Day: May 17, 2023

Thai company Bangkok Terminal Logistics has donated a centrifuge machine worth 275 million kip (approx. 15,600 USD) to the Lao Red Cross.

The handover took place in Vientiane on May 16 between Managing Director of Bangkok Terminal Logistics Mr Borvornsint Tanthuwanit and President of Lao Red Cross Phouthone Muongpak in the presence of relevant officials of both sides.

Dr Phouthone Muongpak expressed thanks to Bangkok Terminal Logistics for its generous assistance, noting that the centrifuge machine which is critical for saving people suffering from kidney diseases will be further given to a target hospital to be used for humanitarian purposes.

“We are happy to donate this medical machine today. Asides from making profit, doing business in Laos also requires us to contribute to helping local communities,” said Mr Borvornsint Tanthuwanit.

Source: Lao News Agency

The equipment will contribute towards risk communication and community engagement activities around routine immunization and COVID-19 vaccination in the Lao PDR

(KPL) Australian and Italian Governments today officially handed over IT equipment to the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism (MICT) to enhance community engagement on routine immunization and COVID-19 booster doses, and promote the rights and wellbeing of children and women in the country.

The hand over ceremony held at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in Vientiane on May 17

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted the Lao PDR’s nationwide immunization programme, causing many children to miss out on their vaccination. As such, vaccination is a key priority for the Government of the Lao PDR and clear messaging for both COVID-19 boosters and other vaccines is crucial in raising awareness about prevention, control measures, and hygiene practices, which can save lives and reduce the spread of viruses.

“To continue protecting the lives of children and women from COVID-19, providing information is key,” said Mr. Phosy Keomanivong, Vice Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism during the handover ceremony organised at MICT. “We must continue raising awareness about COVID-19 prevention and control measures as well as hygiene practices. In this regard, the IT equipment by UNICEF is a valuable contribution towards this important objective.”

The equipment provided, supplied by UNICEF Lao PDR with thanks to support from the Australian and Italian governments, includes loudspeaker systems, laptops, desktops, printers, photocopy machines, LCD projectors and screens, and cameras, which will support the implementation of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities. These activities are designed to promote vaccination uptake for both COVID-19 and routine immunization, and to encourage community dialogue for a comprehensive understanding of the pandemic and vaccination efforts. The activities are conducted by the Centre of Communication and Education for Health and the Lao Front for National Development.

“Communication and grass-roots community engagement is a critical way to ensure all communities get vaccinated,” said Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary of the Australian Embassy in the Lao PDR. “The Australian Government is committed to supporting vulnerable populations in the Lao PDR and hope this partnership with the Government will help enhance vaccine uptake in hard-to-reach areas.”

Partners’ support for the Government of the Lao PDR in handling the COVID-19 response is crucial for promoting risk communication and community engagement, as well as ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and women during the pandemic.

“UNICEF is strongly committed to supporting the Government of the Lao PDR to effectively implement community engagement activities for routine immunization and COVID-19 boosters doses,” said Ms. Maryam Abdu, OIC UNICEF Deputy Representative to the Lao PDR. “Moreover, the equipment provided is proof of our decades long partnership with the Government of the Lao PDR, especially as UNICEF celebrates its 50th anniversary in the Lao PDR this year. It is our hope that the new IT equipment will further contribute towards strengthening this partnership for the benefit of every women and children in the Lao PDR.”

