Dirty food delivered straight to nurseries

A food processing facility in Hanoi have been suspended for providing unhygienic food to many local nurseries.

Hai Anh food processing facility at Trung Van Market is one of the well-known distributors to many local nurseries for years. Pham Thi Thu Anh, owner of the facility, said their food were expensive because they were fresh. Their shrimp cost VND450,000 (USD20.50) per kilo and basa fish cost over VND100,000 per kilo.

Anh said she had business licences to sell meat, aqua-products, beverages and vegetables. However, according to the locals, the food processing facility at Trung Van Market is actually an electronic shop. Whenever there is an inspection, it will be temporarily transformed into a food processing facility.

In reality, all the work is being done at an unnamed kiosk at Long Bien Market where the conditions fail to meet regular standards. The fish are left lying on dirty ground near running waste water.

Anh then let it slip that, "Why hands of the sellers look like they are ulcerating? It's not because of the water, it's because they often have to work with chemicals. I tell you all sellers at market work with chemicals."

After the case was discovered by Lao Dong Newspaper at Hai Anh food processing facility, it has been followed by the inter-department inspectorate in Nam Tu Liem District.

When being inspected, owners of Hai Anh were unable to produce necessary hygiene certificates or origin of their food or their suppliers. The food processing area failed to meet requirement so the inspectors destroyed the meat found. The facility has been suspended.

Profession-oriented higher education project under review

A conference to review the second phase of the Netherlands-funded project on strengthening profession oriented higher education (POHE) was organised in Hanoi on June 23.

The event saw the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, and universities.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said the Vietnam Netherlands Higher Education Project – phase 1 started in 2005.

The first phase of the project conducted 10 profession-oriented training programmes in various fields, including tourism and hospitality, construction, agro-forestry, electronics and information communication and technology (ICT) at eight target universities.

Building on the positive outcomings of the first phase, the second phase of the POHE has been implemented since 2012, Ga said.

The project is part of the activities to implement Resolution No.29 on education reform and the Law on Higher Education in a more market-relevant way, Ga said.

The Deputy Minister urged the management board to develop training documents out of the piloted programmes and target institutions to disseminate the project’s outcomings across higher education sector.

According to Director of the project Bui Anh Tuan, the project has made significant improvements in training among the target universities as well as the sector.

During the conference, a joint statement on developing profession-oriented higher education was signed between the Ministry of Education and Training and representatives from the eight key institutions majoring in teachers’ training, agriculture, and forestry studies.

After four years of implementation, the project has currently run 49 training programmes and established a close-knit relationship between educational institutions and enterprises.

Teachers’ training documents have been created, and five training centres for lecturers have been set up. Training courses have been conducted at over 100 universities across the nation.

Policies continually fine-tuned to better assist national contributors

The Party, the National Assembly and the Government have continually overhauled policies to increase support to national contributors, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said.

He had a meeting with a delegation of 35 national contributors, including 22 war invalids, from the central province of Quang Ngai in Hanoi on June 23.

He affirmed that the Party and the State always bear in mind the dedication of people who rendered services to the struggle for national independence. Many of more than 8 million national contributors in Vietnam are from Quang Ngai.

Support to the contributors has been offered in various forms such as house building, monthly benefits, and others which are combined in the national target programme on new-style rural area building and poverty reduction activities, Hue added.

The official appreciated the provincial authorities’ efforts to care for the targeted group’s material and spiritual life amid local hardships.

The contributors in Quang Ngai should educate their descendants about the revolutionary tradition while giving opinions to all-level administrations so as to help with national development, he said.

There are more than 180,000 people who devoted themselves to the revolution, in the province, including over 37,000 martyrs, 25,000 war invalids, 5,700 women holding the Heroic Vietnamese Mother title (514 of them are still alive) and about 12,000 others imprisoned by the enemy during wartime.

Nearly 50,400 contributors in Quang Ngai are receiving monthly benefits which total 71.9 billion VND (3.2 million USD) a month. All national contributors and their relatives there have also been covered by health insurance, data show.-

Workshop raises awareness of not using rare wildlife products

A workshop was held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on June 23 to intensify communication calling for people to stop using products from endangered and rare animals and plants.

