Phan Thiet Airport to lengthen runway

The runway of Phan Thiet Airport in the south-central province of Binh Thuan will be lengthened from 2,400 to 3,050 meters to ensure sustainable development and enhance the effectiveness of the airport which is still under construction.

The Transport Department of Binh Thuan Province said the central Government has approved a scheme to upgrade the airport from level 4C to 4E.

Currently, relevant agencies are making preparations for the upgrade such as completing design work and investment procedures.

The Transport Department said site clearance for the airport project, whose construction began nearly three years ago, has not been completed, as a company has not handed over 98.58 hectares of land to implement the project due to an ongoing compensation dispute. Site clearance is expected for completion next month.

Roads leading to the airport will be also built at the end of the year.

The construction of Phan Thiet Airport was commenced in January 2015 on a total area of 543 hectares including a 150-hectare area for the air force, a 145.6-hectare civil aviation area and a 247.4-hectare shared area. Up to 48 households and six organizations were asked for relocation.

The airport was planned to be used for both civil and military flights. It was initially designed to handle 500,000 passengers by 2020 using ATR 72, F70 and other small aircraft, and one million passengers by 2030 using A320 and A321 airplanes.

The two-phase project includes a 2,400-meter-long runway on a 360-hectare area and a 5,000-square-meter terminal to serve 500,000 passengers and 10,000 tons of cargo a year.

However, air carriers have replaced small planes with bigger ones due to the rapid development of the market, so the airport needs upgrading to receive medium and large planes such as Airbus A320s and A321s.

Phan Thiet Airport was expected to be opened in 2017. However, the project is falling behind schedule after three years of construction.

In a related development, Dien Bien Airport in the north is also having its design adjusted. In February, the Ministry of Transport assigned the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to adjust the plan for the airport in 2017-2020 with a vision towards 2030.

Under the plan, Dien Bien Airport will be upgraded to accommodate A320 and A321 aircraft.

Tien Giang collects toll fees on new bypass

National Highway No.1 Tien Giang Investment Co Ltd begins on August 1 to collect toll fees on a new bypass around the town of Cai Lay in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, said Huynh Van Nguyen, director of Tien Giang Province’s Transport Department.

The toll station which is located at KM 1999+300 is scheduled to collect fees within six years and four months, starting from on August 1.

The toll for vehicles of fewer than 12 seats, trucks of less than two tons, and commuter buses is VND35,000 per trip. The monthly toll is VND1.05 million, and the quarterly toll is around VND2.8 million.

The tolls for vehicles of 12-30 seats and trucks of 2-4 tons are VND50,000 per trip, VND1.5 million per month and VND4.05 million per quarter.

The tolls stand at VND60,000 per trip, VND1.8 million per month and VND4.8 million per quarter for vehicles of 31 seats and more, and trucks of 4-10 tons. Trucks of 10-18 tons and 20-foot semi-trailers pay VND100,000 per trip, VND3 million per month and VND8.1 million per quarter.

Especially, trucks weighing over 18 tons, or carrying a 40-foot container are charged at VND180,000 per trip, VND5.4 million per month and about VND14.6 million per quarter.

The bypass project includes a 12-kilometer section around the Cai Lay Town, and an improved section of National Highway 1 spanning 26 kilometers across Tien Giang Province.

The VND1.4-trillion project, which got off the ground under the build-operate-transfer format in 2014, was developed by a joint venture between Bac Ai Construction Investment Consultation JSC and Transport Construction and Investment Trading JSC No.1.

Japanese tourists plant mangroves in Can Gio

A group of employees of Japan’s Fuji Film Holdings Corporation on July 31 traveled to the coastal district of Can Gio in HCMC to plant mangroves as part of a tour program combined with community activity.

Arranged by Fiditour, one of the leading tour operators in the city, the four-day tour program started on Sunday. Apart from mangrove planting, the group will tour popular places of interest in the outlying district and the city center.

Nao Ogata, a 27-year-old staff member of the company, said the tour could help her learn more about the ecosystem, war consequences and the importance of planting trees to increase green coverage of the locality.

Tran The Dung, deputy general director of Fiditour, said the number of foreign tourists joining such volunteer tours at the company has grown around 15% a year. Most of these tourists come from major source markets like Singapore, Japan and Australia.

Dung expects more foreign companies would choose Vietnam as a destination for tours combined with community activity.

Ninh Thuan: charity programme saves 400 children with heart diseases

The Association for Sponsorship of Poor Patients of Ninh Thuan Province has supported 401 children with congenital heart diseases over the past nine years.

The figure was released by president of the association Hoang Thi Ut Lan at a conference to review the surgery programme for local children with congenital heart diseases from 2008 – 2017 on August 1.

The operations, 393 conducted domestically and eight in the Republic of Korea, cost a total 29.5 billion VND (1.3 million USD).

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Binh called on organisations, units and individuals from the province and other localities to aid poor and needy patients, particularly children with congenital heart diseases.

On the occasion, more than 1.3 billion VND (57,200 USD) was raised to help more needy child patients.

Nine units and six individuals were honoured during the event for their contributions to the charity work.

The association also presented 20 scholarships and some 200 gifts to needy children.

Tay Ninh, Cambodian military strengthen coordination

The Military High Command of southern Tay Ninh province and the Military Sub-regions of Cambodia’s Svay Rieng, Tbong Khmun, Oddar Meancheay and Prey Vieng provinces held a conference in Svay Rieng on August 1 to discuss cooperation for the rest of 2017.

Since the beginning of this year, the sides have coordinated in sharing information and solving seven cases of border security violations.

Together with cultural and sport exchange activities, Tay Ninh’s Military High Command provided 1.4 billion VND (61,600 USD) for the military sub-regions to improve infrastructure, while the Cambodian side helped search for and repatriate the remains of 674 Vietnamese soldiers who died in the country.

At the conference, participants discussed measures to tighten ties, with a focus on making plans, intensifying information sharing to prevent crime and coordinating in protecting border markers and in border demarcation.

ASEAN youths work for regional economic progress

Representatives from the Vietnamese Government, the US Embassy and various ASEAN nations came together on August 1 and addressed the importance of a growing ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and Vietnam–US trade relations.

At the opening ceremony of the 2017 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) in Hanoi, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia welcomed Ambassadors to Vietnam and 80 young delegates from ASEAN countries, saying it was an excellent occasion to remind all of the opportunities that AEC provides its members, and to overcome economic development challenges.

Nghia also expressed hope that ASEAN youths would learn more about AEC and contribute to its growth.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius remarked that the US was interested in the success of ASEAN and the AEC, as it is one of the leading investors in this region. He also said the US was committed to creating the most favourable conditions for the region and its youth to develop.

Through discussions and panel talks, the event aimed to spread better understanding and share experience in balancing economic growth with sustainable development.

According the ASEAN Secretariat’s data, ASEAN is the sixth largest economy in the world with 630 million people and nearly 2.6 trillion USD in gross domestic production at the end of 2016.

Nghia suggested that "education is a leading solution in terms of both efficiency and sustainability in order to face rising socio-economic, environmental and non-traditional security challenges in the region". 

She went on to list the eight ASEAN millennium development goals, including eradicating poverty, advocating education, gender equality, health, environment and global partnerships.

Spanning four days from August 1 to August 4, the fourth annual YSEALI focuses on the AEC, the future for ASEAN economic cooperation and policy initiation. The event gathered outstanding youths from all countries in the region in a bid to enhance leadership and connection.

Vietnam responds to World Breastfeeding Week 2017

The Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition, the Alive and Thrive project and the Hanoi University of Technology launched an online training programme on child care to respond to the World Breastfeeding Week 2017 that runs from August 1-7.

The 48-hour programme aims to strengthen the capacity of healthcare staff on supporting mothers in breastfeeding and weaning.

This year, World Breastfeeding Week is themed “Sustainable Breastfeeding Together,” highlighting the significance of cooperation among governments, non-government organisations, research institutes, development partners and the private sector in promoting policies to increase the number of breastfed children.

According to Le Danh Tuyen, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition, breastfeeding is not just the job of the mother, as it requires support from many parties, including healthcare staff, family members, employers and policy-makers.

He stressed that the institute is willing to work with all partners to create a favourable environment for the health of women and children.

Research shows that breastfeeding significantly contributes to strengthening maternal and child health, while promoting economic growth. According to Lancet magazine, breastfeeding helps reduce healthcare costs and builds a stronger labour force.

A report from UNICEF and the Alive and Thrive project said that optimal breastfeeding can save 23.36 million USD in spending for hospitals in Vietnam.

New research also said that in Vietnam, increasing breastfeeding could save the lives of more than 2,000 children each year and contribute to reducing fatality among under-five children.

Minh, Trâm win national blitz chess championship

Lê Tuấn Minh of Bình Dương won the blitz chess event at the National Chess Team Championship in HCM City yesterday.

Minh bagged eight points after nine rounds to take first place. Nguyễn Anh Khôi and Phạm Chương of HCM City were the runners-up with 7.5 and seven points.

