and the 600 MW Ilijan Natural Gas Power Plant Block B.

Based on the 6:00 a.m. advisory of NGCP, Luzon system capacity stood at 9,805 MW, while the system peak demand is projected to reach 9,128 MW at 11 a.m.leaving reserve capacity at 364 MW. Moreover, Visayas and Mindanao grids are operating on normal condition.

The DOE also reiterates its call to the public to judiciously manage energy consumption as this matter is better resolved with everyone’s cooperation.

#DutertePleaseAppointMe Trends After Appointment of Mocha Uson at BOC

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There's a new hashtag trending in Twitter, and even in Facebook, which apparently started after shocking news about Mocha Uson being appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Social Medial Consultant at the Bureau i=of Customs (BOC).

However, as per BOC social media account on Twitter, Comm. Nicanor Faeldon has stated that it will not appoint her as consultant but she can write about BOC on her blog.

The information turned out to be false but it did not stop Twitter users from unleashing humor and some hugot using the hashtag ‪#‎DutertePleaseAppoint‬Me

"I will not defend mocha as she can do it her own damn self, but look at how easy it is to rile up people with nothing so much as the stench of meat. Some bit of gratification in the confirmation of "i was right, he's stupid" without confirming first or even after confirming following up on the news beat. This is why the triggered culture is dangerous. Opting for outbursts of opinion rather than dialogue, digging deep into the the toolbox of the old conservatist movements while supposing to espouse liberal values." -Brylle Latorre

"Binawi na ba talaga ang appointment kay Mocha Uson bilang Social Media Consultant ng Bureau of Customs? Balita ko gagawan talaga ng bagong department with 4 attached bureaus - bu for promoting male sexuality, bu for promoting multiple orgasms for women, bu for overcoming lgbt bias, bu for maintaining sexual virility among thunders"

Duterte Wants ROTC Mandatory Again

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"Another mandatory, obligatory, military training? When a "bright idea" is made mandatory and obligatory, 90-99% it is a stupid idea. People have to be coerced, mandated and arm-twisted to obey that "bright idea"."

Reviving the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is not a good idea. We all know that it trains the similar mindset just as what is taught to the military and police - follow orders without thinking or asking, like mindless drones that the government can manipulate or use for their own selfish purposes.

ROTC was a waste of time. Standing under the sun, marching around on dirt, and learning how to hold a wooden rifle is archaic. As much as possible ,a nation should avoid 'militarism' as it will lead to Fascism, which is a suppression by force, thus reducing man into mechanical tool instead of a human being.

Believing this will instill discipline and patriotism among the youth, is the thinking of a madman.

I'm not in favor of it, but I am in favor of a better funded and organized voluntary system that steers young men and women towards a solid reserve system with national guard like periodic training and development would be better, and money spent more efficiently. I'm talking about prioritizing Fitness training + self defense + survival training + first aid + disaster management, and not hours of marching under the sun.

The military and police have been rampantly used against the people. Contrary to what the government tells us, the presence of such forces only provokes other nations to counter by creating more of their own, thus war would always be inevitable if governments continue to raise arms in preparation for possible war or conflict. Only fools would believe that we will be safe if we hoard more military guns, ammunition, machines and reserves. We are only further assuring a greater chance to be annihilated when war suddenly surprises us in the middle of the night.

This is why people fear men in uniform for we will never really know who are genuinely concerned about our welfare and safety, and who are the real protectors and even co-masterminds of all these drug-related activities, robberies, syndicates, etc.

There's now a nationwide purging or cleansing going on. Many are cleaning up their association or links with the people who could easily point them.

We should not let our youth be brainwashed to think that they are obligated to become slaves of the government. Everyone has the right to question the actions of anyone even if he has the highest authority in the land.

We are constantly plagued by governments ran by only a few, which imposes laws selectively and without any public consultation. They just evolve into different forms yet are still the same crooked personalities.

Sec. Alfonso Cusi's Speech at PhilRECA Annual General Membership Meeting

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KEYNOTE SPEECH
Delivered by Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi
37th PHILRECA Annual General Membership Meeting
Wednesday, 03 August 2016, 10:00 a.m.
SMX Davao Convention Center, Davao City
"Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Philreca Board Members headed by Mr. Jose Raul A. Saniel, all the electric cooperative Board Directors, General Managers, Department Heads, and guests, good morning.

Allow me first to thank all of you for the very warm welcome to the industry. This is my first speaking engagement as Energy Secretary, and already we are seeing the vast potential of electrification in making a difference in the lives of our countrymen. Power has always been one of the top priorities of the government, not only for industrialization, but also as a way of embracing Filipinos through our shared goal of powering every home in the country.