Source: Lao News Agency

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5), through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), has awarded seed capital funds to four new eligible cooperatives in Sorsogon province. In a phone interview on Wednesday, Ram Joseph Zaragoza, DSWD-Bicol project development officer for SLP, said DSWD-Bicol awarded on Tuesday some PHP1.1 million to the cooperatives under the Zero Hunger Program of the DSWD. “The groups are expected to engage in food production-related livelihood based on the approved proposals. The four associations’ seed funds were given depending on the amount indicated in their projects. We will continue to monitor them, the incubation period what we call it, to ensure the sustainability of the projects is two years,” Zaragosa said. The four groups and the amount they received are the Agriville SLP Association with 29 members — PHP435,000; Blessed Village SLP Association with 10 members — PHP150,000; Purok 4 Extension Cambulaga SLP with 27 members — PHP405,000; and the Buhatan River Cruise and Pasalubong with 10 members — PHP150,000. “With the four associations’ projects, magkakaroon ng mga bagong negosyo sa Sorsogon na tutulong laban sa kagutuman at kahirapan (there will be new businesses in Sorsogon that will help fight hunger and poverty),” he added. The SLP is a capability-building program of the DSWD with the objective of improving the abilities of the poor to advance in life by providing them with appropriate assistance.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Fugitive Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has been formally charged by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before prosecutors for the killing of Gov. Roel Degamo last March. NBI Director Medardo de Lemos personally attended the filing which also saw voluminous boxes of evidence submitted by the NBI to prosecutors to back the charges of murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple attempted murder against Teves. Remulla clarified that they initially received information that Teves purchased a ticket for a Philippine bound flight Wednesday. Teves’ camp, who has insisted that there are threats on his life, has denied that he had planned to return home. ‘Ang alam kasi namin ticketed na siya (What we know was that he is ticketed), basta we have sources to tell us his movements. We will not release it if we do not have any reasonable ground to believe that something was going to happen, something may happen and that’s part of it. We have our sources to tell us what the facts are,’ Remulla said. Remulla also urged Teves to return to the country and face the charges. ‘Well, flight is an indication of guilt, by any language, by any jurisdiction, by any legal system,’ the DOJ chief added. Remulla said the presence of Teves is required if he wants to formally refute the allegations that he masterminded the attack which resulted in the death of their family’s political rival and nine others. ‘Di naman pwede in absentia i-file yan (It could not be filed in absentia). He [Teves] has to personally appear to swear by the contents of his counter affidavit,’ the DOJ chief said adding that the same cannot be done by Teves online or before a Philippine embassy abroad. ‘He cannot do that. He has to come home or they can file the case in court and the warrant will be issued in absentia,’ Remulla said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

High level recommendations on the regulation of crypto currencies are set to be submitted during the G20 meeting in July which Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla said is necessary to address, among others, cross border movements of funds. In a briefing after the 23rd Financial Stability Board Regional Consultative Group for Asia (FSB-RCGA) on Wednesday, FSB Chairman and De Nederlandsche Bank President Dr. Klaas Knot explained that the G20 has mandated the FSB to ‘come up with a global regulatory framework for crypto assets activities.’ He said they are now working on recommendations for stable coins and other crypto asset activities. ‘For that meeting, we intend to deliver these high level recommendations but as the name suggested they are high level,’ he said. Crypto currencies are digital assets or virtual currencies that are still not regulated around the world but has attracted strong demand among investors since some are now being used for remittances, payments, investments, capital raising and exchange. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), for one, requires virtual currency (VC) providers to register with the central bank as they are being used for remittances and by transfer company. To date, there are seven entities who were given provisional license for virtual currency exchanges. Knot said FSB’s standard-setting bodies — banking regulations, insurance regulations, and securities regulations, among others, ‘have to take on these recommendations and translate them to a more detailed guidance for the specific entities.’ He said the bodies ‘have already taken the opportunity so its moving in parallel.’ ‘They are moving as fast as they can as well because the industry is very rapidly moving so the quicker we can get it done, the better it is,’ he said. Klaas said some countries are now preparing for their own standards on this asset class ‘but 2024-2025, that is when most jurisdictions, there will be legislations being developed in order to protect these investors.’ He said the regional consultations aims to take stakeholders’ thoughts on the issues since there has to have a ‘truly global approach to crypto.’ ‘(It aims)to underline that global financial stability is truly a global public good and that can only be achieved if the standards that we set ourselves to ourselves are also implemented globally,’ he said. Medalla, during the same briefing, said regulations ‘become strict the moment crypto meets banking’ since any cross-border movements ‘could be financing things that are quite destructive.’ ‘Indeed, our big problem is the Philippines is in the Gray list, which has possible consequences. That’s why we cannot afford, although we have had a moratorium of issuances of what we call VASP, Virtual Asset Provider. These are the things we want to address,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency