Thứ Sáu, 11 tháng 3, 2016

Social News 11/3


Vietnam liaises with China to rescue fishermen in distress

Vietnam liaises with China to rescue fishermen in distress, Aid package helps localities cope with drought, saline intrusion, Japan supports rural infrastructure development in Son La, Ha Noi police force ramps up drug fight 

Vietnam’s authorised agencies have informed the Chinese side about reports that a Vietnamese fishing boat sank in the Hoang Sa archipelago area and seek coordination to verify information and to search for the five fishermen on board.
Responding to reporters’ question on March 9, a representative of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department said according to Vietnamese agencies, on the morning of March 8, a fishing boat coded KH 96440 TS of central Khanh Hoa province with five fishermen on board sank 41 nautical miles southeast of Linh Con Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.
Shortly after being notified of the incident, the Consular Department sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, and ordered the Vietnamese Embassy in China to immediately inform and coordinate with Chinese relevant agencies to verify the information and search for the fishermen.
Vietnamese agencies are also working closely on the incident and take urgent measures to save the five fishermen, the representative added.
Aid package helps localities cope with drought, saline intrusion
The Prime Minister has approved an aid package worth 523.7 billion VND (23.5 million USD) for 34 localities across the nation to address the consequences of drought and saltwater intrusion during the 2015-2016 Winter-Spring crops.
Earlier in February, the Government leader also agreed to provide 85.1 billion VND (3.8 million USD) for six localities to counter drought and saline intrusion in the 2015 Summer-Autumn crops.
It is predicted that drought and saline intrusion will peak in March, but will last until June.
Across the Mekong Delta – the country’s largest rice producer, As many as 140,000ha of rice has been damaged so far, nearly 90,000 ha of which resulted in a 70 percent loss.
In the 2015-2016 winter-spring crop, there are 339,200ha of rice in coastal Mekong Delta provinces prone to saltwater intrusion and drought, accounting for 21.9 percent of the region’s total rice area, 104,000ha of which have already been severely impacted.
If the drought prolongs till June, nearly 500,000ha of rice will have to remain unsown, equivalent to over 40 percent of the total area of coastal provinces and 30 percent of the overall cultivation acreage in the region.
More than 150,000 regional households with 600,000 people are lacking fresh water.
Mass mobilisation commission head greets Cambodian youth federation
The Vietnamese State and Government always support and encourage exchanges and cooperation between Vietnamese and Cambodian youth, which helps educate the young about the traditional relations of the two countries.
Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission on Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai made the statement during a reception for a high-ranking delegation from the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC), led by President Hun Many, on March 9.
Mai hailed the delegation’s visit, believing that it will play a significant role in deepening solidarity and traditional relations between the two countries.
She hoped that the two countries’ youth will treasure the bilateral friendship and cooperation, aiming to build prosperous Vietnam and Cambodia for regional and global peace and devleopment.
UYFC President Hun Many thanked Vietnam’s support for his country in the past, affirming that cooperation between the two nations’ youth has been enhanced with various programmes such as cultural exchanges and volunteer activities.
The UYFC will work closely with the Vietnam Youth Federation and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to elevate the friendship to a new height, he added.
Japan supports rural infrastructure development in Son La
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will invest in ten more rural infrastructure projects in the northern mountainous province of Son La, said Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Cam Ngoc Minh.
As such, 200 billion VND (9 million USD) worth of loans from Japan’s official development assistance will be poured into seven irrigation, one transport and two electricity projects.
Son La is committed to creating favourable conditions for construction to begin on these projects in early 2016.
Earlier, JICA offered 10.4 million USD in non-refundable grants for a five-year project on sustainable natural resources management across five provinces – Son La, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Lam Dong.
The project works to contribute to relevant agencies’ effort to raise forest coverage to 47 percent by 2020.
Financial aid for employer of ethnic minorities
The Prime Minister has approved 1.37 billion VND (62,000 USD) in financial aid for the Vietnam Paper Corporation (Vinapaco), which is employing ethnic minorities coming from remote mountainous and especially disadvantaged areas.
The sum, sourced from the State budget, will be used to cover social, health and unemployment insurance premiums from 2013-2014 for workers at the Vinapaco’s Cau Ham forestry company.
He requested the use and management of the aid be in line with the law.
Quang Ngai: maritime logistics ship sets sail
The central province of Quang Ngai began operating Ly Son 168, a modern ship serving maritime logistics, at Sa Ky seaport on March 9.
Supported by the government’s preferential policies for fishery development, the ship cost over 31.7 billion VND (1.42 million USD) to build, 25.7 billion VND (1.15 million USD) of which was borrowed from Agribank.
Being 45.68 metres in length and 7.69 metres in width, it is designed to carry 674 tonnes of goods and travel at a maximum speed of 12 nautical miles per hour.
The vessel features fish tanks, a freezer storage system, a seawater ice-making machine and a processing workshop.
It is capable of storing approximately 50 tonnes of food supplies, which can cater to about 30 offshore fishing ships.
Captain Tran Van Gau said Ly Son 168 will offer services to help fishermen work at sea longer and more effectively.
Nhan dan newspaper marks 65 years since first issue
The Nhan dan (People) newspaper, the official organ of the Party Central Committee, celebrated 65 years of its first issue (March 11, 1951) and was granted with the Independence Order (first class) for its dedication, on March 9.
The ceremony took place in Hanoi in the presence of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
Politburo member and Standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Dinh The Huynh said since the first issue, Nhan dan has continually developed and strived to deserve the title “the Party’s political and ideological flag” in the field of press.
He asked the staff to be fully aware of the daily’s functions and tasks, timely and faithfully reflect the situation in Vietnam and the world, and publicise and encourage people from all strata to comply with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws.
In 1951 amid the resistance war against France, the second National Party Congress in Kim Binh commune of northern Tuyen Quang province decided to publish the Nhan dan, replacing the Su That (Truth) newspaper.
The daily is currently a multimedia press agency. It has been presented with the Gold Star Order and the Ho Chi Minh Order – the two noblest orders, and the titles of Labour Hero and Hero of the People’s Armed Forces.
Finland, HCM City enhance cooperation
Le Van Khoa, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, suggested Finland cooperate with the city in such areas as education, information-technology, technical infrastructure development, energy, environment and waste-water treatment.
At a reception for Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Lenita Toivakka, and Finnish businesses in HCM City on March 9, Khoa highlighted developments in relations between Vietnam and Finland in recent years.
Finland has invested in six projects valued at 1.8 million USD in the southern metropolis, mostly in the processing industry, information-communications, and science and technology, he said.
However, the figure remains moderate compared with more than 40 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) poured into the city, he said, expressing his hope that after the visit, the delegation will help encourage Finnish businesses to increase their investments in the locality.
Lenita Toivakka suggested the two countries work with each other to seek new forms of cooperation as there is substantial potential for trade and investment.
Many investment priorities for HCM City like IT, energy and clean technology are also some of Finland’s strengths, the minister said, adding that her country has about 3,000 enterprises operating in clean technology and waste-water treatment.
She pledged to introduce cooperative potential between Finland and HCM City and Vietnam at large with Finnish businesses following her visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
UK helps develop training quality assurance system in Vietnam
A conference was held on March 8 in Hanoi to review the first phase of a UK-supported programme on building and developing a vocational training quality assurance system in Vietnam.
The programme, part of a partnership between Vietnamese and UK vocational training colleges, has been carried out by the British Council in collaboration with the Vocational Training Accreditation Department under the General Directorate of Vocational Training (GDVT).
At the conference, representatives from Vietnamese vocational colleges appreciated the programme’s results in human resource training.
Vocational colleges’ staffs have been trained to improve their teaching ability and provided with vocational training quality assurance tools with reference to the UK’s model and experience.
Thanks to these, teachers have become more active in applying student- centred teaching methods while students’ research and teamwork capacities have improved remarkably.
British Council Director in Vietnam Cherry Gough said that the system helps training meet demands of both trainees and employers.
Also at the event, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Huynh Van Ti and Lord Puttnam, the UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy, witnessed the signing for the second phase of the programme.
June designated national action month against domestic violence
The Prime Minister has decided to designate June as the National Action Month against Domestic Violence.
During the month, a series of activities will be held to improve public awareness of fighting domestic violence and raising the responsibility of departments, agencies and the public for protecting women and children, building happy families, as well as commending outstanding individuals and organisations throughout the cause.
The leader also asked ministries, departments concerned and localities to carry out the drive in a practical, effective and economical manner.
ADB-funded project helps Ha Giang develop green city
The northern mountainous city of Ha Giang will become a green city once the Secondary Cities (Green Cities) Development Project II – Ha Giang subproject is completed in the next five years.
The information was revealed at a March 8 working session between the People’s Committee of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the implementation of the subproject.
Funded by the ADB, the 51.14 million USD subproject will be implemented in 2016-2020, with a view to improving living conditions for locals, especially ethnic minorities.
According to Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son, Ha Giang has supported ADB experts in collecting information serving the project and submitted related plans to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for approval.