The theme for PHILRECA’s assembly is “Lighting Homes, Improving Lives and Enhancing Inclusive Growth and Progress” which is very much in sync with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte of adjusting to the needs of the people, especially those in the marginalized sector. Pursuant to that mandate, we were able to help 2,082 households in the Meralco franchise area, barely a month in office, manifesting that with willingness to show genuine compassion for our kababayans, things can be done. Imagine the possibilities for the coming months and years ahead if we all work together.

According to the DOE transition report, the National Electrification Administration already reached its 100% Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) target (with a total of 103,000 sitios electrified) in March 2016. Our work, however, should not stop there as there are still those who have yet to see and enjoy light. It is therefore important that we reach out to you in efforts to forge a strong partnership for rural electrification since it is our duty in the government to support your endeavors that aim to uplift the lives of our countrymen.

Early this month, I met with some of the PHILRECA members to discuss the issues and concerns of the electric cooperatives. From that meeting, I learned about your issues on right-of-way, tax reforms and the non-privatization of major government power assets, among others. Given that President Duterte has declared power development as a critical driver of our growth, we, in the Energy Family, will see to it that your concerns are immediately responded to, to allow you to fast track rural electrification.

We will streamline policies and processes to encourage competitiveness, promoting ease in doing business for the industry especially here in Mindanao and in the far-flung areas. As we strive to improve public service, we urge electric cooperatives to be compliant in their Distribution Development Plan for the continuous improvement of your operations. DDP is a very critical tool in pushing forward our advocacies for empowering people, as this will open up opportunities in your areas, such as the establishment of small businesses through power development.

Alongside a good distribution plan, we also hope that ECs will strive for excellence by constantly improving your facilities and observing the procedures of the Competitive Selection Process before entering into power service agreements.

And most importantly, we need to comply with the provision of the law that mandates us to ensure the reliable, quality, secured, & affordable supply of electricity. Let us assure the communities we serve supply of electricity 24/7. And let us strive, work hard in finding ways to bring down our cost of power.

Let us learn from the challenges we had, aim to improve and give the best service to the people. Another key element is preparedness in dealing with disasters. Given that it is typhoon season once again, I encourage you to assess your cooperatives and come up with a disaster preparedness plan, so that we will be able to address the gaps and return to normalcy immediately after the occurrence of any natural calamity.

Along this line, NEA has come up with a Policy on Electric Cooperatives’ Resiliency Program which seeks to enhance design and construction standards of ECs’ distribution assets in anticipation of the increasing intensity of typhoons. The Policy directs electric cooperatives to establish buffer stocks of materials, build a regional pool of line men and electricians who will undertake power restoration works, so that no utility is caught flatfooted in emergency situations in order to mitigate difficulties of the consumers during power rehabilitation activities.

As I advocate a participative and consultative leadership process I therefore encourage all of you to assess the needs of your localities and look into the possibilities of how our programs such as the National Intensification Household Electrification Program, Sitio Electrification Program and the Barangay Line Enhancement Program can be maximized to help your member-consumers.

We have to exert more effort to reduce systems loss in order to lessen the cost of delivery of power to electricity consumers. On our part, we are looking at Malampaya fund to compensate the stranded cost and stranded debts, which are being passed on to consumers. We have to prioritize the welfare of our consumers.

We also enjoin you to link up with various institutions and organizations, local government units, non-government organizations and socio-civic groups to be able to assure that the needs of everyone are met. Let me repeat that the direction of the Department of Energy under President Rodrigo Duterte’s term will be geared toward the protection of Filipino consumers. We will therefore exhaust all efforts to ensure access to adequate, affordable, and reliable electricity as a recognition of the primary importance of power in enhancing the quality of life of all Filipinos, especially those living in the far-flung areas of the country. We can certainly accomplish our goals if we all work together to create the change we aspire to have.

Again, congratulations for 37 years of championing the goals of rural electrification and for being at the forefront of consumer advocacy. I wish to thank you for supporting DOE, and I hope that this assembly will bind us stronger in our shared goal of providing electricity to all Filipino households.

Thank you very much and good day.

Stop Calling Drug Dependents “Surrenderers”

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Amid the growing number of drug users who have reportedly voluntarily submitted to the authorities, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the government to stop calling drug dependents “surrenderers”, saying it criminalizes them and makes it difficult for them to rehabilitate and reintegrate back to society.

The senator explained that by ceasing to use the negative term for drug users, the government takes the first important step in treating the country’s drug problem not only as a criminal issue but also a public health concern.

“Let us stop calling drug users as ‘surrenderers.’ They are not criminals. They are patients in need of important health care services and rehabilitation programs. The government must distinguish them from hardcore drug pushers and other violent offenders,” Hontiveros said.

The neophyte senator also called on the government to study the experiences of other countries, which viewed drug addiction as a public health concern and emphasized harm reduction strategies.

“There is a need to have a multi-perspective approach in responding to the drug problem. We cannot win the war against drugs through the lens of criminal justice alone," Hontiveros explained, citing Thailand’s law enforcement-centric war on drugs where drug users reported increased reluctance to seek healthcare and Mexico, which failed to invest in treatment and harm reduction programs.

"We must combine enforcement efforts with the complete mobilization of our healthcare system to address drug abuse and addiction,” Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros also cited the example of Vietnam which acknowledged that drug use is a social problem and dependents should be provided with treatment instead of punishment. She also highlighted the experiences of Malaysia, Portugal and Netherlands.

“Malaysia is reach in experience regarding its implementation of harm reduction programs. In Portugal, the government pushed for alternative therapeutic responses to dependent drug users. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, its government has a long-standing policy to provide comprehensive medical treatment for substance abuse, instead of jail, for nonviolent offenders,” Hontiveros said.

Samsung Releases All-New Galaxy Note 7

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Smartphone giant Samsung finally unveiled its all-new Galaxy Note 7 at its unpacking event in New York City, and its features are set to the bar yet again in mobile technology and innovation. Philippines’ #1 mobile brand Globe Telecom is gearing up to take pre-orders starting August 6, 2016via globe.com.ph/note7.

Maximizing a connected lifestyle, Globe complements the new Galaxy Note 7 with its customizable Globe myLifestyle plans. The myLifestyle postpaid plans provide a personalized online experience through its variety of lifestyle packs designed for different interests ranging from entertainment, music, fashion, to travel, among others.

“Globe Postpaid always ensures we give our loyal customers access to the latest devices in the market. We are thrilled to finally have the new Galaxy Note 7 with its groundbreaking features that elevate the Filipino digital lifestyle. Best enjoyed on our myLifestyle postpaid plans, each one of our customers will be able to customize and maximize all the Note 7 features attuned to their passions and interests – from the basic services of calls, texts, and mobile data to exclusive content,” said Globe SVP for Consumer Mobile Business Issa Cabreira.

Samsung CEO D.J. Kho led the unboxing in New York City, unveiling Galaxy Note 7’s latest features. Galaxy Note 7 carries the latest innovation – the first ever Iris scanner for added security, alongside the enhanced S-Pen with higher precision and responsiveness. Note 7 is also the world’s first mobile HDR video that can take footage in sharper colors and with high dynamic range. It also carries superior DSLR like Real Pixel Camera with the first ever dual photodiode sensor (2PD) in mobile, providing superfast autofocus and brighter and clearer images with f/1.7 lens that is excellent for low light. It is water and dust resistant, has an expandable memory up to 256GB and runs on an Octacore processor for smoother graphics.

To learn more about the perfect myLifestyle plan for you, you can visit www.globe.com.ph or visit the nearest store to you. Customers can follow Globe Telecom on Facebook www.Facebook.com/GlobePH and @enjoyGlobe on Twitter and Instagram for updates on pre-orders.

Suicide Squad: What They Say About DC's Latest Effort of Redemption

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"After all the hype and drama surrounding Jared Leto‘s performance as the Joker — the knee-jerk scorn unleashed by fans when that first image dropped, the endless stories from the cast and crew about Leto’s super-intense method process — it turns out his version of the Clown Prince of Crime is just … fine. He’s not terrible, and Leto and David Ayer deserve credit for trying to make the character their own, but Suicide Squad‘s Joker certainly isn’t giving The Dark Knight‘s Joker a run for his money."- Jet Rai

Seriously, the only reason we want to watch the Suicide Squad movie was the hype about Jared Leto's Joker and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. Apparently, you'll only appreciate the movie if you're a die-hard fan of the comic genre who do not miss on merchandise, which includes movies and TV series, such as this. 

I was looking forward to this but it's been getting trashed in the reviews by both critics and people who saw an early screening. Script that's a disaster and Jokers only in it for a few minutes so they could save him for a future movie.

The movie may not be as bad as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it's still bad. I feel it's still a botch job that should have been kept locked away. It made the latest Fantastic Four reboot look better. I hate to say anything harsher but that's just it. Nothing else good to say about the movie.

The early reviews should already make you think twice about watching it. "It's maybe an anti-hero film where the heroes are villains going after the super villain (Joker), still you'll not be impressed about anything. 

It's "practically every petty thing you have seen before—what else but a whirlwind of debris and yet another omen of failure." - Jonell Estillore

"I had it, DC. Stop continuing your cinematic universe immediately."