On the women’s side, Hoàng Thị Bảo Trâm of HCM City defeated more than 100 players to triumph with 8.5 points, followed by Nguyễn Thị Mai Hưng and Võ Thị Kim Phụng of Bắc Giang with 7.5 points each.

Earlier, Trâm also won the women’s rapid chess category, while Tô Nhật Minh of Hà Nội won the men’s title.

Following this tournament, the National Junior Chess Tournament is scheduled to be held in the northern port city of Hải Phòng on August 10-18. 

Quang Tri: Turtle at risk of extinction released into wild

The Con Co Island Marine Protected Area in the central province of Quang Tri and a local fisherman released an endangered green turtle into the sea on August 1.

Tran Van Long, a fisherman in Cua Tung town, found the 70-kilogramme sea turtle stuck in his net while fishing in waters off Vinh Linh commune. The turtle is aged 35-40 and is one metre long. 

Identified as a rare species, the turtle was tagged and released to the sea off Cua Tung town.

This is the eighth species rescued by the management board of the  Con Co Island Marine Protected Area so far this year.

New TV show aims to give fresh perspective on gender role

A new TV programme offering a different view on gender roles is scheduled to make its debut this Sunday at 9pm on VTV2.

“Cooking is easy” will feature Vietnamese husbands and boyfriends, with the guidance of a professional cook, attempting to prepare a meal for their loved ones.

The show’s producers hope it will also help strengthen bonds between family members and encourage Vietnamese men to enter the kitchen and cook for the family, a task that is almost exclusively taken up by females in Việt Nam. 

The show will provide homemakers with information on how to select the best ingredients, how to thoroughly purify and safely prepare family meals. It will also feature Western style dining etiquette and a basic introduction to wine selection and tasting.

Regular couples as well as several celebrities are to make appearances on the show. The show’s producer, Truong Thanh Communication Company, said it had plans to produce up to 52 episodes or one for each week during the first year.

Bắc Kạn cultural fest celebrates unity

The Bắc Kạn cultural village festival 2017 has been held at the provincial cultural centre.  

The two-day festival, which ends today, is organised by the province’s steering committee and themed “all citizens unite to build a cultural life”.

It aims to popularise the state policy on creating a space for all quintessential cultural villages in the area. It will give groups a chance to meet, exchange and study each other’s experiences, allowing them to honour the outstanding faces in the movement; consolidate the achievements, and develop the culture and theVietnamese people.

“The main content of the festival include the introduction of specific cultural beauties and outstanding faces and families of the villages, praising the reservation and promotion of typical cultural values of the country and the preclusion of social evils, superstition and unsound customs, as well as building the new countryside,” said Đinh Quang Tuyên, chairman of Bắc Kạn city’s people committee.

Eight outstanding hamlets and villages are attending the festival. 

Specific support needed for disadvantaged labourers

Policies that aim to support disadvantaged labourers should cater to each type of labourer in society, experts have said.

Some 13 million disadvantaged labourers were recorded in the country until the end of last year, accounting for 25 per cent of the total labour force, according to the Institute of Workers and Trade Union.

Out of those 13 million, some 4.2 million are labourers with disabilities, 6.5 million are poor and one million are migrant workers. Some 180,000 have HIV/AIDS and 190,000 others are drug addicts and sex workers.

Eighty per cent of disadvantaged labourers in Việt Nam reside in rural areas, with low education levels and no vocational training. Some 21.8 per cent are illiterate and 40 per cent have never had a job, Dr Vũ Minh Tiến, vice director of the union, said.

“Without stable jobs, income and business capital, their lives are approaching a dead-end,” he said at a conference on policy recommendations to ensure the livelihoods of disadvantaged labourers in the 2015-30 period and beyond on Monday in HCM City.

Despite the State’s loan support policies, there were no markets for the products produced by these disadvantaged labourers, hence they got stuck in the vicious circle of debt, unemployment and poverty, Võ Văn Tấn, chairman of the labour federation of the city’s Cần Giờ District, said.

The migrant workers were having trouble with household registration policies, lecturer Vũ Văn Hiệu from Tôn Đức Thắng University said.

“The household registration book should not be used as a tool to classify citizens, discriminating against migrant workers and preventing them from approaching job opportunities and basic social services,” he said.

The vulnerability of disadvantaged labourers should be the central point of policies that aim to support and sustain their livelihoods, according to experts.

Occupations provided for these labourers should be recoverable from occurrences, not dependent on outside support, and able to yield sustainable productivity and long-term benefits, they said.