The project aims to help Ha Giang develop green urban areas, focusing on promoting sustainable environment and improving economic competitiveness, said Hubert Jenny, an ADB expert in urban development.
Technical assessments and analyses related to finance, economy, environment quality and climate change will be made during the project, thus facilitating the application of green infrastructure principles in subprojects, he added.
Son also mentioned difficulties facing Ha Giang in developing urban areas, adding that the project is in accord with the province’s planning and the national target programme on climate change adaptation approved by the Prime Minister.
According to the ADB, the Secondary Cities Development Project II will pilot integrated urban development and environment improvement through implementation of green city action plans (GCAPs) in three secondary cities in Vietnam, namely Ha Giang (Ha Giang province), Hue (Thua Thien Hue province), and Vinh Yen (Vinh Phuc province).
Inefficient urban infrastructure services, lack of resource management, and degraded environmental quality constrain the localities’ growth potential.
The project will finance subprojects that respond to stakeholder priorities to improve environmental quality, and strengthen disaster risk management, climate resilience, and urban infrastructure to enable competitiveness, the bank said.
Japan supports rural infrastructure development in Son La
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will invest in ten more rural infrastructure projects in the northern mountainous province of Son La, said Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Cam Ngoc Minh.
As such, 200 billion VND (9 million USD) worth of loans from Japan’s official development assistance will be poured into seven irrigation, one transport and two electricity projects.
Son La is committed to creating favourable conditions for construction to begin on these projects in early 2016.
Earlier, JICA offered 10.4 million USD in non-refundable grants for a five-year project on sustainable natural resources management across five provinces – Son La, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Lam Dong.
The project works to contribute to relevant agencies’ effort to raise forest coverage to 47 percent by 2020.
Conference seeks to improve humanitarian health care
A conference was held in Hanoi on March 9 to improve the efficiency of blood donation, humanitarian medical examination and treatment campaigns in 2016.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said Vietnam collected over 1.15 million units of blood in 2015, 8.4 times over 1994, when the first blood donation drive was launched.
She raised the fact that, the country has nearly 3,000 blood donation clubs with more than 114,000 members.
The Vietnam Red Cross Society along with the Ministry of Health, the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army, and the Vietnam Young Doctors’ Association have worked together to implement the programme on humanitarian health check-ups and treatment between 2014 and 2017.
The programme aims to provide free treatment and medicines for at least one million patients nationwide, especially poor people, social policy beneficiaries, ethnic minority groups and those living in remote, sea, island and border districts.
In 2015, it held over 4,000 charitable medical examinations drives, 1.6 times against the previous year, and provided free medicine for nearly 1.7 million people, up 47 percent over 2014.
In 2016, the programme is looking to provide free health check-ups for at least 1.3 million patients across the country and collect nearly 1.2 million units of blood.
Ha Noi police force ramps up drug fight
Ha Noi City police are coordinating with Customs to escalate the fight against drug smuggling, especially aboard flights. International drug trafficking rings are becoming increasingly sophisticated at this.
the city’s Drug Crime Investigation Police Department discovered and stopped 2,502 drug transporting and smuggling cases IN 2015, confiscating 3,210 objects as evidence. Several large-scale drug smuggling rings were razed by the city’s police.
Police experts predict that increasing drug-related crime and social evils this year are likely to occur mainly in the city. Key areas transporting drugs to Haø Noäi are still the Northwest, Northeast, the northern part of the central region, and the South. Drugs are transported by air, sea, railway, and road.
Transporting and smuggling large quantities of drugs, especially synthetic drugs, is likely to continue to increase.
Methods of transporting illegal drugs and drug-related crimes are becoming more sophisticated. Smugglers cooperate with other types of criminals to set up large-scale international and interprovincial drug trafficking rings.
Of special concern is the increase in transporting drugs illegally by air, postal services and courier. Narcotics from online sources are transported into Vietnam and other countries for consumption, including mainly synthetic drugs such as Methaphetamin from the Middle East and drug precursors from China and Australia.
Since the beginning of the year, Haø Noäi’s drug crime police have cooperated with other police forces to launch offensives against drug-related crimes in all key areas of the country. Police forces have been investigating many drug crime groups and arresting ringleaders, when possible.
Hanoi’s drug crime police work closely with the Ministry of Public Security and other drug-related agencies and departments under the city’s Customs. All those involved aim to share information and support each other, for the purpose of preventing international drug rings from transporting drugs through the city.
