Day: April 4, 2024

MANILA: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday expressed optimism that the research and development partnership recently signed by the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Science and Technology to use the Renewable Energy Trust Fund will hasten the development of renewable energy in the country.

“Magandang development yan dahil ang bansa natin, isa sa pinakamayaman pagdating sa renewable energy. Meron tayong (That is a good development because our country is one of the richest when it comes to renewable energy. We have) solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass,” Gatchalian said during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.

“Ang importante lang ay ma-develop nating lahat yan at magandang hakbang yan na merong science-based recommendation para ma-develop natin ang renewable energy sa bansa natin (It is important that we can develop all of these renewable energy source, and that is a good step to have a science-based recommendation for us to develop our renewable energy in the country),” he added.

DOE El Niño task
force

Meanwhile, Gatchalian called on the DOE to form an El Niño task force amid the threat of the weather phenomenon to the energy sector.

He said DOE needs to consult with the power producers, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and power utilities to defer scheduled maintenance in the next two months.

He said the scorching heat would result in higher energy consumption by consumers, leading to brownout due to a smaller operating margin.

Gatchalian said the entire country is under a “comfortable” power situation if the production is at around 1,200 megawatts.

However, he noted that the current power supply is at less than 500 megawatts, which is alarming.

With this, he said the NGCP should ensure the availability of its ancillary reserve, as well as to maximize DOE’s Interruptible Load Program, which calls on large power consumers to ‘de-load’ by using their own generator sets, or by reducing their operations.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Hanoi: The standing office of the National Steering Committee on the Settlement of Post-War Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences (Steering Committee 701) has held a meeting to review the alleviation work last year and launch new tasks for 2024.

As heard at the April 3 event, in 2023, relevant authorities conducted surveys as well as the clearance and disposal of landmines and explosives in several areas covering approximately 40,500 hectares. They also treated about 12 hectares of land contaminated with chemical/dioxin residues at A So airfield in A Luoi district, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue province, and Bien Hoa Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai. Nearly 300 tonnes of CS toxic agents, CS hydrolysis products, and CS-contaminated materials were also successfully disposed of.

Policies and regulations addressing the rights and benefits of the victims were effectively implemented. The Vietnam – US cooperative project supporting the improvement of living standards for the dis
abled and chemical/dioxin victims in eight localities heavily sprayed with Agent Orange is progressing as planned. Additionally, a community-based healthcare and functional rehabilitation project for the groups and the elderly across 12 provinces and cities for 2024 – 2028 was developed and approved.

In his remarks, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien urged all parties involved to focus on perfecting the legal framework for the efforts, especially in drafting an ordinance on post-war mine remediation.

The head of the standing office also stressed the need to enhance communications efforts, actively engage in international cooperation, mobilise maximum resources, and leverage IT and digital transformation in addressing the consequences of landmines and chemical contamination on human beings and the environment in Vietnam./.

Source:Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: Crime rate in Quezon City dropped by 31.25 percent during the observance of the Holy Week compared to the same period last year, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said Thursday.

In a statement, QCPD Director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said 23 cases were recorded from March 25-31, a decline of 31.25 percent compared to 48 incidents posted from April 3-9, 2023.

Maranan said the achievement is attributed to the efforts of the QCPD force during the holiday season, particularly intensifying security coverage through intensive patrolling in strategic places and heightened checkpoint operations.

He added the establishment of Assistance Hubs (AHs) along major thoroughfares and Police Assistance Desks (PADs) in churches, bus terminals, malls, grocery markets, tourist destinations, and other gathering points, in collaboration with government agencies, local government units, and advocacy groups, also helped in achieving lower crime rate.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office in Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and
Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan- PRO 4B) Director Brig. Gen. Roger Quesada said the observance of Holy Week 2024 was generally peaceful in the region.

Records showed that 74 crimes were recorded from March 24 to 31 this year, a 36.21 percent decline as compared to the 116 reported cases in the same period last year.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Hanoi: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 4 issued a dispatch ordering localities, ministries, and agencies to strengthen forest fire prevention and control measures.

