Yesterday morning when I first opened my daily dose of news, I immediately read the current headline about the death of Dulce Saguisag, wife of Atty and former senator Rene Saguisag when a speeding dumptruck rammed their van in Makati City. Dulce Saguisag, a former secretary of DSWD died on impact while Atty. Rene Saguisag remained in critical condition.
As expected, pictures, videos and old clips of the former senator was shown on TV. Doctors interviewed even said he's responding to simple commands and has a high chance of recovery from brain damage being an intellectual.
I used to admire the former senator when he was a human rights lawyer and fought the the despotic president Marcos. He became a senator after the People Power revolution.
My faith and admiration for him were shattered when he became the lawyer who defended the now convicted, later pardoned, former president Erap-- which is a mockery of justice. He's now planning to fight the writ of execution of the forfeiture of Erap's assets and money in bank due to Erap's conviction. He's also the lawyer of those soldiers who mutinied and took over Makati particularly Oakwood (now Ascott) led by the now firebrand senator Trillanes.
I know this is a difficult time for your family, Atty. Saguisag, but I hope in your slumber, you realize that you're doing a disservice to the Filipino people. You've used your superior intelligence to defend a convicted plunderer, worked on Erap's despicable pardon even if the former president (your president, not mine) didn't admit his guilt and still harbor contempt of the courts.
Regarding the dumptruck driver, it may have been an accident due to his undisciplined ways, but he asked for your forgiveness. I wonder, when you already regained conciousness, will you also grant the driver who killed your wife, injured yourself and your companions, absolute pardon and clemency?
In spite of this, I wish you well, Atty. Saguisag. May you come out of your hospital bed much wiser but please devote your talent and energy in the service of the needy, not of the rich who openly defy authority and flagrant contempt of the courts of justice, but the human rights victims you used to defend.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Philippines Renewable Energy Bill
Renewable energy, defined as energy sourced from inexhaustible or easily replenishable energy sources like sunlight, wind, ocean tides, and geothermal heat or others like biomass and biofuels.
In the Philippines, more than half of the power plants run using bunker fuel and coal making the power sector highly vulnerable to the surging prices of oil in the world market.
Recent legislation called for the ethanol addition to gasoline where ethanol used can be produced locally using sugarcane, but the move diverts food sources into power needs much like corn production in other countries diverted to ethanol.
The Philippines is currently the world's second largest producer of geothermal energy, next only to the United States. That's mainly due to the presence of many volcanoes, of which 22 are active, inside the Pacific ring of fire. The geothermal plant in Tiwi, Albay is one prime example. Other volcanoes in the Philippines are the beautiful Mayon Volcano, Mt. Pinatubo, Taal Volcanoplus the many volcanoes in Camiguin.
There are studies that pinpointed several viable locations to harness energy from the wind and the wind farm in Bangui town in Ilocos is one such living testament to it.
On solar power, there's a company manufaturing solar cells in Laguna but mainly for export. Small upland communities are already using solar power sourced through donations by foreign government and NGOs. Other visible use of solar energy includes the solar-powered Capones lighthouse in Zambales and Corregidor Lighthouse.
Hydropower is also much used in the country, one example is the Kalayaan hydroelectric power plant in Kalayaan, Laguna whose turbines are powered by Caliraya lake. The first hydroelectric power plant in the Philippines can be found in Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon. Mini-hydro plants are suitable for highland communities with access to the water supply. Dams that produce electric power are Magat Dam in Isabela/Ifugao, Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija, and San Roque Dam in Pangasinan.
Biomass fuel can also be harnessed from rice husks, coconut shells et al while garbage dumps can also generate methane gas to produce power. A similar setup can be seen in "green" piggeries where pig waste can be used to generate methane-powered plants.
With all these energy alternatives, the Philippines, given the right motivation and the passing of the still pending Renewable Energy Act, can ween away from dependence of bunker fuel. But that is if those "honorable" lawmakers can get their act together to pass such urgent legislation.
In the Philippines, more than half of the power plants run using bunker fuel and coal making the power sector highly vulnerable to the surging prices of oil in the world market.
Recent legislation called for the ethanol addition to gasoline where ethanol used can be produced locally using sugarcane, but the move diverts food sources into power needs much like corn production in other countries diverted to ethanol.
The Philippines is currently the world's second largest producer of geothermal energy, next only to the United States. That's mainly due to the presence of many volcanoes, of which 22 are active, inside the Pacific ring of fire. The geothermal plant in Tiwi, Albay is one prime example. Other volcanoes in the Philippines are the beautiful Mayon Volcano, Mt. Pinatubo, Taal Volcanoplus the many volcanoes in Camiguin.
There are studies that pinpointed several viable locations to harness energy from the wind and the wind farm in Bangui town in Ilocos is one such living testament to it.
On solar power, there's a company manufaturing solar cells in Laguna but mainly for export. Small upland communities are already using solar power sourced through donations by foreign government and NGOs. Other visible use of solar energy includes the solar-powered Capones lighthouse in Zambales and Corregidor Lighthouse.
