New DOE Chief: "We shall serve the people."—Newly installed Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said during the flag-raising and turnover ceremonies at the Department of Energy Monday morning that the DOE would serve the people and uphold consumer welfare in keeping with President Rodrigo Duterte's pledge to make government serve the public interest first and foremost.

(Taguig City) “The measure of the Energy Family’s success under the Duterte Administration is how well we serve the electricity and fuel needs of the people,” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized today during the flag-raising and turnover ceremonies at the Department of Energy (DOE).

In line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy directives, Cusi will see to it that corruption, drugs and criminality will have no place within the DOE organization first and foremost.

The permitting processes for electric power and fuel operations where the DOE and other government agencies are involved should be transparent and predictable because at the end of it all, the electricity and fuel consumers are the ones waiting to be served, he said.

Cusi also wants to take a look at the electricity being charged for the depressed areas where the less privileged may be exploited by the unscrupulous.

Before Cusi was appointed as the new Energy Secretary, he was the Chairman of Starlite Ferries, Inc., which started operations in 1995 plying the Batangas-Calapan, Mindoro and Roxas-Caticlan routes.

Today, Starlite Ferries, based in Batangas, is leading the way in modernizing the Philippine maritime industry with the acquisition of brand-new roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) inter-island vessels from Japan.

Cusi plans to build a fleet of seven Ro-Ro ships designed specifically for operations in the rough waters within the Philippine archipelago. The first two of the Ro-Ro vessels have already been delivered to Starlite Ferries and will begin service between Roxas, Mindoro to Caticlan.

Apart from this, Cusi has vast experience in the business sector, including SMISCO (an engineering, passenger terminals and port services company), Quick Stop Convenience Store and Starlite Holdings (a ship-owning company).

Cusi’s experience in the public sector, meanwhile, includes stints as Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), General Manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and General Manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

Cusi’s wealth of experience in both the private and public sectors is expected to serve him in good stead as he embarks on a new chapter in his career by serving at the helm of the Department of Energy under President Rodrigo Duterte. ###