THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will soon implement cost-cutting measures and will promote the extensive use and application of renewable energy in line with the government’s energy-conservation campaign.

DENR Secretary Lito Atienza said that to lead in the government’s energy-conservation campaign, the DENR will soon put up solar panels and water tanks for power generation and harvesting of rainwater to cut electricity and water costs. At the same time, he said he will ask DENR officials to devise ways how to reduce electric and water consumption in such a way that the DENR will be able to contribute greatly to the government’s energy- conservation campaign.

According to Atienza, solar panels will be put up to generate enough power to cut its dependence on electricity from Meralco, thereby reducing the DENR’s monthly electric bill.

Likewise, the DENR chief said water tanks will be used to store water which will be harvested during the rainy season. This will be used to water plants, in flushing toilets and cleaning official vehicles at the motor pool.

The DENR chief said to cut gasoline consumption, he will ask concerned DENR officials to limit the use of vehicles for official use only.

In fact, he said that even before Malacanang’s directive, the DENR was able to cut its gasoline consumption by almost 50 percent during the past six months covering September-February 2007 to September-February 2008, from P400,000 or equivalent of 8,000 liters to P260,000 or just a little over 4,000 liters.

PHILIPPINE businesses are the most guarded in the world against corporate fraud.

According to a survey of global accountancy firm Grant Thornton International, the Philippines has the most number of privately held businesses (PHBs) that employ specialists particularly functioning to detect and prevent frauds.

THE price of regular rice in the domestic market should be lower following the claims of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the tight supply of rice has softened as reflected by the decline in the price of the produce in the international market, according to a nongovernment organization involved in the rice sector.

THE Philippines, the world’s biggest rice importer, wants to encourage private companies to grow the staple and has identified thousands of hectares in Mindanao to produce extra food, an official said.

PRESUMING they are always at the losing end, farmers are worried that the staggering increases in the price of oil in the global market will also pull the cost of fertilizer up in the next planting season.

SARIAYA, Quezon—President Arroyo provided a cold-storage facility to a vegetable trading center in barangay Sampaloc 2 here to help vegetable farmers keep their produce fresh and saleable.

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will soon implement cost-cutting measures and will promote the extensive use and application of renewable energy in line with the government’s energy-conservation campaign.