Hydropower is also much used in the country, one example is the Kalayaan hydroelectric power plant in Kalayaan, Laguna whose turbines are powered by Caliraya lake. The first hydroelectric power plant in the Philippines can be found in Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon. Mini-hydro plants are suitable for highland communities with access to the water supply. Dams that produce electric power are Magat Dam in Isabela/Ifugao, Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija, and San Roque Dam in Pangasinan.
Biomass fuel can also be harnessed from rice husks, coconut shells et al while garbage dumps can also generate methane gas to produce power. A similar setup can be seen in "green" piggeries where pig waste can be used to generate methane-powered plants.
With all these energy alternatives, the Philippines, given the right motivation and the passing of the still pending Renewable Energy Act, can ween away from dependence of bunker fuel. But that is if those "honorable" lawmakers can get their act together to pass such urgent legislation.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Glorietta "Bombing": Citizen Journalism or Irresponsible Blogging?
Last October 19, 2007, I received a call around at 1:30pm asking me where I was and to confirm if there was indeed a bombing of Glorietta 2. At that moment, I noticed my officemates were trying to browse the already slow Inquirer.net website. I tried to browse Philstar.com but information presented was vague so I switched to Inquirer.net's express edition and the initial report was an LPG tank explosion.
Within minutes I received pictures of the "blast site" in my email showing gory pictures and lurid details even showing bloodied faces of victims killed that can be identified. Thought of posting the pictures but the better part of me told me to exercise restraint. I didn't blog about this "bombing" incident in the first place due to many reasons: I don't have a first hand account of the incident, I don't use pictures taken by other people unless I have explicit permission, and I don't want to generate blog traffic out of the incident. Besides, the excruciatingly slow investigation on the cause of the incident was still uncertain with the police flip-flopping on the initial results wether it was LPG, C4 explosive due to alleged presence of RDX, or other powerful bombs pointing an accusing finger at the Abu Sayyaf (The Abu Sayyaf the following day denied they have anything to do with the "bombing."), Jemaah Islamiyah and the Raja Solaiman Movement (RSM).
However, many blogs started to post stories and pictures of it declaring aloud the "terrorists" behind the dastardly act. Media sensationalism again went full blast. The firebrand senator Trillanes cried it was a conspiracy that the government planted the bomb (kind of a projection actually since the "good" senator was the one seen on national television planting bombs in Oakwood (now Ascott) during their mutiny; wonder why many "educated" Filipinos voted for him). Politicians offered rewards on information to help arrest perpetuators of the "crime." The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada issued travel advisories.
Now, as to why I wrote this post, I noticed bloggers will post many things at the fastest time possible-- even without verifying the facts. The news of the "bombing" reached international media attention thus scared away potential tourists that this country badly is in need of.
Recently, as confirmed by foreign investigators, the incident was the the result of an accident and not a bomb. The news, sadly, was not corrected by some bloggers who've already cashed in on the incident. Many people reading blogs may have taken note of the "terrorist bombing" angle but were not updated on the accident angle thereby making the belief that terrorism again struck this already terrified nation.
Within minutes I received pictures of the "blast site" in my email showing gory pictures and lurid details even showing bloodied faces of victims killed that can be identified. Thought of posting the pictures but the better part of me told me to exercise restraint. I didn't blog about this "bombing" incident in the first place due to many reasons: I don't have a first hand account of the incident, I don't use pictures taken by other people unless I have explicit permission, and I don't want to generate blog traffic out of the incident. Besides, the excruciatingly slow investigation on the cause of the incident was still uncertain with the police flip-flopping on the initial results wether it was LPG, C4 explosive due to alleged presence of RDX, or other powerful bombs pointing an accusing finger at the Abu Sayyaf (The Abu Sayyaf the following day denied they have anything to do with the "bombing."), Jemaah Islamiyah and the Raja Solaiman Movement (RSM).
However, many blogs started to post stories and pictures of it declaring aloud the "terrorists" behind the dastardly act. Media sensationalism again went full blast. The firebrand senator Trillanes cried it was a conspiracy that the government planted the bomb (kind of a projection actually since the "good" senator was the one seen on national television planting bombs in Oakwood (now Ascott) during their mutiny; wonder why many "educated" Filipinos voted for him). Politicians offered rewards on information to help arrest perpetuators of the "crime." The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada issued travel advisories.
Now, as to why I wrote this post, I noticed bloggers will post many things at the fastest time possible-- even without verifying the facts. The news of the "bombing" reached international media attention thus scared away potential tourists that this country badly is in need of.
Recently, as confirmed by foreign investigators, the incident was the the result of an accident and not a bomb. The news, sadly, was not corrected by some bloggers who've already cashed in on the incident. Many people reading blogs may have taken note of the "terrorist bombing" angle but were not updated on the accident angle thereby making the belief that terrorism again struck this already terrified nation.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card (SD)
Got wind of this cool memory card, called Eye-Fi, that automatically transmits your picture to your home wireless network eliminating the need to take out the card out of you camera to transfer the images. All you need to do is turn on the camera when near your home wifi network.
Just be careful in setting up your wireless network at home to prevent electronic eavesdropping.
Technical specifications of the wireless card.
Just be careful in setting up your wireless network at home to prevent electronic eavesdropping.
Technical specifications of the wireless card.
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