Cononel Nguyen Hoang Ky, head of the city’s Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, said they plan to launch at least three offensives against drug-related crime this year. The department will join with post offices, customs, sea police and airport security to escalate the fight against drug drime. Hanoi police will co-ordinate with international police - especially those nations sharing borders with Vietnam, including China, Lao and Cambodia - to wipe out large drug trafficking rings.
Yen Bai receives solar lanterns
Some 702 solar lanterns have been provided to the northern Yen Bai Province by Panasonic in an integrated environmental event jointly organised by Vietnam Environment Administration and World Vision International Vietnam.
Panasonic’s global 100 Thousand Solar Lanterns project reached Việt Nam for the first time in 2015, with 630 solar lanterns donated to Dien Bien Province. Similar devices will also be given to Thanh Hoa Province this year, bringing the total number of lanterns donated to the country to 1,632.
Over 50,000 lanterns have been donated to 14 countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines. By 2018, the corporation will bring light to more people in non-electrified areas, especially in Asia and Africa.
“We have received positive feedback from last year’s donation. In donating solar lanterns to Vietnam, Panasonic wants to promote the use of renewable energy and eco-friendly products by society for a better life and a better world,” Panasonic Vietnam General Director Eiji Fukumori said.
House for AO victims opens in Da Nang
The Da Nang City Association for Victims of Agent Orange (DAVA) inaugurated a house for Agent Orange (AO) victims with polio in Hòa Nhơn Commune in Hoa Vang District yesterday.
The house, which was built with a donation from Singaporean Harold Chan Soo York, will help 20 children born with polio.
Children will receive treatment and rehabilitation at the centre from the centre’s staff and doctors from Da Nang’s General Hospital.
According to DAVA, Harold Chan has donated VNÑ1.2 billion (US$53,000) and $36,000 to DAVA to help AO victims in the city.
The centre is home to 90 AO-affected children.
Da Nang is home to more than 5,000 AO victims, of which 1,400 are children.
Over VND44 billion ($1.95 million) was raised from domestic and foreign donors in supporting for AO victims in the city.
Vietnam to import meningitis vaccine doses in April
Some 160,000 meningitis vaccine doses will be imported to Vietnam in April, according to the Department of Medicine Management under the Ministry of Health (MoH).
This move comes in light of the recent appearance of many meningitis cases in Hanoi and other provinces, so the demand for vaccines against the disease has increased.
Of the imported vaccines, 60,000 doses are polysaccharide meningococcal AC vaccine from France and 100,000 are VA-MENGOC-BC.
According to a report by an import company, Vietnam has imported more than 90,000 AC vaccine doses and 400,000 BC doses since July last year.
Nearly 150,000 BC vaccine doses are in the import company’s stores.
Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness that is caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, also known as meningococcus as given by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
These illnesses are often severe and symptoms include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia).
The bacteria can be carried in the throat and, sometimes, for unknown reasons, can overwhelm the body’s defences, allowing the infection to spread through the blood to the brain.
If not treated in time, the disease progresses and the patient can die.
Thousands of households in Tra Vinh suffer from drough
More than 13,000 farming households in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh are suffering damage from the prolonged drought and saltwater infiltration, said an official from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
More than 11,000ha of winter-spring rice crops have been affected, mostly in the districts of Tra Cu, Tieu Can, Chau Thanh, Duyen Hai and Tra Vinh City, causing losses of more than VNĐ5 billion (US$225,000).
According to the department director, Tran Trung Hien, saltwater has penetrated over 60km inland. The salinity concentrations recorded in the Cai Hop culvert of the Cổ Chiên River was as high as 13.6 parts per thousand (ppt), up from 7.2ppt recorded during the same period last year.
The figures were 7.2 and 4.8ppt in the Rach Rum culvert and the Tan Dinh canal, respectively. The acceptable concentration limit is 2ppt.
The agricultural sector has accelerated the dredging of canals while pumping water into key irrigational systems.
Technical assistance and consultation services have been provided for local farmers to help them cultivate and use irrigation water effectively during these tough conditions.
The restructuring of crops is one of the measures being adopted to cope with the severe weather and salt influx. The winter-spring rice crop will be replaced with other crops in the districts of Tra Cu, Chau Thanh, Cau Ngang and Duyen Hai. Local farmers are also encouraged to use salt-tolerant rice varieties.
A mere 5,800ha out of a total of 76,000ha winter-spring rice fields have been harvested. The remaining are in a critical period of development.
Forest fires rage for hours in Binh Duong, Dien Bien
Three forest fires happened in Dau Tieng District, the southern province of Binh Duong during just two days of March 8 and 9, destroying more than 4 hectares of natural forest.
All the three fires took place high on Cau Mountain, which caused difficulties to firefighters.
