A New Year’s Prayer for you:
“May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.”
*****
Before they took their Christmas break a week after the Task Force Kapatid contingents left for their home provinces, linemen of the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) managed to surpass their power restoration target of 67 percent by Dec. 24, 2020.
An update on this showed that as of said date, the actual number of households now connected to the grid reached 70.91%, with the cooperative targeting 73.01% by the last day of the year.
Of the 315 barangays in the island, 195 already have electricity, including two of nine villages in Gigmoto.
Much work is still to be done in the heavily damaged areas of Baras (41% of barangays restored), Bato (44%), Gigmoto (22%), San Andres (31%) and San Miguel (17%).
Out of the 55,658 households, 28,742 are now enjoying the benefits of light and power, excluding of course the 15,124 houses that cannot be energized
Meanwhile, the estimates cost of the damage to FICELCO’s distribution lines have reached P217 million.
General Manager Raul Zafe and Board President Dir. Rodolfo Vargas is hopeful that by Jan. 6, 2021, when teams from mainland Bicol electric cooperatives arrive to resume restoration work, the pace would pick up and reach the unlighted barangays.
*****
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has a social media policy specifically for its members.
Among the important reminders for law enforcers are the following:
“Do not use the PNP official social media site to endorse or promote products, political positions or religious ideologies that will place the PNP in bad light.”
“Use your best judgment. What you post in social media may have serious consequences to yourself and the PNP. If you are doubtful about what you are going to post, seek the advice of your immediate superior or chief of office. In the end, you are the one accountable for what you post in social media.”
“Avoid hostile or derogatory post. Do not post information that is disrespectful, libelous, abusive, obscene, abusive, threatening, and other unethical or information that violate PNP Code of Conduct or policies of the PNP in official police office social media or personal account.”
“Do not impersonate others. Do not pretend or cause to pretend to be another character in your post in an attempt to hide, impersonate or otherwise misrepresent the real person or entity.”
The reminders are based on PNP Memorandum Circular No. 2020-034 issued last May 20, 2020 by then PNP Chief Archie Gamboa.
Under the same circular, any PNP personnel who violate the general guidelines shall be charged with Less Grave Neglect of Duty.
*****
While Catanduanes had zero firecracker-related injuries during the week until Christmas day, it added three more new COVID-19 cases on Dec. 22: two from Bato and one from San Andres, with the total now 128. Twelve are active cases.
*****
THE PANTIES. A wife goes on a retreat for work. When she returns, she finds a pair of panties in her dresser that do not belong to her. Furious, she questions her husband.
The husband says, “I have no idea where they came from I don’t do the laundry!”
So, the wife goes to the maid and questions her.
Indignant, the maid replies, “Madam, how should I know? These panties don’t belong to me. I don’t even wear panties! just ask your husband!”