The Robinson’s Malls nationwide, will use solar energy to operate its Malls nationwide it was revealed by its outfit Robinson Land Corporation (RLC).

Records show that RLC is the largest solar powered mall operator in the Philippines today, as it installs more roof top solar panels in their Robinson malls in Luzon and Mindanao – now totalling 24 malls.

Aside from rooftop solar panels, Robinsons malls spread all over the country, RLC has installed rainwater collection systems in 29 malls and is using greywater for landscaping and irrigation in 15 malls. Likewise, the corporation has invested on renewable energy sourcing that has allowed them to avoid as much a 19,804.94 metric tons of carbon emission in its malls.

The corporation management was quoted saying “power distributor Meralco recently enrolled 10 Robinsons malls to the to the interruptible load program through which RLC committed to de-load a total of 31MW when needed. This has potentials to spare some 124,000 households and small businesses from the inconvenience of unplanned power interruptions.”

MY COMMENT:
The RLC should be commended for their program to use renewable solar energy, installing rainwater collection system and for helping hundreds of Filipino households avail and small businesses are able to do business by de-loading at least 31 MW of energy for their use. On top of these, is RLC’s contribution in mitigating the negative effects of climate change by reducing carbon footprint in the country. Hope that other Mall owners replicate RLC’s climate change initiative.
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NEXT TOPIC : “2nd Green Energy auction being hatched by DOE”
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The rain was, hard, sustained and seemingly it was not going to end .For the New Year of 2023, the people of Eastern Visayas would remember these early days as wet and cold. The people from all walks of life and socio economic status lay crumpled and hugging their pillows . It was dark, dreary and helpless.

The old word Executive Order or EO, was trending. Suddenly, it was an IN THING again after a few months of hibernation.

Although, the work was slowly coming back from the slumbers of the holidays, it was unmistakably hampering the mindset of productivity that they have in mind. The rains, rendered the people immobile, trapped and helpless.

Floods came to irrigate the fields, clean the roads and barricaded the people from its coming and going, it was big in volume and forceful in strength.

It was the January rain an overflow from the December rains that took the lives of some folks in Mindanao.

However, it was also a time of clearing of the debris of the strewn garbage and the likes. It was a time of cleansing figuratively and literally. It was nature laughing at man’s inability to tame its slow and taunting wrath.

In the end, it put things in proper perspective, it gives its own Story.

It was the words of pause then play. It was a time stop and then go.

From the hampered and prevented action, we are unleashed, free to move, free to begin again.

This is the new start, as the Sun comes out and the road and fields dries up , we are starting over again.

Symbolic as it may be, thats fate, thats God, talking and directing. We have to begin again, do things better, make every moment and effort, count.

Pagtikang, Pagsugod, Pagsisimula, in whatever language it is obvious, this is another chance, another start and thats a blessing.

“A VOICE came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” (Mk 1,11).

As the gospel of St. Mark narrates, these words were heard by St. John the Baptist after he baptized Christ in the River Jordan. He saw the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending on Christ, and these words were spoken.

Obviously, the purpose of this testimony is to underline the true identity of Christ—that he is not just any ordinary prophet. He is the very Son of God who became man to offer “the way, the truth and the life,” the life proper to mankind.

This is a truth of faith that has to be taken by faith more than anything else. Without faith, there likely would be at least some doubt if not outright unbelief about the veracity of this claim.

And so, faith is indeed needed here. As St. Thomas Aquinas said once, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

And yet there are other things that can lend credibility to what was said during Christ’s baptism. That he performed miracles, that he preached very sublime doctrine, that he had all the virtues that can be found in any man, that he offered his life on the cross and then resurrected, and that he ultimately appeared to certain people after his resurrection and was seen ascending into heaven—all these should leave no doubt as to Christ’s divinity and his role as our true savior.

We need to strengthen our belief in Christ and to do everything to follow him. In fact, we need to become like him as we are meant to be. We are meant to be “alter Christus,” another Christ, as some theologians have explained.

This is always possible and doable because in spite of our insufficient efforts to become like Christ, God’s grace is always there for us. All that is needed is for us to do our best or at least to be open and receptive to God’s grace and mercy. As St. Paul once said, “He who has begun a good work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus the time of His return.” (Phil 1,6).

But it should be a constant concern of ours to know, love and serve Christ which should have a necessary consequence to know, love and serve the others. Knowing and loving Christ is proven when we serve him by doing his will, by complying with his commandment, the last of which was “to love your neighbor as I (Christ) have loved you.” (Jn 13,34)
We should try our best that the main interest in our life is to be like Christ. Everything else—our work, our family life, our business and politics, our successes and failures, etc.—should serve only as a means and an occasion to be like Christ.

It’s important that we know Christ thoroughly and love him to such an extent that he and us become one as we are meant to be. This is no pipe dream, since Christ has given us everything to achieve this goal. He has, in fact, given us his very own self in the Holy Eucharist. We just have to receive that sacrament with a heart full of faith and love. That way, what is impossible becomes possible and a reality for us.

Nature broadly comprises the physical world or universe. Aside from the physical world, nature also includes the living creatures that inhabit this world. These life forms vary in terms of looks and habitation, such as marine creatures, land animals, air inhabitants, and under-the-earth organisms.

I am a lover of nature, no question about that. I spent my childhood within close range of nature, enjoying it, and loving it. But there are aspects of nature that I also dislike and even detest. It might sound contradictory and inconsistent, but that’s what I am. I like most animals, but there are some that I find scary or loathsome.

One thing that I find offensive about nature is the presence of predators. I dislike the idea that they prey on other animals that simply want to live like them. I know it is part of nature’s cycle, but I find it sad that some helpless animals live in fear and suffer terrible pain and death when captured by predators.

How I love it when animals are just feasting on fruits from fruit-bearing trees, plant leaves, and grasses. For me, these are the ideal foods for them to eat. How I wish all animals were just eating plants or the like. Yes, plants also possess life, but they are too different. They do not have consciousness, do not breathe, don’t have blood, no eyes, and ears, no mouths, no feelings, no sensations, not moving on their own. Truly suitable for eating!
But animals possess the senses that give them consciousness. Generally, they have the sense of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. They feel pain, and they also have emotions. Many of them have blood in their veins that resemble human blood. They have brains, hearts, and other physical faculties that enable them to be even closer to humans. Unlike plants, they are fully aware of what happens around them.

So when a lion, crocodile, tiger, hyena, eagle, leopard, jaguar, or other predators approach a pathetic, helpless antelope, the latter can be terrorized with fear, then with pain as fangs and claws tear its body apart. It may struggle to free itself, but the simultaneous bites and claws penetrating its body are too painful to bear. Amid the pain, anguish, and horror, the prey has no choice but to die in agony.

What have they done to deserve such fate? They cannot fight back, try as they do. And the most agonizing of all is the doom of being eaten alive. The sight of a deer lying on its side while a komodo dragon is pulling its internal organs out is too much for me to see, especially if the pitiful deer is still alive and conscious, howling in terrible pain. I hate such a sight. I feel like picking up a weapon and killing the predator, too.

Yes, I love nature, but not all the way. I hate predators and pity their prey. I love to see when the prey learn to fight back and the predators are harmed. But it seldom happens. Nevertheless, nature is nature and will flow through its natural course.