Head of the provincial forest ranger department said investigation is underway for the cause of the fires.
The department issued warning for forest fire at highest level in early March after a series of fires broke out as a consequence of prolonged hot weather.
In the northern province of Dien Bien, a forest fire began on the early hour yesterday. Around 200 people fought to put out the fire, which subdued by 17h30 the same day.
Nearly 100 ha of forests, mostly trees dried out from the record snow and freezing weather earlier this year, were burnt down.
IDECAF to hold French-language film fest
The French Language Film Festival will be held at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) from March 16-21.
The festival will feature nine French-language feature films, animation films and documentary films from Canada, Egypt, France, Switzerland and Wallonie-Bruxelles.
IDECAF is at 28 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1. Admission is VNĐ40,000. More information on the festival and screening schedule can be found at www.festivaldufilm.francophonie.org.vn
Northern flower festival attracts visitors with fireworks, parades
The 2016 Ban Flower Festival will commence on Sunday with a firework show at the Victory Monument in Dien Bein Phu.
The city has begun preparations for the festival with more than 300 ban flower trees on display in the city streets.
The festival is expected to attract thousands of domestic and foreign visitors. Numerous cultural activities are to be held during the festival, including a ban flower photo contest, traditional dance performances from ethnic groups, street parades, exhibitions and folk games.
The ban flower, also known as Bauhinia Variegata, is found in the northern mountains of Việt Nam and blossoms during spring.
June designated national action month against domestic violence
The Prime Minister has decided to designate June as the National Action Month against Domestic Violence.
During the month, a series of activities will be held to improve public awareness of fighting domestic violence and raising the responsibility of departments, agencies and the public for protecting women and children, building happy families, as well as commending outstanding individuals and organisations throughout the cause.
The leader also asked ministries, departments concerned and localities to carry out the drive in a practical, effective and economical manner.
UK helps develop training quality assurance system in Vietnam
A conference was held on March 8 in Hanoi to review the first phase of a UK-supported programme on building and developing a vocational training quality assurance system in Vietnam.
The programme, part of a partnership between Vietnamese and UK vocational training colleges, has been carried out by the British Council in collaboration with the Vocational Training Accreditation Department under the General Directorate of Vocational Training (GDVT).
At the conference, representatives from Vietnamese vocational colleges appreciated the programme’s results in human resource training.
Vocational colleges’ staffs have been trained to improve their teaching ability and provided with vocational training quality assurance tools with reference to the UK’s model and experience.
Thanks to these, teachers have become more active in applying student- centred teaching methods while students’ research and teamwork capacities have improved remarkably.
British Council Director in Vietnam Cherry Gough said that the system helps training meet demands of both trainees and employers.
Also at the event, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Huynh Van Ti and Lord Puttnam, the UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy, witnessed the signing for the second phase of the programme.
ADB-funded project helps Ha Giang develop green city
The northern mountainous city of Ha Giang will become a green city once the Secondary Cities (Green Cities) Development Project II – Ha Giang subproject is completed in the next five years.
The information was revealed at a March 8 working session between the People’s Committee of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the implementation of the subproject.
Funded by the ADB, the US$51.14 million subproject will be implemented in 2016-2020, with a view to improving living conditions for locals, especially ethnic minorities.
According to Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son, Ha Giang has supported ADB experts in collecting information serving the project and submitted related plans to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for approval.
The project aims to help Ha Giang develop green urban areas, focusing on promoting sustainable environment and improving economic competitiveness, said Hubert Jenny, an ADB expert in urban development.
Technical assessments and analyses related to finance, economy, environment quality and climate change will be made during the project, thus facilitating the application of green infrastructure principles in subprojects, he added.
Son also mentioned difficulties facing Ha Giang in developing urban areas, adding that the project is in accord with the province’s planning and the national target programme on climate change adaptation approved by the Prime Minister.
According to the ADB, the Secondary Cities Development Project II will pilot integrated urban development and environment improvement through implementation of green city action plans (GCAPs) in three secondary cities in Vietnam, namely Ha Giang (Ha Giang province), Hue (Thua Thien Hue province), and Vinh Yen (Vinh Phuc province).
Inefficient urban infrastructure services, lack of resource management, and degraded environmental quality constrain the localities’ growth potential.
The project will finance subprojects that respond to stakeholder priorities to improve environmental quality, and strengthen disaster risk management, climate resilience, and urban infrastructure to enable competitiveness, the bank said.
