Ministry urges to inspect vehicles to ensure traffic security

The Ministry of Transport ordered relevant agencies to set up steering committees and hotlines to handle related information of traffic to serve people’s demand of travelling in the New Year and Tet holiday ( Lunar New Year).

Passengers crowd in MIen Dong Station to buy bus fare to return hometown in Tet holiday. Transport agencies must ensure enough vehicles in Tet holidays (Photo: SGGP)

Accordingly, transport agencies must plan for this in coming holidays in efforts to limit traffic gridlocks. They have to inspect vehicles for people’s safety. 

The Ministry also asked transport companies to sell bus fare as well as to have measures against speculation. Transport companies should have preferential treatment and help disabled and elderly passengers.

The Ministry ordered the Inspectorate to liaise with relevant agencies in strengthening transport activities in coming Tet holidays.

Especially, the Ministry requested relevant agencies to prepare enough vehicles for all passengers who will return their hometown in the special occasion.

High salt level attacks Mekong Delta region

The Hydrology Meteorology Forecast Center of Ben Tre province predicted that salt level begins increasing in the local river systems from November 25.

In particular, the saltwater intrusion from local river mouth of Binh Dai district is forecast to increase by 6 percent.

Meanwhile, this month’s high flood tide will reduce from 15- 25 cm compared to the same period of last year.

Saltwater level in Tien Giang will be up to 1. 77 percent  after the provincial irrigational department took water samples for testing.

The saltwater intrusion unusually attacks the region.

Popularising traffic law is most effective way to reduce accidents

Strengthening communications to raise public awareness of traffic laws is the most effective and economical way to ensure traffic safety, said Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) President Nguyen Thien Nhan.

Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on November 23 to review a national programme on traffic safety and order, Nhan noted that traffic accidents are a big problem for Vietnam.

Although the number of accidents each year has fallen, the figure remains high with heavy loss of life and property, he said.

In the past five years, the country saw 15,125 traffic accidents, killing 48,015 people and injuring 162,058 others. Most of the cases involved violations of traffic law.

A report from the VFF showed that during the past five years, the programme has been implemented by agencies, organisations and people, contributing to the reduction of traffic accidents.

From 2016-2021, the programme aims to cut accidents by 5-10 percent.

During the conference, the VFF Central Committee and the National Committee for Traffic Safety signed an agreement on coordination in implementing the programme for the next five years.

HCM City to use 114 as emergency number

The current separation of numbers for criminal, fire, and medical emergencies will be merged into a single emergency number, 114, according to an official at the municipal information department.

In an interview on November 22 with local newspaper Thanh Nien, deputy director of the city’s Department of Information and Communications Le Quoc Cuong said his department was working on a plan to unify the current emergency numbers of 113, 114 and 115 into a single number, 114.

The number will be run by a concentrated operation headquarters where all types of emergency reports are received and handled, Cuong said.

Currently, people reporting criminal emergencies in Vietnam are to dial 113, whereupon they would be automatically connected to the respective call center of the area, according to a note by Vietnam’s General Department of Police.

The same process is applied to fire and medical emergency reports, which are received via the 114 and 115 numbers respectively.

The consolidation of emergency numbers into one in Ho Chi Minh City will not affect other locations in Vietnam, where the three current numbers would still apply.

According to Cuong, using three separate call centers for three types of emergencies is inefficient for rescue and lifeguarding missions, since it limits liaison between departments.

Once upgraded and unified, the Command Center under the Ho Chi Minh City Fire Department in charge of the emergency number 114 would be responsible for all emergency reports and authorized to dispatch officers and medics to respond to emergencies, Cuong said.

The deputy director added that the municipal Fire Department’s call center was selected to replace the other two due to it being the most modern and fully-equipped center of the three, while its reputation of fast response to emergency calls was also noted.

The 114 Command Center will be available 24/7 and divided into three shifts, each overseen by commanding officers from the police, fire, and medical departments who have the power to dispatch manpower should the situation call for it, Cuong explained.

The center would have access to city-wide CCTV footage and be equipped with a system that could automatically locate the caller’s location.

Emergency reports by photos or videos sent via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Viber or Zalo would also be handled by the Command Center in addition to traditional phone calls.

The consolidation is not expected to happen until 2018, Cuong said.