The event was jointly organised by the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education and TRAFFIC, the global wildlife trade monitoring network. It attracted the participation of the commission staff, scientists and managers of nature conservation centres in 29 northern cities and provinces.

Delegates contributed their ideas to preserving bio-diversity, while sharing experience in protecting wild animals and reducing demands of wildlife products.

The commission’s deputy head Bui The Duc stressed the importance of strictly punishing illegal behaviours, and fostering communication to raise public awareness of the role of bio-diversity in the nation’s sustainable development.

TRAFFIC experts also shared experience in conserving endangered animals and plants in Vietnam and the world.

Family culture of ethnic groups to be retraced at upcoming festival

A family culture festival of ethnic groups in the north central region will take place in the Culture Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups from June 25-26, a highlight in a series of ongoing activities in the village from June 1-30.

Folk games, music and cuisine will be made available at Muong, Thai, Ede and Khmer houses in the village.

Rituals retracing the New Year festival of Odu ethnic minorities from the central province of Nghe An and the traditional wedding of Bru –Van Kieu minorities from the central province of Thua Thien-Hue will also be introduced.

For the Odu, one of the least populated groups, the New Year begins on the day when the thunder rolls for the first time in early spring. They believe that people have souls which, after death, become the soul of the house, watching over every activity of the living. The festival usually lasts for a week.

The Van Kieu usually choose an even date for the wedding ceremony, preferring the 6 th , 8 th , 10 th , 16 th , 18 th of the last months or beginning months of the year.

The wedding is an important event not only for the two families but for the whole village. Customarily, the groom’s offering for the bride on the wedding day includes a copper pot, a silver coin and a sword.

On the occasion, a photo exhibition featuring the daily lives, traditional festivals and artefacts of the Ta Oi and Bru-Van Kieu groups will also open.

Hai Duong looks to boost inter-regional tourism connectivity

Northern Hai Duong province sought a strong connectivity in tourism with the Red River Delta and northern mountainous midland provinces through a seminar it held on June 26.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Nguyen province Tran Co Truong highlighted the necessity to bolster inter-regional tourism products in order to intensify tourism development.

He said collaboration between localities has not fully tapped tourism potential, adding that communication work and manpower in the sector have not met the development demands of integration.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Phuc Giang, Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh province Tourism Promotion Centre said tourism development needs unique tourism products created by each region, citing spiritual cultural tours, Northern Delta exploration tours and Hong River tours.

Shortcomings, difficulties in the sector as well as solutions to tourism development were also discussed at the event in an attempt to improve the quality and effectiveness of tourism products in the localities.

Authorized bodies and local administrations should join hands to create a healthy environment for tourism development. Besides, local people also play an important role in attracting tourists to the localities, said participants.

Trường Sa photo exhibition opens

A new exhibition of more than 70 photographs featuring the Trường Sa (Spratly) Islands, its people and soldiers opened yesterday at the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) representative office in HCM City.

The event is part of VNA’s cultural activities to celebrate Việt Nam Journalism Day on June 21.

The photos were selected from latest collections by seven reporters of the VNA, including veteran photographer Phạm Tiến Dũng, former head of the VNA’s photo editing staff.

The works are the result of reporters’ fact-finding trips to Trường Sa islands last month, where they lived and worked with people and soldiers.

The highlights include photos featuring peaceful villages, beautiful trees, soldiers and people in daily life.

“We were full of emotion about the lives and the intimate friendships with the soldiers and people in Trường Sa. After the trip, our heart is still attached to the islands.

“Our photos are our thanks to Trường Sa’s people and soldiers, who have worked to defend the sovereignty of the country’s sea and islands,” said photographer Dũng at the opening ceremony.  

“For those who have not or have experienced the salty taste of Trường Sa, we hope our photos will  help them learn more about the islands and soldiers, and help them become more patriotic as well,” he said.

The exhibition is open every day from 8am to 7pm at 116-118 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street, District 3. It will run until July 1.-

Photo show of cải lương star

A photo exhibition featuring the career of 66-year-old actor Minh Vương, one of the region’s cải lương (reformed opera) stars, will open in HCM City next week.