The move is made as unusual hot weather is baking the southern and Central Highlands regions as well as some northern provinces, causing high risk of fire for many forests at dangerous and extremely dangerous levels. Forest fires have been occurring continuously in Lao Cai, Son La, Yen Bai provinces in the north, Khanh Hoa in the central region, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum in the Central Highlands, and Kien Giang in the south.

According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, due to the impact of climate change and the El Nino phenomenon, in 2024 severe heat waves will appear in many localities, with higher temperatures than in 2023. Severe hot weather and falling rainfalls pose a high risk of forest fires in many places, causing damage to forests and the environment, and affecting the people’s health, propert
y, and lives.

To proactively prevent and combat forest fires and minimise damage caused by forest fires, the PM requests the Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to direct urgent measures, making the work a key task in the time being.

People’s Committees at all levels and relevant agencies are required to strictly enforce forest fire prevention and control and intensify inspection and supervision.

They are asked to develop specific, detailed fire prevention and control plans, arrange staff and resources for the work, review and make a list of forests at high risk of fire.

The PM also assigns tasks to ministries and asks the mass media to further popularise information about forest fire prevention and control, especially fire warnings and forecasting./.

Source:Vietnam News Agency

HCM City: The Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism is holding tourism promotion activities in Vietnam from April 4 to 7 during the first time this landlocked country takes part in the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival.

This also marks the start of activities to be held on the threshold of the 70th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations (November 17, 1954 – 2024).

At the festival, a programme named “Go Mongolia Roadshow 2024′ is organised to introduce the Mongolian culture, tourism and cuisine; and explore tourism cooperation opportunities between the two countries.

Galbaa Davkharbayar, Second Secretary of the Mongolian Embassy in Vietnam, said the HCM City Tourism Festival is a chance for his country to introduce its culture and people to the Vietnamese and help travel businesses of Mongolia seek partnerships with Vietnamese firms to increase visitors to each other’s markets, thus contributing to economic ties and friendship between the two countries.

The numbers of Vietnamese vis
itors to Mongolia and Mongolian visitors to Vietnam have been on the rise over the past years, but that has yet to fully live up to the countries’ huge tourism potential, he noted.

He cited statistics as showing that more than 2,000 Vietnamese tourists came to Mongolia in 2023, when the number of Mongolian travellers to the Southeast Asian nation topped 15,000.

Zolkhuu Ulambayar, Director of Mongolian travel company TMD Tourist LLC, perceived that aside from each country’s tourism advantages, the bilateral visa exemption agreement, which came into force on March 7 this year, will also create favourable conditions and good opportunities for businesses to strengthen trade, investment and tourism ties, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

HCM City is a big tourism centre of Vietnam and also has a large number of tourists travelling abroad. Given this, an Ulaanbaatar – HCM City air route expected to be opened by Mongolian Airlines this November will help encourage more Mongolians and Vietnamese to visit each
other’s countries, he added./.

Source:Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Italy’s L’Unione Sarda news website ran an article honouring the braveness of Vietnam through the Dien Bien Phu Victory 70 years ago.

In the article entitled ‘Vietnam, the Lesson Still Applies Today,’ Antonio Barracca, the author, highlighted that Vietnam, a poor, predominantly agricultural nation then, managed to defeat the armies of two world powers.

The author visited Vietnam just a few years after the war ended. At that time, Hanoi was an agricultural city with few light bulbs to illuminate deserted streets populated by bicycles during the day. The only important buildings were those of the French colonization.

He underlined that the Dien Bien Phu battle in 1954 ended with the total victory of Vietnam, became a decisive battle ending the invasive war in Indochina. It led to the signing of the peace agreements concluded on 21 July 1954, according to which France had to accept to withdraw its troops from the entire Indochina.

On April 30, 1975, Vietnam once again defeated US troops and completely
liberated the south and reunified the country, noted the author.

Barracca emphasised that in these wars like that of Vietnam, it is the strongest who must put an end to the war ‘if we want right and not wrong to prevail’./.

Source:Vietnam News Agency