Vietnam, US foster people-to-people friendship

Secretary-General of the Vietnam-USA Society (VUS) Bui Van Nghi hosted a reception in Hanoi on November 23 for a delegation from the American Veterans Union (AVU), who are on a working trip to Vietnam.

Nghi highlighted the development of the Vietnam – US relationship over the past 21 years, particularly after the establishment of the comprehensive partnership in July 2013, the US visit by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2015 and the Vietnam visit by US President Barack Obama in May 2016.

He expressed his hope that the ongoing visit will help delegation better understand Vietnam’s situation, its foreign policy and Vietnam - US relations, thus contributing to enhancing the relations between the Vietnamese and US people.

For his part, AVU National Commander Charles E. Schmidt, who led the delegation, said the visit aims to study the land, people, and socio-economic development of Vietnam as well as  operations related to bomb-mine clearance and search for missing US soldiers during wartime.

During their stay from November 21-25, the delegation had working sessions with the Foreign Ministry, the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) and the Vietnam Veterans Association, and visited a number of museums in Hanoi.

Vietnam cultural heritage day celebrated

Traditional singing and calligraphy performances were held to celebrate Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day in Hanoi on November 23. 

At the event, cheo (traditional opera), xam (songs of blind musicians), vi giam (Nghe An-Ha Tinh region's folk singing) and don ca tai tu (southern folk singing) were performed by Vietnamese artists. 

Meanwhile, 28 Vietnamese calligraphers wrote on a 10-metre long piece of paper to express their thoughts when listening to live chau van (ritual singing).

A ritual of traditional Mother Goddess worship was also staged.

The celebration marked the debut of the centre for intangible heritage promotion, which helps boost cultural cooperation among Vietnamese localities and between Vietnam and international friends.

The first decree of the Vietnamese State on cultural preservation was signed by late President Ho Chi Minh on November 23, 1945. The date was designated as Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day. 

Vietnam has so far earned UNESCO recognition for 17 world cultural heritages, ranking first in Southeast Asia.  

Ancient Cham objects showcased in Hue

Nearly 30 ancient objects belonging to Vietnam’s Cham ethnic minority group are being displayed at the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, drawing crowds of viewers. 

The exhibition, organised by the Hue Relics Preservation Centre, aims to mark Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day, which falls on November 23.

The exhibits are selected from 86 ancient objects in the museum’s collection of Cham sculpture, featuring the culture and livelihood of the Cham group from the 7th century to the 11th century. 

The centre’s director, Phan Thanh Hai, highlighted the art value of the collection, saying that most of them are dated back from the 8th century.

According to Tran Ky Phuong, an expert of Hue culture, the objects, unearthed in the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) are classified rare heritage of the Far East and the world.

The event is open to the public from 7:00 am to 17:00 pm every day.

Christmas carols to raise funds for kids

The International Choir and Orchestra of HCM City will perform traditional Christmas carols at a charity concert called “Star of Bethlehem” on December 2 and 3.

All proceeds from the show will be donated to the Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program to help disadvantaged children in remote areas.

The concerts will start at 7.30pm at the St Paul’s Convent Chapel, 4 Tôn Đức Thắng Street in District 1. Tickets are VNĐ100,000 per adult and VNĐ50,000 per child or student. 

VinGallery holds Xmas market

A Christmas market offering local handmade art works will be held at the VinGallery on December 4.

The event will also have a series of workshops to teach participants how to make their own Christmas gifts for loved ones.

The opening of an art-book shop called Inpages will also be part of the event. An opening discount of 50 per cent will be offered on all items in the bookstore.

The event will be held from 2pm to 8pm at 4-6-7 Lê Văn Miến Street in District 2. Entrance is free.

Jappeloup on show at L’Espace

French movie Jappeloup will be screened at L’Espace this Sunday.

Directed by Christian Duguay, the movie is based on the true story of French show jumping champion Pierre Durand and his horse Jappeloup at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

At the beginning of the 1980s, leaving a promising career as a lawyer, Durand devoted himself to his passion – show jumping.

Supported by his father, he invests everything in a young horse named Jappeloup. Too small, too temperamental, and too unpredictable, the horse has many flaws but also has remarkable poise. From competition to competition, both the horse and rider prove themselves. But the Olympics Games in Los Angeles are a terrible failure. With support from his wife and Jappeloup’s groom Durand won the horse’s trust and builds a relationship which led them both to success at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.