The event will feature 100 photos capturing the performances of Vương and his colleagues on stage during his 50 years of singing.  

“Through the photos, I hope audiences can see more of the hard work of our cải lương performers and pay more attention to preserve live theatre forever,” said Vương.

Vương will perform six extracts from popular plays that helped him become famous.

The event will open on July 1 in the city’s Youth Cultural House, 5 Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street, District 1.

Tuyên Quang Province to preserve Bầu Citadel

A temple dedicated to Bầu Lords has been inaugurated as Tuyên Quang Province People’s Committee preserves Bầu Citadel, a national relic site. Temple construction started last year and was funded by individuals and organisations.

The citadel was built between 1730 and 1770 and is located in Tân Thành Village. It is associated with two brothers, Vũ Văn Uyên and Vũ Văn Mật, who protected the country from spiraling into a civil war between Lê and Mạc factions. They were dubbed ’Bầu Lords’.

Bầu Citadel is very important in researching Vietnamese national history and in educating young people about patriotic and military tradition. It is also an attractive tourist destination.

Thanh Hoá hosts record 3.8m visitors in the first half of 2016

Thanh Hoá hosted a record 3.8 million visitors in the first half of 2016, according to the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The total number of visitors to the north central province rose by 13 per cent over the same period last year. Most of the visitors were domestic tourists. But the number of foreign visitors also increased to 68,500, up 19 per cent year-on-year.

The most attractive tourist site in the area is Sầm Sơn Beach. On hot days, the number of beach tourists reaches 60,000-70,000 per day.

To support tourists, the province has set up public hotlines for the offices of the province’s chairman, police, market watch force, hospital and rescue force.

More luxury trains scheduled from HCMC to Phan Thiết, Nha Trang

The Sài Gòn Railway Transport Company will add more luxury trains on the HCMC - Phan Thiết route in the south-central province of Bình Thuận and on the HCMC - Nha Trang City route in Khánh Hoà Province.

Train SNT3/4 will run between Sài Gòn and Nha Trang. It will stop at the Sài Gòn, Biên Hoà, Bình Thuận, Tháp Chàm and Nha Trang stations.

Train SPT3/4 will run between Sài Gòn and Phan Thiết and stop at the Sài Gòn, Biên Hoà, Bình Thuận and Phan Thiết stations.

Ticket discounts will be offered. Groups of 10-20 passengers will enjoy a discount of 10 per cent. Groups of 21 or more will receive a 15 per cent discount.

Ethnic cultural festival to be held in Ha Noi

Activities featuring the traditional culture of ethnic families in the north central region will be organised at the Việt Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hà Nội for two days, starting next Monday.

Among the activities will be a wedding of the Bru-Vân Kiều ethnic minority in Thừa Thiên – Huế Province.

An exhibition displaying photos and items relating to daily life of ethnic minorities in the region, including the Tà Ôi, Bru – Vân Kiều will be held. Entertainment programmes will also be organised.

The management board of the village said they regularly organised these events so that both locals and foreigners could learn more about the 54 ethnic minorities in Việt Nam.

National tennis tournament kicks off

The National Tennis Tournament is taking place in the southern province of Sóc Trăng.

Players are competing in the women’s and men’s singles and doubles in age groups from U10 to U18.

The event, which draws 261 players from 22 teams, will last until June 29. It aims to develop tennis across the country.

The event’s best athletes will be chosen for the national youth team.

Chinh joins HCM City FC in loan contract

National U21 star Hà Đức Chinh has signed a loan contract with First Division’s HCM City FC, according to the team’s managers.

Chinh, from the V. League side Quảng Ninh Coal, however, played for the new club in a match against Huế FC on June 18 in which HCM City won 1-0.

Coach Lư Đình Tuấn said, “Chinh is a quality player, strong and quick. He showed off his outstanding performance in the Huế match. We will have more choices for the forward line, especially when we are in the important period of the league.”

Apart from Chinh, HCM City also wooed three other players who are former members of the national U-23 squad – striker Nguyễn Ngọc Anh, defender Sỹ Nam and midfielder Doãn Ngọc Tân.