JICA funds infrastructure in Son La
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) recently met with the Son La Provincial People’s Committee to discuss the development challenges the northern mountainous province faces.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) along with members the press and the local business community.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Cam Ngoc Minh, chair of the committee, announced the JICA has agreed to provide US$11.6 million to fund 10 infrastructure projects, related to irrigation, transport and electricity.
The city will contribute an additional US$263,000 towards them, said Chairman Minh.
Saigon Corner NZ wins Food Truck Face Off
Saigon Corner NZ took home the top prize on March 6 at the first ever Food Truck Face Off in New Zealand.
At the competition, 14 trucks from across the North Island of New Zealand made their way to Palmerston North to battle for the right to be called the ultimate New Zealand food truck.
The event featured a huge variety of food including Mexican, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Pacific, Sri Lankian, Italian, Vietnamese and classical favourites from USA and New Zealand.
Participants had to have a focus on authentic cultural food, with a mixture of styles from traditional dishes through to natural ingredient-based menus.
The changing lives of women in Vietnam
Market researcher TNS Vietnam takes a qualitative look at the evolving role of Vietnamese women in celebration of InternationalWomen’s Day.
Model Ninh Hoang Ngan poses in a photo taken in Ho Chi Minh City.
TNS is part of Kantar, a data investment management division of WPP, and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups.
“Today in Vietnam, as they have done throughout the country’s history, women play a vital role in all aspects of society,” says David Watts, research director and head of qualitative research at TNS Vietnam.
“As the pressures of modern life grow and women strive to balance tradition with modernity, there is an important role for manufacturers to play in understanding and empathizing with their changing lives, to develop more relevant and beneficial products, and to form deeply connected brands.”
According to TNS’s research, while there are more opportunities available for women today than in the past, this also leads to additional stress and responsibilities.
Women are now much more able to prove their abilities and succeed in the workplace, especially in urban areas, however traditional family and household responsibilities still remain. This means busier lives and better time management are required to maintain their personal and professional lives.
Women today are attempting to balance both tradition and modernity, while enjoying the best of both.
In today’s Vietnam, women feel more able to experiment and define themselves how they want as norms evolve and change.
Increasingly, women are engaging with a range of activities previously considered uncommon. For example going to beer clubs with friends or colleagues, where old stigmas attached to drinking have all been removed. In addition, women today are much more likely to be meeting up with friends at events, traveling for work and dating more casually than in previous generations.
Today’s woman feels more empowered to express herself in thought and action. However, more traditional values around caring for a family and respecting elders continue to be upheld and remain a core part of their identity.
At the same time as maintaining social traditions, women still face pressure to be up to date and informed.
With much greater access to information than in the past via new media and the Internet, as well as through the ever-present influence of friends and relatives, women are expected to use this information in their important role as nurturers.
For example, as the Vietnamese market becomes increasingly flooded with new products, there is growing awareness of health and safety threats in food and other household items. Being well informed is an important part of fulfilling a woman’s responsibilities, and so the modern Vietnamese woman is expected to make smart decisions for herself and her loved ones.
As the main food shoppers, for women with families, balancing the budget is also important. However as the economy changes, increasingly they are seeing less and less in their baskets for their money. It therefore follows that it is women who are becoming more and more discerning in terms of the brand value choices they make every day.
The role of digital media and the way it has shaped women’s behavior in Vietnam are significant. With increasing engagement online, searches for information about worldwide trends, products and services are commonplace, as is the need to connect socially and express themselves via social media.
The rapid growth in smartphone ownership, with 72 percent of urban women currently owning smartphones, has been an influential factor in the evolution of modern Vietnamese women, keeping them up to date and connected.
Socializing online now takes up more time for young women than socializing in real life. With the growing popularity of social networking, women can now express themselves more easily in public forums, often becoming a cathartic channel to share deeper emotions, challenges and pressures, as well as offering empathy and support to others.
As women become increasingly busy and time poor, convenience and efficiency become more important.
Women value products and services which allow them to complete their daily tasks quickly and effectively, without feeling they are taking shortcuts or neglecting their role.
Compared to the past, women are now more open and receptive to options which free up their time to focus on more important things, including spending quality time with the family or pursuing personal hobbies.
Through this qualitative research, TNS has observed differences throughout the various life stages of Vietnamese women.
For young women aged 18-22, there is a trend towards exploration and a yearning for freedom and self-expression.
For women who are considered young adults (23-30), it is a time for proving themselves in careers and establishing a family. Along with opportunities granted to them in the professional realm, there is also a desire to consolidate their personal image as well as engaging socially with their peers.
Women aged 31 to 45 are focused more on family responsibilities (often combined with work) and experience the most pressure balancing home and work life. This is where the stress of balancing tradition and modernity reaches its peak.