The movie will be presented in French with English subtitles at 6pm. Tickets cost VNĐ50,000. For L’Espace members and students, ticket cost VNĐ40,000.

Tài wins yellow jersey at cycling event

Nguyễn Trường Tài won the yellow jersey for best overall time at the Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa cycling tournament which concluded yesterday.

Tài of VUS HCM City also won the event last year.

Nguyễn Tuấn Vũ of Dogalich Domesco Đồng Tháp won the final 177km stage from Cần Thơ City to HCM City’s Hóc Môn District in a time of 4:44.03.

Nguyễn Thành Tâm of Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời won the green jersey for scoring most points, while the white jersey award for best young cyclist went to Phan Hoàng Thái of Domesco Pharmacy Đồng Tháp.

The VUS HCM City team won the team award.

Lan, Lịch take Thanh Hóa to top rank

Quách Thị Lan of Thanh Hóa defeated Southeast Asian Games winner Nguyễn Thị Huyền at the National Athletics Championships’ 400m event yesterday in Hà Nội.

Lan, who claimed a silver at the Singapore Games last year, finished with a time of 52.72sec. After nearly two years of training in the United States (US) she reduced 0.57sec of her timing.

Huyền, from Nam Định Province, needed 52.88 to complete her run. Huyền ran 52.00 in Singapore. 

Quách Công Lịch, who is Lan’s brother and has also returned from the US, won in the men’s 400m event with a time of 46.03.

Their success put Thanh Hóa on top of the medal tally with four gold medals.

The military come second with three golds grabbed yesterday.

Nguyễn Văn Lai triumphed in the men’s 5000m (14min 53.65sec). Đỗ Quốc Luật took title in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase (9:05.31). Nguyễn Tiến Trọng jumped 7.62m to bag gold in the men’s long jump.

Hà Nội, who won two golds on the first day on Tuesday, are at third. The host athletes failed to secure any victory yesterday.

Other winners of the second day were Nguyễn Thị Oanh of Bắc Giang in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase (10:11.74), and Nguyễn Văn Huệ of Hải Dương in the men’s decathlon with 6,999 points.

The championships will last until this Sunday at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium. 

Partnership needed for Paris agreement

Vietnam’s environment ministry has called on further assistance from local and international organisations to help Vietnam successfully implement the Paris Agreement, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan confirmed on November 23.

Vietnam’s government ratified the Paris Climate Change Agreement in October right ahead of the COP 22, making it the 95th out of 112 countries to have ratified the first ever universal, legally binding global climate deal adopted last December by 195 countries at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21).

Vietnam was also one of the few countries to have developed a detailed plan to implement the agreement, Nhan said at a conference on the dissemination of the COP 22 outcome and announcement of the country’s Action Plan to implement the agreement.

He added that the move was applauded at the COP 22 that took place in Marrakech, Morocco from November 7-18, 2016.

Vietnam’s implementation plan would be carried out in two stages- from 2016-20 and 2021-30 with 68 compulsory tasks in accordance with the Paris Agreement, Nhan said.

United Nations Development Programme’s country director Louise Chamberlain said the organisation welcomed the good progress made at COP 22 towards scaling up climate action to achieve the ambitious targets of the Paris Agreement.

She said the strong political statement of the “the Marrakech Proclamation for Our Climate and Sustainable Development” reaffirmed the world’s commitment to combating climate change, and urges the world to move “forward purposefully to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to foster adaption efforts”.

She said Vietnam has relevant climate-proof policies and incentives in place, so the country now had opportunities to access global finance such as the Global Environment facility, Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other international finance mechanisms to install resilient financing for infrastructure investment.

Vietnam sets a good example of mobilising climate finance from GCF by obtaining an award of 29.5 million USD for the project ‘Improving the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Communities to Climate Change Related Impacts with UNDP support’, she said.

Anna Shreyoegg, chief technical advisory of a project by the German Federal Enterprises for International Cooperation, better known as GIZ, said that Vietnam has proved its strong commitment to combating climate change and that the country has forged a leadership role for the region in the combat.

“Germany acknowledges that the implementation if the Paris Agreement will be challenging and demanding, but I believe also a rewarding task for Vietnam especially since it faces immense risks from the negative impacts of climate change,” she said.