HCM City are on top after nine rounds with 20 points.

They will play Nam Định at the away venue, Thiên Trường Stadium, tomorrow.

Eastin Grand Hotel to hold wedding exhibition

Eastin Grand Hotel Saigon will put on a wedding exhibition on June 25 and 26, allowing couples that are planning to tie the knot to take a close look at all sorts of wedding services.

Now in its sixth year, the annual exhibition offers chances for visitors to win valuable gifts and deals worth up to 70% of the cost of a wedding party booked at the five-star hotel, apart from free make-ups, make-up tips and skincare for brides. Admission to the event is free.

For further information, call 08 3844 9222 or 0988533611, email esm@eastingrandsaigon.com,and visit www.eastingrandsaigon.com or www.facebook.com/EastinGrandHotelSaigon.

Misfortunate fishermen in Phu Yen receive support

Eleven fishermen from the central coastal province of Phu Yen, whose ships were damaged while they were fishing in the waters of Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, have received nearly 100 million VND (4,400 USD) in aid.

The money was handed over on June 23 by the Golden Heart Fund and the “Fishing nets of love” programme.

Nguyen Thi Thu Van, Chairwoman of the Phu Yen provincial Trade Union, said that the support is aimed at helping misfortunate fishermen overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives as well as continue fishing at sea.

In the coming time, the Golden Heart Fund and the “Fishing nets of love” programme will continue to support and accompany fishermen who conduct offshore fishing voyages.

Hai Duong looks to boost inter-regional tourism connectivity

Northern Hai Duong province sought a strong connectivity in tourism with the Red River Delta and northern mountainous midland provinces through a seminar it held on June 26.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Nguyen province Tran Co Truong highlighted the necessity to bolster inter-regional tourism products in order to intensify tourism development.

He said collaboration between localities has not fully tapped tourism potential, adding that communication work and manpower in the sector have not met the development demands of integration.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Phuc Giang, Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh province Tourism Promotion Centre said tourism development needs unique tourism products created by each region, citing spiritual cultural tours, Northern Delta exploration tours and Hong River tours.

Shortcomings, difficulties in the sector as well as solutions to tourism development were also discussed at the event in an attempt to improve the quality and effectiveness of tourism products in the localities.

Authorized bodies and local administrations should join hands to create a healthy environment for tourism development. Besides, local people also play an important role in attracting tourists to the localities, said participants.

Thái Sơn Bắc enter semi-finals of futsal tournament

Thái Sơn Bắc defeated HPN Phú Nhuận 2-1 in the second match of Group A of the HCM City Futsal Tournament Open, LS Cup, on June 22.

With two wins, Thái Sơn Bắc has six points, earning a ticket to the event’s semi-finals.

Văn Quý opened the score for Thái Sơn Bắc in the fourth minute, however, Văn Trung leveled the score 1-1 for Phú Nhuận in the last minute of the first half.

After the break, taking full advantage of the error committed by Phú Nhuận’s defenders, Thất Phi scored in the 33rd minute, raising the score to 2-1 for Thái Sơn Bắc.

In the other match of Group A, Sannan Khánh Hòa tied 2-2 with Tân Hiệp Hưng.

In Group B’s matches, defending national champions Thái Sơn Nam lost to Hoàng Thư Đà Nẵng 2-3 and Cao Bằng beat Sài Gòn FC 7-3.

National conference on anesthesia, resuscitation opens in Binh Dinh

A national conference on anesthesia and resuscitation was opened in the central province of Binh Dinh on June 23.

The event, organised by the Society for Anesthesia and Resuscitation of Vietnam, saw the participation of crowds of experts and medical doctors in the field.

Participants are scheduled to hear over 70 reports on anesthesia, resuscitation, artificial respiration (CPR), obstetrics and pediatrics, including those by experts from Malaysia, France and Netherlands.

The conference will last until June 24 in Quy Nhon city.

Voyager of the Seas makes port in Nha Trang

Royal Caribbean’s massive majestic Voyager of the Seas arrived on June 23 at Cam Ranh Port in Nha Trang carrying nearly 3,114 guests, reports Saigontourist, as part of an Asian tour originating from Europe.

