CNN Philippines Airs Special Report on Princess Diana

Love, loss, fairytale and tragedy. Princess Diana lived a life in the public eye, with every move photographed and scrutinized. But two decades after the tragic car crash that took her life, there are still compelling questions about how she lived and how she died.

CNN Philippines explores the majesty, misery and mystery of Diana’s life and shocking death in a new two part special, Diana: Chasing a Fairytale. Reported by CNN’s award-winning senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward, Diana: Chasing a Fairytale Part 1 will initially air on October 14, Saturday at 8pm while Part 2 will air on the next day, October 15, also at 8pm.

From London to the French Riviera and Paris to the U.S., Ward explores little known moments on Diana’s lonely journey to the palace and reveals intimate details about the last days of the life of a woman whose vibrant legacy lives on.

Diana: Chasing a Fairytale features revealing interviews with many of Diana’s closest friends and people around her that fateful night in Paris – some who have never spoken before – including Xavier Gourmelon, fireman and first responder to Diana’s car crash; Sir Scott Baker, coroner who led the British inquest into Diana and Dodi Al Fayed’s deaths; Patrick Jephson, Diana’s former personal secretary; Dr. James Colthurst, childhood friend of Diana’s; Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler and close confidant; Roberto Devorik, fashion designer and close friend of Diana’s; Pierre Suu, photographer who was outside the Ritz hotel and took some of the last pictures of Diana and Dodi before they died; Ken Wharfe, Diana’s longtime bodyguard; Lord John Stevens, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner who led Scotland Yard’s three-year investigation into how Diana and Dodi died; and many more.

Twenty years on from her death, what more do we know about the crash that also killed her companion, Dodi Al Fayed, and Henri Paul, acting head of security at the Ritz who was driving when the car crashed? Investigations in both France and Britain concluded it was an accident caused by high speeds and an intoxicated driver, yet conspiracy theories continued to surface for years.

Diana: Chasing a Fairytale will replay on CNN Philippines free TV Channel 9 on October 26 and 27, November 11 and 12, and November 23 and 24. In addition to the TV airings, the special will also stream live via Facebook (facebook.com/cnnphilippines) and on cnnphilippines.com

DOE to Pursue Energy Resiliency Policy

BROTHERHOOD: As part of current resiliency efforts in the energy sector, linemen of electric cooperatives come together through the Task Force Kapatid (TFK) to help affected colleagues to immediately restore impaired power facilities. The draft energy resiliency policy looks at available resiliency models to improve existing operational and maintenance procedures and practices in the sector.


Acknowledging that disasters adversely affect the economy, environment and the people, the Department of Energy (DOE) today vowed to pursue a policy towards a resilient energy sector.

“Being one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters, the Philippines needs to ensure that our energy systems are disaster-resilient and that resiliency is an integral component of our policies and programs,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

“The policy is a priority of the DOE following President Duterte’s pronouncements to improve the disaster preparedness and resiliency of the country,” Cusi explained.

“The policy requires all the energy players to put upfront the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction programs into planning and investment to ensure the continuous delivery and strengthening of the existing energy infrastructure,” Cusi pointed out.

In June, President Duterte signed Executive Order No. 29 which renamed the National Disaster Consciousness Month to National Disaster Resiliency Month to emphasize the shift of focus from disaster awareness building to disaster resilience.

The “Adoption of Resiliency Planning and Program in the Energy Industry to Mitigate Adverse Effects Brought About by Disasters” policy has four guiding principles:

1. Acknowledge the need to strengthen the existing energy infrastructure, facilities and systems to prepare/mitigate the impacts of disasters;

2. Implement the build back better principle in terms of reconstruction and rehabilitations of damaged infrastructure;

3. Improve existing operational, maintenance and procedures to ensure continuous operations and energy supply; and

4. Develop resiliency practices, systems and standards that will be used as basis in future construction of energy facilities.

In line with this thrust, the DOE will conduct a series of public consultations on energy resiliency policy starting on 10 October 2017 in Batangas.

This initial consultation will be followed by two other meetings in Leyte and Cagayan de Oro on 13 and 17 October, respectively.

For more information, the public may download a copy of the draft resiliency policy on the DOE's Official website: www.doe.gov.ph.

PRIME: A Discussion on Chronic Illnesses, Hospital Volunteerism, and Child Advocacy

There is perhaps nothing more fulfilling than making someone smile, especially knowing that you might have just made their day a little better. This goes to hospital volunteerism – helping children with chronic illnesses live a more colorful and joyful life. Conversely, hospital volunteers would say that their day has also become brighter after spending just a few hours with children with chronic illnesses through hospital visits and other events and activities.

This is a day in the life of a UP Flyer, one who aims to demonstrate compassion for others and maintain a passion for service—service that is particularly directed towards children with chronic illnesses and their family members.

UP Flyers, a university-wide student organization in the University of the Philippines Diliman, is but one of the many organizations that seek to uphold an advocacy of care and service towards children with chronic illnesses, which involves finding ways through which could help ease their conditions, wherever and whenever possible. Through events and activities, advocacy and awareness talks, participating in day fairs, and mainly, hospital visits, UP Flyers could forward its cause little by little to ensure a happier and friendlier world for the children.

It is, then, one of the objectives of UP Flyers to not be merely aware of chronic illnesses and the stories of the children who experience them, but also to become initiators in spreading said awareness to the rest of the university community. To fulfill this, UP Flyers will be conducting its first-ever Alternative Classroom Learning Experience (ACLE) entitled PRIME: A Discussion on Chronic Illnesses, Hospital Volunteerism, and Child Advocacy.

We happily invite you to join UP Flyers in this event on October 12, 2017 (Thursday), 1PM-5PM, at the UPSEAA room, School of Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman. See you all there!