Finally, as Vietnamese women progress beyond age 46 one can see a general trend towards a more health-conscious attitude and a bigger focus on self-actualization, with greater clarity about themselves, their needs and how to express them.
Young women are particularly important in this time of transition, as it is them who change trends and become pioneers in evolving the role of women.
TNS said it expects the modern Vietnamese women to continue to evolve, with greater exposure to information and the outside world, while core Vietnamese values and traditions will also continue to remain relevant and important to their identity.
“The younger generation is important to watch as ‘future shapers’, building on the changes and new opportunities provided by previous generations, but with greater freedom than in the past to forge their own identities,” the research company said.
KPMG NEXT in Vietnam
KPMG in Vietnam and the Center for Support and Development of Vietnamese Young Entrepreneurs have announced the launch of KPMG NEXT, a unique program designed to fast-track private Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs.
Selected participants will receive intensive training via a series of boot camp workshops to help them meet the myriad complex challenges they face as they continue to grow into a sustainable and competitive business.
KPMG NEXT also offers participants access to unique one-on-one mentoring from an expert advisor from KPMG Vietnam. The program culminates in a facilitated workshop in Singapore where entrepreneurs will network with global and regional business leaders as well as visit innovative companies such as KPMG Singapore, Google, and LinkedIn.
Mr. Warrick Cleine, Chairman and CEO of KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia, believes that with the help of broad networks, advice, and training, good companies can become even greater.
“KPMG NEXT allows private businesses here in Vietnam to better understand the challenges critical to success, so that they can take on the world,” he said. “This is especially important in 2016 as Vietnam moves further into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and adopts further reforms under the TPP and other trade agreements and Vietnamese companies cannot ignore these challenges and opportunities.”
Mr. Nguyen Doan Thang, General Secretary of the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and Director of the Center for Support and Development of Vietnamese Young Entrepreneurs, said that the cooperation with KPMG will provide good opportunities for Vietnamese entrepreneurs to develop and enhance their capabilities.
“The KPMG NEXT program will enable Vietnamese businesses to review their current growth strategy and tactics, understand the latest fund-raising processes, financial management, and operational management, with a view to transforming their business to a professionally-managed entity with clearly articulated objectives,” he said.
Applications for KPMG NEXT are currently open and will close on April 14, with the boot camp workshops to commence in April. Full details of the program, including timelines, selection criteria, and the application process can be found on the KPMG NEXT website, at www.next.kpmg.com.vn.
CapitaLand commits long term to Vietnam
Singapore’s CapitaLand has committed to strong growth and long-term investment in Vietnam with a plan to build the third CapitaLand Hope School.
The commitment was expressed by Mr. Lim Ming Yan, President & Group CEO of CapitaLand, to Mr. Hoang Trung Hai, Politburo Member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, on March 7.  
“I am pleased to announce that we plan to build our third CapitaLand Hope School in northern Vietnam, adding to 27 such schools across Asia,” Mr. Yan said. “These efforts are part of CapitaLand’s ongoing commitment to building communities in the countries where we operate.”
Mr. Hai said that Vietnam’s robust economic and population growth require the construction of more infrastructure and the introduction of appropriate policy measures, thus needing real estate development and investment.  
This year CapitaLand marks its 22nd year of operations in Vietnam, having invested in a range of projects in the residential and service sectors in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Nha Trang.
The Singaporean group has built two CapitaLand Hope Schools in the country - the CapitaLand Nang Yen Primary Hope School in northern Phu Tho province and the CapitaLand Thanh Phuoc A Primary Hope School in the Mekong Delta’s Long An province.  
Metabolic diseases silently affect people’s health
Though metabolic diseases do not spread like infectious ones, they are as dangerous as other; accordingly metabolic diseases and non-communicable diseases are included in the National healthcare program like diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood lipid.
One of the most current popular diseases is disorders of lipid metabolism, said Dr. Phan Nguyen Thanh Binh from the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center. Through a medical investigation, up to 77.8 percent obese people have lipid metabolism disorders and 35.6 percent people suffer disorders of carbohydrate metabolism.
According to Vietnam Heart Association Prof. Pham Gia Khai, researches showed that the rate of those with high level of cholesterol in blood will be two or three time higher than others without it. High level of cholesterol in blood is also the causes of high blood pressure, strokes,  fat in liver, gallstones, diabetes and obesity.
Prof. Khai said that one of every 2 town-dwellers and 2 of every 3 senior people have high cholesterol. Medical experts fretted also about the above-mentioned proportion because high level of cholesterol in blood leads to many other diseases threatening one’s life, especially those who have high blood cholesterol will be able to get coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease.