During the one-day port-of-call in Nha Trang, travellers on board the cruise liner went sightseeing and shopping at the Ponagar Temple Towers, Institute of Oceanography, and Hon Chong.

They departed Nha Trang for Hue the same day.

The 138,000-ton ship became the world's largest cruise ship when it entered service in November 1999. It is 311m long, 48m wide 15 storeys high with 1,306 staterooms.

Hanoi: CPI in June rises for six consecutive month

The consumer price index (CPI) in Hanoi continued to go up in June, the sixth consecutive month of growth, the municipal Statistics Office (GSO) reported on May 22.

Nine out of 11 groups of commodities posted price increases with the biggest rise seen in transportation services, mainly due to the price hike in petrol and oil.

Petrol, diesel and kerosene prices rose by 680, 168 and 200 VND per litre, respectively.

The group of housing, electricity, water, fuel and building materials also posted a high growth due to higher demand in summer.

The group of restaurants and catering services showed a smaller increase compared to the previous month.

In June, gold price saw a rise of 0.69 percent and the VND/USD exchange rate was up 0.78 percent against last month.

Other groups of commodities remained stable or experienced slight price change.   

Australian amputee reaches HCM City in 10,000km charity bike ride

An Australian veteran who lost a leg has arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on a bicycle ride from Hanoi to Sydney to support fellow veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Laurie “Truck” Sam, 67, served with the Special Air Service Regiment in Vietnam in 1970 before losing a leg in a parachute accident in 1995, according to a press release by the Australian Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.

He left Hanoi on May 12 and aims to finish the 10,000km ride, which he calls "The Longest Ride Home", at Sydney Opera House on November 20.

So far he’s pedalled 2,500 km “through the steamy jungles and paddy fields of Vietnam in intense wet season humidity dodging potholes, motorcycles, buffalos and lumbering lorries,” the release said.

He will leave Ho Chi Minh City for Bangkok on June 23, this time joined by other SAS veterans.

A world champion parachutist, Truck was awarded Australia’s Star of Courage in 2001 for saving his tandem parachute student in the 1995 accident.

After learning to walk with a prosthetic leg he led two trekking expeditions in Thailand and has completed charity bike rides around Asia, especially in Vietnam.

He said he set his sights on “the long ride home” to Australia as a friendship initiative between Australia and Asia and to support injured veterans.

VND 230 billion funded for drought hit provinces

Vietnamese Prime Minister has decided to finance  VND 231 billion for 11 drought hit provinces and Dau Tieng- Phuoc Hoa Irrigation Exploitation Company under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The sum of money from the state budget aims to help the provinces overcome difficulties caused by salinization during the 2015-2016 winter-spring crop.

Particularly, the state budget supported VND 15, 5 billion to Son La, VND 9, 9 billion to Lai Chau, VND 12, 5 billion to Thua Thien- Hue, VND 11, 4 billion, VND 19, 8 billion to Kontum, VND 35 billion to Lam Dong, VND 25 billion to Kien Giang, VND 25 billion to Ca Mau, VND 2, 9 billion to Dau Tieng- Phuoc Hoa Company.

The Prime Minister also required people’s committees of the provinces to actively use the fund  in  helping farmers overcome effects of drought and saltwater influx.

Landlords blockade worker buses

Hundreds of workers at Nam Cam Industrial Zone in the central province of Nghe An have faced difficulties getting to their workplace as local landlords are trying to obstruct their buses in order to compel them into renting their houses rather than travelling home.

On the morning of June 22, about 50 people in Nghi Xa Commune, Nghi Loc District blocked the streets leading to the Nam Cam Industrial Zone to prevent buses from transporting workers the factories.

About 50 people in Nghi Xa Commune, Nghi Loc District blocked a street leading to the Nam Cam Industrial Zone on June 22 morning to prevent buses from transporting workers the factories.

A worker, Nguyen Thi Thu Tam, said that the situation has been going on over the past three days, angering workers and drivers.

"The buses have to stop some three kilometres from our factories and we are having to walk the rest," Tam said. "We’re really tired."

