Day: March 19, 2024

Hanoi: Foreign arrivals have been on track for a full recovery since Vietnam opened its border two years ago on the back of a favourable visa policy, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said at the National Assembly’s Q and A session on March 18.

The tourism sector has seen robust growth from the European market, he said, elaborating markets with sound recovery in 2023 included Spain (91%), Germany (88%), the UK (80%), and France (75%).

According to Khanh, in the first two months of this year, the number of tourist arrivals from the UK surged 32.6%, France 34.6%, Germany 37.1%, Spain 48.5%, and Italy 82.3% year-on-year. Under the unilateral visa exemption that took effect on August 15, 2023, all tourists from these markets have had their visa-free stay in Vietnam extended to 45 from 15 days.

Vietnam now waives visas for travelers from 25 countries, with 13 enjoying unilaterally exemption. Most recently, the Prime Minister directed competent authorities to study and
recommend favourable policies on immigration, expansion of unilateral visa exemptions, and pilot grant of visa at border gates, he said.

Voter Le Cong Nang, CEO at WonderTour, proposed the Government expand unilateral visa exemption for citizens from countries with a higher level of economic development, especially western countries, as well as offer short-term free visa for markets with large source of tourists like China and India.

He described the expansion of visa waiver as an invitation for foreigners, helping lure more international tourists to Vietnam, adding travel firms have benefited a lot from the policy rolled out new offerings to visitors.

The sector is expecting a full recovery this year and reach the levels in 2019 – the time before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, aiming to welcome 18 million international visitors, 110 domestic travelers, and gain 840 trillion VND (33.96 billion USD) in tourism revenue./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: From being a food vendor in Mabini, Batangas over two decades ago, Rixone Martinez has literally gone places.

On Sunday (Italy time), he emerged the best Filipino finisher in Run Rome the Marathon, finishing the 42.195-kilometer race dominated by Kenyan runners in three hours, 7 minutes and .02 seconds.

‘I did not expect to win because the race was really difficult,’ Martinez, now a waiter in Barcelona, Spain, said in a Facebook post shared by fellow Filipino Alona Cochon.

‘We’re doing this, our goal, specially for our kids, para maging (to become) good example to them, that’s why mga atleta na din at triathletes (they are also athletes and triathletes),’ he added, referring to his sons, Lionel and Erixone, who participated.

Ted Magno from Ireland and Genesis Cunanan from Italy completed the top three Filipino finishers with times of 3:12:42 and 3:23:38, respectively.

Pinoy Teens Salinlahi performed cultural and traditional dances in the Philippine cheering station in Ponte Della Musica.

A day b
efore the marathon, the Filipino athletes, along with pacers led by Mike Gonda and Rolanda Espina, held a shakeout run in Parco Caffarella, Colli Albani, Rome, Italy.

The Filipino runners also paid a courtesy call on Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial.

Imperial acknowledged the Filipinos who participated in the Rome marathon ‘in various capacities.’

‘It’s good because in Rome, Italy, there is such a thing as sports diplomacy which is happening right now. EJ Obiena, the number one pole vaulter in Asia, does his training in Italy,’ he said.

A record 19,000 marathoners and 15,167 runners joined the annual event.

Nine Kenyan runners made the men’s division top 10, led by podium-finishers Asbel Rutto (2:06:23.61), Brian Kipsang (2:07:55.48) and Sila Kiptoo (2:08:08.11).

Kenyan Yvyne Lagat ruled the women’s category with a time of 2:24:35.36, followed by compatriot Lydia Simiyu (2:56:09.32) and Emebet Niguse of Ethiopia (2:26:40.18).

Source: Philippines News Agency

BAGUIO: All local government units (LGUs) in the country are eyed have their own “911” emergency call center by 2028, according to National Emergency 911 executive director Francis Fajardo on Tuesday.

There are about 30 LGUs nationwide that have their own 911 emergency call center, Fajardo said in an interview on the sidelines of the opening of the Bureau of Fire Protection Olympics at Melvin Jones Grandstand here.

He said a localized emergency call center allows authorities to immediately address situations, unlike when a call is connected to the national operations center before its transfer to the local disaster risk councils.

‘Ngayon binababa namin from the national office to every municipality, city, provinces, lahat ng LGUs that want to establish local 911. Pino-process at talagang binibilisan namin kasi yan ang utos ng ating (Department of the Interior and Local Government) secretary (Benjamin Abalos) at ni Presidente (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) para makatulong agad at ma-i-baba sa public (We are brin
ging it down from the national office to the municipality, city, provinces and all the LGUs that want to establish a 911. We are processing and fast-tracking the process since this is a directive by our Secretary and the President to immediately help the public),’ he said.

Fajardo said the target is attainable because of LGUs’ positive response to the proposal.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: A total of PHP76.1 billion worth of health emergency allowance (HEA) has already been released to eligible public and private health workers.

In a statement Tuesday night, the Department of Health (DOH) said the amount covers 8,549,207 claims for the period July 1, 2021 to July 20, 2023.

‘For Fiscal Year 2024, the General Appropriations Act gave only PHP19.9 billion for HEA under programmed appropriations,’ the DOH said.

The DOH said it has released PHP19.7 billion or 99 percent of the PHP19.9 billion to all eligible health facilities.

It still requires an estimated PHP27 billion to pay for arrears filed by the health facilities.

‘We continue to work hand-in-hand with the Department of Budget and Management to grant HEA to all eligible health workers. We are ready to release the funds as soon as the concerned private and LGU (local government unit) hospitals will comply with the law that requires liquidation,’ the DOH said.

The law requires DOH to have memoranda of agreement and to wait for full
liquidation by the LGU and private hospitals of HEA funds already paid, before subsequent releases of additional funds.

The DOH has a list of these hospitals and health facilities with outstanding liquidation requirements.

It has been working with private and LGU-owned hospitals and health facilities through its Centers for Health Development in the regions.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to hold a trilateral leaders’ summit with his United States and Japanese counterparts on April 11 at the White House, the first of its kind between the three states.

The White House on Tuesday said Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Fumio will discuss a broad range of areas, including economic and security cooperation, among others.

‘At the summit, the leaders will advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic values, and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,’ White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

‘The leaders will also reaffirm the ironclad alliances between the United States and the Philippines, and the United States and Japan,’ she added.

The discussions, she said, will cover bolstering trilateral cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth, emerging technologies
, advancing clean energy supply chains and climate cooperation, and further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

Marcos-Biden bilaterals

Exact timings of the events are still being worked out but Marcos and Biden will also meet bilaterally on the same day at the White House.

Jean-Pierre said the two leaders will discuss efforts to expand bilateral cooperation on economic security, clean energy, people-to-people ties, and human rights and democracy.

‘The President will reaffirm the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Philippines and emphasize US commitment to upholding international law and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,’ she said.

The summit will follow a series of high-level visits by US officials to the Philippines such as the US Secretary of Commerce who led the first US Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to Manila early this month and State Department Secretary Antony Blinken who will meet with Marcos and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo
on March 19.

Last March 13, US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral John Aquilino also met with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to strengthen Philippine defense capabilities and the overall national defense system.

In the meeting, Aquilino commended the leadership of Teodoro and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. for their principled stance on Ayungin Shoal and ‘condemned the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and emphasized the importance of continued international engagement on the issue.”

Both officials highlighted the importance of fast-tracking the General Security of Military Information Agreement (SOMIA), which will establish a framework for information technology collaboration between the two armed forces.

Source: Philippines News Agency