Germany, through GIZ, will continue to support Vietnam in implementing the Paris Agreement. This year, Germany will commit 18 million EUR (19.1 million USD) for its international climate initiative.

Vietnam to shave one year off study time for college degrees

Vietnam's government has approved a new educational masterplan that will cut the study time for college students by a year in a bid to scale up the workforce more quickly.

Under the plan, approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last month and made public recently, most Vietnamese colleges will reduce the duration of undergraduate courses from four to three years.

The course length for a bachelor of engineering will be cut from five to four years, and for a medical degree from six to five years.

The study time for a master’s degree will remain the same at two years, and PhD candidates will have to take one extra year, that is three to four years.

It’s not clear when the changes will take effect.

Bui Van Ga, Vietnam’s deputy minister for education and training, told VietNamNet that shortened study time would send graduates out into the workforce as quickly as possible, adding that a three-year program is the minumum standard in many European countries.

A more compact program will require changes in the curricula and how many credits students are supposed to take each semester, he said.

But some universities have voiced their concerns about the new plan.

Tran Van Top, deputy director of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, reportedly said it would be particularly difficult to shorten the study time for medical, technological and arts courses.

The number of jobless people increased to 1.08 million in the second quarter, 2.3% of the country’s workforce, according to figures from the labor ministry. Statistics showed that 39% of the unemployed are well-educated professionals, half of them with degrees or higher education.

Nghe An to host Vietnam’s biggest sunflower festival

The first sunflower festival is set to take place December 25 to January 5 in central Nghe An province, said the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Nghe An has this year doubled cultivation areas to nearly 60ha, giving visitors more space to contemplate sunflowers in full bloom as well as, attend a beauty contest, souvenirs and play folk games.

The event is destined to help spur the local tourism industry’s development by attracting more visitors to raise income for locals.

Promoting community's role in preserving cultural heritage

The risk that many tangible and intangible parts of Vietnam’s cultural heritage might disappear or change is not a new problem.

The effects of changes in the natural and social environments and human factors have caused damage to some parts of the nation’s cultural heritage.

The ineffective promotion of the community’s role in preserving the nation’s cultural heritage is the main cause of this problem.

The traditional natural environment at some heritage sites has been altered by nearby construction work or polluted due to tourism with a direct effect on the sites’ value. 

Not only tangible heritage sites but also elements of intangible cultural heritage have gradually lost their vigour due to a failure to teach them and pass them on to younger generations.

There is a tale about a fifteen-year-old contestant at the Hanoi Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) Festival for young singers. She loved ca tru but did not teach it. 

The same situations have also happened with xoan singing, bai choi singing and Vi-Dam folk music.

According to UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, communities are the owners of their intangible cultural heritage, and it is they who identify and preserve it.

In terms of the involvement of communities, Article 15 of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention stipulates that “each State Party shall endeavour to ensure the widest possible participation of communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals that create, maintain and transmit such heritage, and to involve them actively in its management.” 

Thus, the 2003 Convention explicitly expects States Parties to the Convention to get involved in activities by the groups and communities who are the holders and transmitters of the elements of intangible cultural heritage that are to be safeguarded.

Cultural heritage is the soul of society and the local community is the creator, protector and beneficiary of its cultural values. The voluntary participation of communities in preserving their heritage is essential.

Meanwhile, the heritage will also support communities by promoting tourism, developing products and services and generating sources of income.

It can said that the community is a major factor in preserving cultural heritage; however if people do not raise their awareness, mistakes will continue to be made. 

Preserving heritage is a continuous process. As a result, it is necessary to share skills and building active programmes to promote the role of the community.

In addition, it is necessary to give financial support to individuals and organisations that contribute to teaching and promoting the value of cultural heritage.

HCMC hospital applies technology to monitor prescriptions

Children's Hospital No. 1 in HCMC has made good use of technology to directly monitor prescriptions that doctors make in a bid to ensure safety for patients.

Director of the hospital Nguyen Thanh Hung said the hospital has equipped an online monitoring system to manage 5,000-6,000 prescriptions a day.

Right after doctors finish filling prescriptions, the system will send data to the server of the hospital to check if there is any error. The program can also keep track of the circumstance in each room to help regulate the number of patients to avoid overload.

Previously, the hospital supervised its prescriptions by taking photos of unusual ones and put data into computers before reporting to the director. This manual method allowed the hospital to check only 100 prescriptions daily while costing a lot of time and energy.

Doctor Tang Chi Thuong, deputy director of the city’s Department of Health, said the city is working towards giving real-time prescriptions to patients, in which any unusual signs in those prescriptions will be emailed to the hospital’s managers instead of going through an online monitoring system.

Tet bonuses not higher than last year

Bonuses for workers on the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday (Tet) are expected to reach an average of more than VND5 million per person, nearly unchanged from last year.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has written to the provincial departments, telling them to urge enterprises to prepare plans on new year bonuses and allowances for workers. They should inform employees of these plans.   

The departments were also asked to report the names of enterprises that owe salaries to the ministry before December 31.

Pham Minh Huan, former Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, was cited by the local news site VnExpress as saying that the ministry’s orders are meant to assess wages and encourage businesses to give Tet bonuses to employees.  

Huan said this year’s Tet bonuses may be equal to last year’s level of one month’s pay as economic conditions have not improved much. He said enterprises usually accomplish their financial accounting in January, near Tet holiday, and Tet bonuses are often calculated by then.    

According to a ministry survey of 13,000 enterprises in Vietnam last year, the average Tet bonus is equivalent to one month’s pay, or VND5.5 million per person, up almost 16% against the previous Tet. The highest bonus stood at VND624 million and the lowest was VND40,000.

According to a poll conducted by the news website, 30% of some 12,000 respondents said their 2016 Tet bonuses were higher than the previous year while over 10% said they did not receive any bonuses or had to take gifts instead.

Inland waterway procedures can be done online

Around 32 public services in the inland waterway sector came online on November 22, thus making things easier for the public and the corporate sector, said the Ministry of Transport.

Citizens and enterprises are allowed to send their necessary procedures and documents to the functional agencies via the Internet, which helps to cut time and cost in administrative procedures.

Statistics showed that the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration has received over 313,500 documents for approval, of which 9,100 were sent online as of last week. Over the past three months, the number of users for online services has increased by 70 times against the first seven months, reaching 8,743 documents.

Currently, some 85 online public services in the sectors of shipping, road transport, and inland waterway have been provided by the Ministry of Transport. Among those, 57 services meet level-three standards, meaning online filling and submission of application forms, and 28 services at level-four standards, allowing for online payment, and for sending requests and receiving results online or by mail.

HCMC to build barge wharf to ease road traffic congestion

The HCMC government has allowed Eastern Saigon Logistics Joint Stock Company to build a barge wharf at Cat Lai Industrial Park to help ease traffic congestion on the roads leading to Cat Lai Port.

The HCMC Department of Transport is told to coordinate with relevant agencies to support the enterprise, which is expected to start work on the project’s first phase this year or next. Upon completion, a large volume of cargos can be easily transported to other provinces by barge, instead of using container trucks.  

The wharf would have three piers able to handle barges of 2,200 DWT, with total throughput of 400,000 TEUs a year.

Currently, Nguyen Thi Dinh Street is the only axis road leading to Cat Lai Port, with an average of 17,000 trucks traveling to and from the port a day. On peak days the number could shoot up to 21,000, resulting in severe road traffic congestion in the area.

A report of Tan Cang Shipping Joint Stock Company under the Saigon Newport Corporation showed that the volume of containers handled at Cat Lai Port consists of three million TEUs from southeastern provinces and 0.8 million TEUs from the Mekong Delta. Given the available waterways, cargo to and from both regions, with a total volume amounting to 1.4-1.5 million TEUs, can be transported by barge.

The project is considered necessary to reduce the pressure on roads and increase the seaports’ capacity.

According to the master zoning development plan for seaports in the southeastern region approved by the Ministry of Transport, Cat Lai Port with a total pier length of 1,000 meters will be able to handle vessels of 20,000 DWT.

HCM City event helps parents, kids spend quality time

An event to be held next month at HCM City’s Hoa Lư Stadium will seek to help children and parents spend quality time with each other and appreciate the value of the family.

At the three-day Children and Family, which will have a penguin theme this year, there will be 20 separate game areas such as an ice palace, artist town and a race track.

More than100 booths will sell fashion, toy and food items at discounts of 50 per cent.

There will be free health consultation on nutrition for families and examination of eyes, spine and flat feet, which could causes arthritis in the knee and back pain later in life if left untreated.

More than a third of children in Asia have flat feet and Vietnamese are no exception.

There will be a fashion show by children to raise funds for charity.

The annual event is organised by Bornrich Co.Ltd and mainly sponsored by Truman Holdings Việt Nam, a company that has interests in multiple industries.

According to psychologists, families these days spend little time playing and talking with each other, which affects their happiness and children’s development.

It is best for children that parents should spend one or two hours every day with them and got out during weekends, they said.

Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum celebrates the big 50

Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary (1966-2016) with the opening of an exhibition entitled ‘Works in the Collection of Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum in the period of 1986-2016’ yesterday.

The celebration is an opportunity to look back on the achievements the museum has attained, while honouring the museum staff who have contributed to the development of the museum.  

The exhibition was also held on the occasion of Việt Nam Cultural Heritage Day, which falls on November 23.

Fifty works from 50 different artists, showing the diversity and character of Vietnamese fine arts over the past 30 years are being displayed at the exhibition.

The exhibition will last until November 29. 

Hà Nội offers bus tickets to poor workers

The Hà Nội Confederation of Labour (HCL) will offer bus tickets to 1,400 disadvantaged workers to travel home on the Tết  (Lunar New Year).

In particular, tickets will be provided to those working in industrial and processing zones, as well as the garment sectors.

Under the scheme, workers will be transported on three routes, Hà Nội-Thanh Hóa, Hà Nội-Hà Tĩnh and Hà Nội-Nghệ An. Coaches will pick up workers at Thăng Long Industrial Zone, Quang Minh Industrial Zone and the office of the Hà Nội Confederation of Labour on No 3 Chu Văn An Street in Hà Đông District on January 25, two days before the Tết holiday begins.

The HCL has asked labour unions at industrial zones and garment sectors to choose those qualifying workers.

In addition, trade unions in industrial zones are expected to arrange coaches free of charge to transport poor workers who wish to return to their homes to celebrate Tết with their families, according to HCL. 

The upcoming Lunar New Year will begin on January 28.

The government has approved a seven-day break for the holiday from January 26 to February 1.

Health authority issues fine a company for false advertisement

The Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health yesterday imposed an administrative fine of VND65 million on a company in Hanoi for violation of food advertisement.

Trieu Son Company in Yen Hoa Ward in Hanoi was fined for advertising nutritional supplement Ancan without permission. Moreover, the company has had false claims about the supplement as drug, said Head of VFA Nguyen Thanh Phong.

Along with the fine, VFA asked the company to remove the advertisement and to have corrigendum.

The supplement with the main content of Curcumin (500mg) was advertised as a miracle substance to strengthen the body's own defense, anti aging, cancer and diabetes treatment.

HCMC records 62 Zika virus cases

The Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Medicine Center yesterday said that as of November 21, districts reported five more cases of Zika virus, bringing total infection cases to 62 citywide.

Five more cases live in districts Binh Thanh, Tan Binh and Go Vap. The city Department of Health said that warning of travelling limits has not been issued yet people especially pregnant ones should actively avoid being bitten by staying inside the mosquito net and killing the insect and its larva.

Because of complicated development of the disease, the People’s Council in HCMC sent inspection teams to districts and medical facilities to push preventive task.

In related news, the health sector in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau yesterday announced the second case of Zika.

A 22 year old woman, the first patient’s sister in Phu My Town in Tan Thanh District, is positive for the mosquito-borne virus.

Director of the Department of Health Pham Minh An said that the girl had symptoms of disease on October 31, just one day after her brother. She is outpatient in the local hospital where doctors took her blood sample for test in Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City. Test results on November 17 confirmed that she is positive for the virus.

After receiving the test results announced by Pasteur Institute, the province’s health sector has carried out disinfection the affected area as per the Ministry of Health’s guideline. Medical workers provided examination to 72 pregnant women in Phu My Town and eight other pregnant women in Tan Phu residential block in Tan Thanh Dsitrict.

Fall-winter fashion week to open this week

Vietnam Designer Fashion Week Fall - Winter 2016 will be held at the Vision 21 Studio in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1from November 25-27. 

The third event themed “Golden Women” honoring feminism will bring Vietnamese fashion-lovers fabulous new trends for this winter with the most unique and impressive collections of designers, Li Lam, Ha Linh Thu, Nguyen Hoang Ngan, Ha Truong, Truong Thanh Long, Huy Tran, Vo Cong Khanh, Lek Chi and Chaddie.

Top models, Mau Thuy, Kiki Le, Thuy Duong, Thuy Trang , Xuan Lan and others will perform in the event.

Launched for the first time in 2015, the fashion show is expected to honor local designers and promote their designs that has blown a new fresh air into the fashion industry and given a deep impression on devotees.

Exhibition provides overview of Vietnam’s fine arts during Renewal process

An exhibition reviewing Vietnam’s fine arts during 30 years of the 'Doi Moi' (Renewal) process opened at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (VFAM) on November 23 as part of a celebration to mark the museum’s 50th founding anniversary.

Fifty works on display, sourced from the museum’s collection, provide visitors with a truthful, vivid and comprehensive overview of the construction and defence of the nation, as well as the diversity of the community’s activities and spiritual life.

The week-long exhibition brings together works by veteran artists such as Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Trong Hop, Le Ba Dang, Tran Luu Hau and Nguyen Thi Kim Bach, as well as talented young artists who have shown impressive innovation in developing styles and means of expression and have given a fresh appearance to Vietnam’s fine arts, such as Dao Minh Tri, Ta Quang Bao, Ca Le Thang and Do Thi Ninh.

Over the past 30 years under the Doi moi (Renewal) process, Vietnam’s fine arts have proven their diversity, uniqueness, dynamism and vitality. In that context, the VFAM has actively collected outstanding works produced during the process and added them to its own collection.

Congratulating the VFAM on its 50th anniversary, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dang Thi Bich Lien expressed her deep appreciation for the achievements and efforts made by its staff over the past five decades.

She stressed that the protection of the national cultural identity and the building of an advanced Vietnamese culture were a common task for the entire society, particularly those working in the culture and arts sector.

She went on to call on the staff of the VFAM to play a leading role in safeguarding the country’s cultural essence and in advertising the land, people and culture of Vietnam to the world.

Transport Ministry launches 32 online public services

The Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration (VIWA) under the Ministry of Transport has launched 32 online public services in the first ten months of this year.

The services are provided for the administrative procedures under the fields of ports, transportation, and management of infrastructure.

Together with 25 previous online public services launched last year, the VIWA has developed a total of 57 online administrative procedures at level 3, which allows applicants to fill-in and submit forms online, and level 4, which allows applicants to pay fees and receive notifications online.

The 57 procedures have been applied to four main fields including management of facilities and crews, management of ports and wharves, infrastructure, and traffic safety.

In 2017, the VIWA will continue doing its best to offer quality services to its clients and raise the competitiveness of the inland waterways transport sector, targeting that by 2020 the total volume of goods transported on inland waterways will reach 356 million tonnes per year, accounting for 32.3% of the transportation market.

Following its roadmap set for 2016, the Ministry of Transport has completed the building of 96 online public services at levels 3 and 4 under the sectors of inland waterways, road transport, railways and civil aviation.

Bringing art to life in new District 2 venue

A new art space in District 2, HCMC is already making an impression, lining up some big names from different visual disciplines to attend its opening event.

The event at the Thao Dien venue on December 16-18  will have international artists as special guests to perform live art, and there will be workshops as well. Some of the expected artists include Artime Joe from Seoul , Dragon 76 from New York, Jim Mahfood from Los Angeles, Danis Nguyen and Le Minh Hoai Quoc from Saigon, Mike Huddleston from San Francisco, Nicolas Meda from Lille, Pamela Campagna from Bari and others. Art-lovers will be able to attend and get their hands on original artwork, toys and more at the event.

“What makes (the products available) unique is that the products from these artists come from different countries, bringing a fresh look about art to Vietnam... and they are limited,” explained Ang Ng, Mix & Paint ’s media & community manager. “You can buy products from the artists/toy makers themselves, or through our website.”

Mix & Paint is located at 93 Hanoi Highway, Thao Dien,  District 2, HCMC. You can also read more about the event on the Mix & Paint Live Art Facebook page.

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