Thanh, a worker at BSE Company said that her salary is only VND3 million (USD142) a month so she wants to go by the shuttle bus to work which is only 16 kilometres from her home.

"If people here want to rent out their houses, they should seek help from local authorities," Thanh said. “Why should they do this to us? It is not fair. We can’t help them. We hope that local authorities will soon interfere to stop this madness."

Local people have said they have blockaded the road because they want workers to rent their houses instead of travelling home.

A landlord, Nguyen Thi Tinh, said that she borrowed lots of money from the bank to build some rooms to rent out to workers but recently many workers were choosing to use the shuttle buses to travel home.

"How can we repay the bank?" she said.

Head of the commune's Police Department, Hoang Duy Duong, said that there are over 1,000 rooms built for rent in the area which have recently seen a sharp fall in occupancy due to workers turning to use the shuttle buses to travel home.

"We've been reported about the situation over the last few days and have tried to persuade and explain to local people to stop breaking the law," Duong said. "Yesterday we arrested five people and will investigate further."

Musician Truong Ngoc Ninh elected Chairman of Hanoi Music Association

The Hanoi Music Association (HMA) appointed a new executive committee with musician Truong Ngoc Ninh elected as chairman at its 12th congress for the 2016-2020 tenure, which was held in Hanoi on June 19-20.

The 15-member executive committee has four vice chairmen: musicians Pho Duc Phuong, Nguyen Lan Cuong, Nguyen Quang Vinh and Ho Trong Tuan.

Reviewing the HMA’s operations over the past five years, delegates at the congress agreed that the association has been active in organising and participating in the capital city’s musical activities, thus contributing to the preservation and promotion of Hanoi’s culture.

The association has also hosted contests on song compositions and encouraged musicians to promote musical diversity.

Among the highlights of the association’s achievements in the past tenure was the establishment of the Hanoi Music Centre and the Harmony Choir, which have contributed to popularising music to the public.

In the coming time, the association will focus on advertising Hanoi’s cultural essence, producing new high-quality works with artistic values, and enlisting new young talented members.

Hansae Vietnam holds female golf tournament

South Korea’s Hansae Vietnam last week cooperated with the Vietnam Golf Association to hold the “Hansae Vietnam Ladies Golf Championship 2016” in HCMC.

Aimed at contributing to the development of golf for female players in Vietnam, the tournament took place at Tan Son Nhat golf course in HCMC’s Go Vap District for female golfers under 30 across the country.

The award for the first prize winner, Nguyen Thao My, 18, is a weeklong tour to South Korea, where she will be invited to play a game with professional golfers.

Specializing in producing and exporting textiles and garments, Hansae Vietnam has three facilities in Cu Chi, Tien Giang and Tay Ninh with a total workforce of over 20,000.

Rex Hotel to host water puppetry performances

Starting from August, artists from Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater of Thai Duong Theater & Art Co. Ltd will stage water puppetry performances at the five-star Rex Hotel Saigon in downtown HCMC.

Huynh Anh Tuan, director of Thai Duong, said Rex Hotel Saigon has invited Golden Dragon to put on a water puppetry show every night at its Vertical Garden. The company has constructed a 150-seat theater and a countryside-like ambience to hold water puppetry shows for guests, especially foreigners.

Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater artists will perform water puppetry for a half hour in each show, which will be preceded by a 50-minute variety show featuring different genres of traditional Vietnamese performing art like hat boi (Vietnamese opera), mua tu thien vuong (traditional dance), Hue royal dance, cheo (satirical musical theater of northern Vietnam), and Central Highlands lithophone.

To make it easy for foreign viewers to understand water puppetry shows at Rex hotel, there will be translations of eight languages.

Water puppetry dates back to the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225). Today, it is one of the best known folk arts.

Tickets for the show cost VND300,000 (US$13.45). Rex Hotel Saigon is located at 141 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1.

Over 2 million benefit from healthy heart project

Over two million people in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to benefit from a project for a healthy heart which was launched in the city on June 22.

