DOE, Private Sector to Make Safer Power Available for Poor Communities

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Indigent families and informal settlers had to meet all the legal and financial requirements to get access to electricity. But now, they will be given a chance to enjoy the benefits of electricity services through the Department of Energy’s Electrification Program in collaboration with Manila Electric Company (MERALCO).

From 08 July 2016 to the present, the DOE-MERALCO partnership has electrified a total of 5,263 households in such areas as Gaya-Gaya in San Jose del Monte and other municipalities in Bulacan, Laguna and some parts of Rizal and Happy Land Aroma, BASECO Compound, Isla Puting Bato and Parola in Tondo, Manila.

By helping indigent families secure legal electrical connections, the DOE together with the help of distribution utilities can further reduce the risk of fire hazards, which may be caused by the illegal use of electricity.

The unlawful use of electricity is prohibited under Republic Act No. 7832, otherwise known as the Anti-Pilferage of Electricity and Theft of Electric Transmission lines/Materials Act of 1994. Among the prohibited acts include: wire-tapping, tampering, installing, or using tampered electrical meter, jumper, current reversing transformer, shorting or shunting wire, loop connection or any attempt to destroy any accessory of the metering device box which encases an electric meter or its metering accessories.

The Magna Carta for Residential Consumers also disallows consumers from performing acts related to the pilferage of electricity. The Code reinforces the Anti-Pilferage Act by reiterating the circumstances that constitute prima facie evidence of the illegal use of electricity.

These policies serve as DOE’s guidelines to safeguard the welfare of the consumers against any untoward incidents such as fire that may have been triggered by faulty electrical wiring destroying properties and even resulting in loss of lives.

The DOE enjoins local officials and leaders to get more actively involved in ensuring safe legal electrical connections to protect communities thereby allowing the cities and municipalities to also earn more revenues from delivering better services to the people.

The DOE remains committed to fulfill its household electrification program, especially benefiting those living in economically depressed communities by providing them legal, secure, safe and stable supply of electricity.

XTrade Europe and Online Trading Challenges

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Trading industry has experienced a huge boost thanks to development of the Internet and computer technology. Just look around and you will see that more and more people buy online. It just does not matter whether we buy food, electronic, health insurance or book apartment for our perfect holiday. This transition from traditional forms of trading to online purchasing will be even more noticeable in the future. In fact, some experts claim traditional trading will be eaten by online retailers. 

The Rising Popularity Of Online Trading

However, it seems that online trading somehow lags behind online expansion. This is especially true for binary options and spread betting. Of course, we have a huge increasing trend of stocks or even Forex trading through brokers like XTrade Europe for example, but binary options and spread betting are sidelined. There are many reasons for this situation and listing them all would be far beyond the purpose of this informative article. We have decided to mention just few of them instead, hoping this will help you to understand the general situation in the online trading world.

Why Investors Choose To Ignore Some Investing Opportunities

One of the biggest reasons why binary options and spread betting are not popular more among online traders is that people have a poor and inadequate knowledge about these investing types. People are just not aware of their potentials.

Of course, there are online brokers such as XTrade Europe, who are doing their best to educate people and present online trading in a full capacity to them. However, it is just a beginning. There are many other things that have to be done before people realize all potentials of these online trading types. One more thing. People hardly change their habits. People who have been in traditional businesses for more than a decade will naturally be skeptical about these “new” business opportunities.

The second problem why people do not trade online more is poor security of private information and capital. We all know at least one person who was a victim of online scam. When we are on the Internet, we can forget about our privacy. Even the best-kept information can be hacked these days. We are convinced that people will be more interested in online trading when security in online world reaches desired level. In the meantime, we should only dal with proven and reputable trading platforms and brokers. XTrade Europe is one of them.

Another big problem is that people do not know many investors who actually managed to make money here. They think it is a place reserved only for a big financial experts and speculators. And we should understand them. Investing on the global market was a privilege of big investors, where ordinary people did not have access at all. It is all different today. Even the smallest investors can participate in the global financial arena and earn really big money thanks to XTrade Europe. Yes, people who manage to do this really exist. They are everywhere. If you are ready for hard work, you can become one of them.

Hearing on Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, Vows to Punish Violators

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros conducted a senate inquiry on the reported violations of several hospitals under Republic Act 8344, otherwise known as the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, where she vowed to punish erring medical institutions.

“No one should be refused adequate and quality medical care or unnecessarily die just because they are poor. Profit should not reign supreme over the health needs of the people. It not only negates the country’s achievements in achieving universal healthcare, it is also inhumane.Ang deposito ay mababayaran, ang buhay na nawala ay hindi mapapalitan,” Hontiveros, Chair of the Senate Committee on the Health and Demography, said in her opening statement.

During the hearing, several witnesses testified that University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Hospital and the Southeast Asian Medical Center allegedly refused to follow RA 8344, which prohibits any medical institutions to demand any deposit or any other form of advance payment, as a prerequisite for admission or medical treatment of a patient to prevent death or serious harm.

According to the witnesses Siarra and Anjo Pelayo, UST Hospital’s refusal to give emergency care to the former led to her miscarriage. Another witness Emiliano Del Rosario said his wife Sisa was refused care in Southeast Asian Medical Center due to non-payment of deposit that led to the worsening of her condition and death.

"Ito ay mga taong na hindi walang-wala. Mayroon silang dalang pera. However, the alleged erring hospitals denied them medical care by insisting on their prescribed deposits before hospital treatment. This is unacceptable," Hontiveros said.

To address this growing concern, Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 216, which seeks to amend the existing Anti-Hospital Deposit Law and impose heavier fines for hospital violators. Her bill recommends that penalties for violations of the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law should be increased from the current P20,000-P100,000 to P500,000-P1 million, exclusive of damages that may be rewarded to the patient-complainant.

“Nararapat lamang na wakasan na ang ganitong mga gawain sapagkat buhay ang nakasalalay dito. Ito ay pwedeng nauulit at mauulit pa sa iba pang pasyente,” she added.

The said senate bill also seeks to create a Health Facilities Oversight Board, also known as the "Sumbungan Board", which will be composed by the Department of Health (DoH), hospital associations and patient rights' advocates. “The primary duty of hospitals and other medical institutions is to save lives. This should be promoted at all times,” Hontiveros said.