Freedom of information

With Due Respect By Artemio V. Panganiban Philippine Daily Inquirer

Good news! Prior to its adjournment for the holidays, the Senate started plenary deliberation on the freedom of information (FOI) bill. Buried in the legislative mill for the last 14 years, the bill was resurrected by Sen. Grace Poe in the Senate committee on public information, which approved it last September. Senate President Franklin Drilon expects the entire chamber to pass it by the end of March.

Sticky points. But the bad news is that the House committee on public information and media has yet to act on the measure. All it did was to give its technical working group until mid-February to consolidate the 19 or so pending versions of the FOI bill.

It seems the House committee is stuck on several issues, like the insistence of some legislators to install a rider, the so-called right of reply that would require media outlets to give criticized officials the same print space or broadcast time, free of charge. Constitutionalists view this as a violation of the right to free speech of media practitioners.

Another sticky point is the attempt of a few House members to exempt their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) from the proposed FOI law. This is a sneaky effort to amend the Ethical Standards Law and Anti-Graft Law that already allow public access to SALNs. In obedience to this fundamental policy, even the Supreme Court justices have released their SALNs to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Why should legislators be exempted?

Charter provisions. In its Declaration of Principles and State Policies, the Constitution provides: Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.

More clearly, the Charter, in its Bill of Rights, states: The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized.

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Freedom of information

Eco Bike, Terobosan Penghemat Bahan Bakar

Mau irit bahan bakar? Ini solusinya.

Honda PCX

Mungkin kita masih ingat, akhir Oktober 2013 lalu pemerintah secara sah mengizinkan hadirnya Low Cost Green Car yang dicanangkan sebagai mobil yang hemat bahan bakar serta ramah lingkungan.

Tak hanya itu saja, LCGC sapaan akrabnya juga diharapkan sebagai pengganti kendaraan bermotor roda dua yang kini bak laron bersliweran di setiap sudut kota, mulai dari jalan raya hingga gang sempit.

Namun kenyataannya, daya pikat roda dua yang praktis, simpel, dan ekonomis tetap menjadi primadona dikalangan konsumen Indonesia. Selain itu tampilan modis dan fitur-fitur canggih pun mulai ditanamkan para insinyur pabrikan kendaraan guna memudahkan konsumen.

Salah satunya adalah fitur penghembat bahan bakar yang diklaim mampu membuat kuda besi ini dapat berlari kencang namun hanya butuh sedikit pasokan bahan bakar.

Ghiboo mencatat dua pabrikan besar asal Jepang, yakni Honda dan Kawasaki yang secara khusus menyediakan fitur ekonomis ini. Honda mengandalkan Idling Stop System [ISS], sementara Kawasaki menyebutnya sebagai ECO.

Kawasaki Ninja 250r

Sesuai dengan namanya yang menggunakan kata stop, ISS membuat mesin motor otomatis mati jika dalam hitungan menit tidak ada reaksi tidak memutar grip gas yang diberikan. Namun tak perlu kuatir, untuk menyalakan mesin motor cukup putar grip gas secara perlahan maka semua akan berfungsi normal dan siap digunakan.

ISS yang sudah ditanam pada motor Honda PCX dan Honda Vario Techno 125 F1 diyakini para insinyur Honda untuk menghemat bensin motor terlebih saat Anda berada dalam kondisi berhenti di lampu setopan. Karena saat mesin mati, maka tidak ada asupan bahan bakar ke dalam ruang bakar mesin.

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Eco Bike, Terobosan Penghemat Bahan Bakar

New board motors in to test waters

Topics: asap, lifesaving, ross kemp, sir richard branson, support craft, watercraft

A YOUNG British inventor hopes to revolutionise Australian beaches with a one-person motorised lifesaving craft that has won awards in the UK.

And Ross Kemp has some heavy-hitting support, with Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson flying him to Australia to test his craft on our beaches.

The Asap, as Mr Kemp's craft is known, combines the manoeuvrability of a small paddleboard with on-board electric propulsion to help reach people in trouble faster.

He developed his idea while doing lifesaving training in Britain and designed his first prototypes during his product design degree at Loughborough University.

In September last year, while refining Asap at the university, he won investment from businessman Richard Reed on the BBC TV show Be Your Own Boss.

It was there that Asap caught the attention of Sir Richard, who offered to fly Mr Kemp to Australia to test the product with world-class lifeguards.

"It's taken months of long days, even longer nights and strong coffees, but we've designed a fantastic rescue product which I am certain will help rescuers reach people in the water quicker," Mr Kemp said.

"Australia is one of the best places in the world to test our product, with some of the world's greatest lifeguards."

Sir Richard, who owns luxury Makepeace Island in the Noosa River and occasionally visits the Sunshine Coast, said he had a deep passion for protecting the ocean but was also familiar with its dangers.

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New board motors in to test waters

A Small Talk At The Back Of Beyond – Full Gameplay – No Commentary – Artificial Intelligence Zzz – Video


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Strategic investments; technologies and opportunities in the Aerospace and Defense Industry – Video


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Aerospace Power – National Archives and Records Administration, Part 2 – Video


Aerospace Power - National Archives and Records Administration, Part 2
National Archives and Records Administration Aerospace Power Department of Defense. Office of the Secretary of Defense. (09/18/1947 - ) ARC Identifier 573287 / Local Identifier 330-DVIC-454....

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