The CWPO sees to it that the energy consumers (you, me, all of us) have access to "vital, accurate and up-to-date information and data concerning the Philippine energy industry."
Through the CWPO, the DOE dialogues with the energy consumers – big and small, from the big industrial/commercial sectors to those living in the smallest and remotest barangay.
So, are you in the dark as to why your electric bills are so high? Call the CWPO and request for a free walk-through visit to your house to assess your energy consumption. CWPO promises not only to enlighten you on your problem, but also to give you some bright recommendations/tips on how to conserve energy. Now, there’s a venue to address and redress complaints from energy consumers. Now, the DOE can be reached by simply I-ENERTXTing it. Type DOE <space> <complaint> and send to 2920 (for Globe and Smart subscribers only).
After all, the urgent message the CWPO would like to send to all consumers is this: "The consumer must never beg for anything he has the right to enjoy!"
In the first case, the cell phone, placed in the car’s trunk lid during fueling, rang, causing an ensuing fire that destroyed the car and the gasoline pump.
In the second, the car owner suffered severe burns to his face when fumes ignited as he answered a call while refueling his car.
And in the third, the person suffered burns to his thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in his pocket, rang while he was filling up.
You should know that:
• Mobile phones, when switched on or when they ring, release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition.
• Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations or when fueling lawn mowers, boats, etc.
• Mobile phones should not be used or should be turned off when you’re around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, like solvents, chemicals, gases, etc.
For safe refueling, follow these rules:
1) Turn off engine.
2) Don’t smoke.
3) Don’t use your cell phone – leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off.
"A team of organized criminals is installing equipment on legitimate bank ATMs to steal both the ATM card number and the PIN. The team sits nearby in a car receiving the info transmitted wirelessly over weekends and evenings from equipment they install on the front of the ATM (see photo). If you see an attachment like this, do not use the ATM and report it immediately to the bank, using the number on the front of the ATM.
"The equipment used to steal your ATM card number and PIN is cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment. A skimmer is mounted to the front of the normal ATM card slot, reads the ATM card number and transmits it to the criminals sitting in a nearby car.
"At the same time, a wireless camera is disguised to look like a leaflet holder and is mounted in a position to view ATM PIN entries.
"The thieves copy the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw thousands from many accounts in a very short time directly from the bank."
Dear Consumerline,
Reading Rica Martin’s "morbid hospital story" in your March 23 issue, I noticed that the replies were all for "routine laboratory testing" vis-a-vis "selective testing," which is actually pro-patient (and pro-consumer).
In her story, Ms. Martin mentioned that her doctor uses selective laboratory testing versus the doctor who requested for a battery of laboratory tests amounting to P7,000 additional hospital expenses.
Any patient who is about to undergo a surgical procedure must be assessed to prepare for protective management and to optimize his/her condition. However, the content of preoperative examination remains the object of discussion. Routine preoperative examination often includes more tests than are necessary for patients with no risk factors (in a healthy state, with no other disease). Hence, questions on the appropriateness of the battery of tests routinely requested preoperatively have been raised.
Billions of dollars are spent annually worldwide for routine screening tests and many studies conclude that 60 percent of them are of no value.
A thorough patient history and physical examination remain to be the cornerstone in assessing a patient’s operative risk, so routine preoperative tests should be abandoned and replaced with judicious selection and utilization of preoperative testing.
Unfortunately, the practice of ordering routine preoperative testing is still prevalent, and a survey shows that this practice is influenced mainly by a perceived need for legal protection.
At Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, particularly in the Department of Surgery, we are observing selective laboratory testing, focused more on thorough history and examination. The effect has been a reduction in medical expenses from P10,000 to P5,000 on the average and a reduction in hospital visits from six to two on the average, with no increase in mortality and morbidity rates.
For interested readers, we will be happy to provide a complete electronic copy of the study on "Selective versus Mandatory Preoperative Workups in Patients for Thyroidectomy," which was published in the Philippine Journal of Surgical Specialties last year.
For a copy of the selective, e-mail: bili_pingul@yahoo.co.uk.
– Dr. Jose M. Pingul
3rd year resident in surgery
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
Roxas cor. Quirino, Malate, Manila