As per the National Nutrition Center’s initial statistic, around 26 percent of people in the age of 25 to 74 have disorders of lipid metabolism.  In big cities including Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the number of people with high blood lipid is 44 percent-45 percent.
Along with this disease, the number of people with high blood pressure also hikes. Dr. Nguyen Huy Thang from the Vietnam Stroke Association said that if people do not tightly control blood pressure at normal level, they will have stroke because high blood pressure is a major cause of strokes.
Annually, more than 200,000 Vietnamese people get strokes and nearly 11,000 have died of the disease and the rest has suffered physically disability. Even children have high blood pressure, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center’s survey.
As per the survey, the proportion of students of all grades have high blood pressure in 2014 was 15.4 percent; worse, 13.4 percent of primary students got. Dr. Do Thi Ngoc Diep, director of the HCMC Nutrition Center fretted over the number of children with high blood pressure because it showed a risk of diseases which affect their future studies, intelligence and labor capability.
At a meeting of treatment mission in 2015 held lately, Head of the Health Ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department Luong Ngoc Khue, said during past 3 years, the number of people in HCMC with diabetes increased threefold or nearly one million people having diabetes, accounting for 9 percent of the whole city population.
Within 2 years, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital in HCMC’s district 5 has received nearly 1,000 cases of diabetes per year. Most of people did not suppose to have diabetes until their blood tests showed. Some people even have suffered diabetes complications such as eye problem.
As per the Medical Examination and Treatment Department’s statistics, the rate of diabetes people in urban was 2.5 percent, 4 percent, and 8 percent in 1990, in 2001 and 2015 respectively. Worse, over 65 percent of them did not know to have the disease.
Medical experts said that the unbalanced lifestyle, stress and polluted environment are major factors to cause metabolism disorders.
TSN Club praised for its achievements
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism yesterday granted certificates to four teams and 187 individuals who had great achievements at domestic and international competitions last year.
Players of Thai Son Nam Club recieve certificate from Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Two of the four best teams belonged to Thai Son Nam (TSN) Club, including TSN Club for female and male.
In 2015,  the male players  of Thai Son Nam Club won the bronze medal at AFC Futsal Championship in Iran; meanwhile, the female players of the club also owned gold medal at Southeast Asian Futsal Club competition in Thailand.
At the ceremony, Head of the General Department of Sports Vuong Bich Thang highly appreciated achievements and contributions from teams and individuals of Thai Son Nam Club for the country’s sport.
He also hoped that the club will continue to harvest further successes in next time.
The event was organized at Thong Nhat Sports Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City.
Health authority fines medical clinics for violating regulation
The Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday said that it has fined 2 medical clinics which violated regulation of treatment.
Shoubikai Medical Company in district 3 was fined VND75 million (US$ 3,363) for launching adverts without being allowed.
VIP International Cosmetic Company in District 1 was fined because it did not write patients’ medical record and advertised some treatment serviced which health authority has not allowed. Since the beginning of the year, the Department has fined many medical clinics.
Dr. Khue said that in the first 9 months of 2015, local health authorities have paid unscheduled visits to 6,309 medical facilities and found 1,421 ones for violating regulation. Health inspectors collected fines of  VND14 billion (US$ 627,760); suspended the operation of 106 institutes and warned 86 other, withdrew the license of 19 units and transferred to police a case for further handle.
First direct air route from New Zealand to HCMC to be launched
First direct air route from New Zealand’s Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam will be launched, Air New Zealand regional general manager Asia Scott Carr announced on March 9.
The new service will be offered 8 flights a week on a seasonal basis, operating from June to October in 2016 with a flight time of around 11 hours.
Tickets are on sale now and sold at US$940.
Vietnam to promote tourism at Russian fair
Vietnam will attend the 23rd Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT), which is scheduled to run from March 23 – 26, the Dau Tu newspaper (Vietnam Investment Review) reported.
The Vietnamese space at the fair will be co-organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.
The show will enable VNAT’s delegates to meet up with their foreign peers and attending travel agencies.
Established in 1994, the MITT is the largest annual tourism event in Russia and one of the five leading events in the world tourism industry. It attracts representatives from more than 200 countries and territories every year.
Vietnam is the fourth most popular destination for Russian tourists. Sixty percent choose Khanh Hoa province, making the locality Vietnam’s most attractive destination for Russian people. Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) and Mui Ne (Binh Thuan province) are also among ideal destinations for long holiday.
Vietnam’s tourism sector aims to welcome one million Russian visitors by 2020.
VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri

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