The project will be carried out in Districts 8, 12, Go Vap and Thu Duc until the end of 2018 by the PATH global health organisation, Novartis Fund and the municipal Health Department.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Truong Le Van Ngoc from the Agency of Health Examination and Treatment under the Health Ministry said the project is an international effort to contribute significantly to controlling hypertension and other non-communicative diseases in Vietnam.

The project, which is in line with the national strategy on preventing non-communicative diseases from 2015-2025, will help locals early detect high blood pressure for timely treatment and long-term control of the disease using a community-based approach.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department Nguyen Huu Hung, the project will set up screening spots in the community, thus enabling people to monitor their blood pressure themselves.

A database on people with the condition will be set up. Patients will be referred to health care facilities for treatment.

A network of trained volunteers will be established to provide consultation services for people.

Digital technology will be applied to facilitate self-monitoring and enhance interaction between patients and health care service providers.

From 2011 to 2015, the local health sector conducted blood pressure screening of residents in 30 wards and communes in eight districts in the city.

In Vietnam, high-blood pressure cause over 90,000 deaths per year.

Over one quarter of the adult population of the country have high-blood pressure. However, less than half of them are aware of their condition. Only 11 percent of the treated cases achieve the target blood pressure.

VAS opens 7th campus in north of Ho Chi Minh City

The northern part of Ho Chi Minh City is fast becoming a promising location for investors to initiate construction projects aimed at raising the economic and social standing of the area. Some of the districts included in this northern catchment zone include District 12, and Go Vap, Hoc Mon, and Cu Chi districts.

The VAS campus was carefully designed to foster students’ physical as well as mental development

Go Vap district is a gateway for transport connections, accommodating business and trade in the city. Accounting for 20 per cent of the total population of Ho Chi Minh City, the district’s population of nearly two million makes it a huge potential consumer market.

In September 2015, Vietnam-Australia International School (VAS) acknowledged the potential here by building its 7th campus in the centre of Go Vap. Located in the residential project City Land Garden Hills, this facility has the most modern construction within the VAS system.

On May 25, the campus welcomed 2,000 students to get a taste for the ultra-modern educational project Garden Hills Mega Campus. Enrollment for kindergarten to high school students for the school year 2016-2017 will begin in July 2016.

With a total area of 14,480 square metres, including nearly 4,500sq.m of lush green spaces, the Garden Hills Mega Campus was designed by architect Nguyen Dinh Gioi of Nha Dan Interior Design Company. The campus is built according to green architectural trends, with green areas and outdoor spaces making up 60 per cent of the total area. The campus has 80 classrooms which are equipped with modern facilities. In addition, there are several specific-function rooms such as computer rooms, laboratories, a library, kitchens, music/art rooms, as well as a gym. VAS also has two swimming pools, a children’s playground, an inter-level playground, a soccer field, a basketball court, as well as a theatre-style multi-purpose hall. Combined, these facilities will foster the comprehensive development of students – both physically and intellectually.

With the rapid development of Vietnam’s economy through the signing of regional and international trade agreements, educational experts say that one of the main challenges for educational programmes in Vietnam is enabling students to gain access to the global knowledge, skills, and values that form the educational grounding of a global citizen. In this way, VAS has drawn the attention of parents by teaching the seven core values of Excellence, Confidence, Passion, Integrity, Respect, Teamwork, and National Pride. A special feature of these seven core values is the National Pride component, whereby students are encouraged to become more confident in their personal development, and become more harmonised with the global environment.

As director of the Garden Hills Mega Campus, David McLaughlin will be in charge of the management and supervision of all teaching and learning activities. He has 35 years’ experience working as a lecturer at universities in the UK, the US, and Canada. Additionally, he was a senior leader in several school systems in the UK, Dubai, and most recently Kenya.

Marcel van Miert, VAS’ executive chairman, said that “The construction of a VAS campus in Go Vap will meet the needs of the growing number of students hoping to attend the international education programme of Cambridge alongside the national education programme. The team of excellent teachers, managers, and staff in this ultra-modern campus will contribute to the quality of teaching and training in Ho Chi Minh City. I believe this campus will provide an optimal choice for parents and students within the area, with a more comfortable learning environment, international-standard programmes and reasonable fees.”

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE