Social News 22/4 Binh Thuan tourism eyes strong growth   Beautiful beaches in Bình Thuận Province attract tourists on holidays.  The central province of Bình Thuận received 1.35 million tourists in the first quarter of the year, a jump of 14 per cent compared to the same period last year. Of the figure, there was a year-on-year rise of 17 per cent of international tourists. According to the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourism revenue reached more than VNĐ3.1 trillion (US$136 million) in the first quarter, up by 15 per cent against the same period last year. The province has 475 accommodation facilities with nearly 14,300 guest rooms, including about 350 five-star hotels. There are also about seven international travel companies, 24 domestic travel companies and 27 tourism representative offices. Bình Thuận tourism has many advantages such as well-known resorts, natural landscapes, beautiful beaches and sand dunes in the Phan Thiết City’s Mũi Né area, as well as high-quality tourism services and tasty cuisine. A large number of visitors come during public holidays and the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, thanks to better promotions and activities. Hot-air balloon rides for sightseeing, a Fishermen Show at Làng Chài (Fishing Village) Theatre, and a sand sculpture park attract thousands of visitors. The province also requires all hotels to be transparent about service price, and ensure food safety and security. Fairs and festivals in the country and abroad are also held to build an image of a safe, friendly, attractive tourist destination. The province, which aims to become a National Beach Sports Centre, plans to open more inter-provincial tours and improve tourism infrastructure. Last year, the province attracted 5.7 million tourists. Of these, about 670,000 were foreign tourists. Working group to monitor treatment of oil-contaminated wells   Water from a well belonging to a family in Tân Phúc Village turns yellow and smells of oil.   Vice chairman of the central Hà Tĩnh Province’s People’s Committee Đặng Ngọc Sơn has signed a decision to establish a working group that will be responsible for guiding, inspecting and supervising the treatment of oil-contaminated wells in Hương Trạch Commune’s Tân Phúc Village under Hương Khê District. The 16-member working group, chaired by Phan Lam Son, deputy director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, will be tasked with guiding and coordinating directly with the People’s Committee of Hương Khê District to work out plans for treating the contaminated wells. On April 8, Nguyễn Xuân Hải, a resident of Tân Phúc Village, noticed the smell of oil in his well. A day later, six other families in the village found their wells contaminated with oil. Two of them were severely polluted. Immediately after receiving the news from the local residents, Hà Tĩnh Province officials went to the village to investigate the matter. To ensure the safety of the water resources, local authorities have asked the affected families not to use the contaminated water and to have measures in place to prevent fire and explosion. Local authorities will also support the people in accessing safe water. The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment has requested Hương Khê District People’s Committee to take measures to absorb the water in the contaminated wells to limit water pollution and prevent the oil from spilling into the surrounding areas. Two stations of Metro Line No.1 expected to complete before April 30   Binh Thai station under construction   The HCMC Urban Railway Management Unit has made every possible effort to finish two stations of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line No 1 , including Binh Thai and Hi-tech Park before the National Reunification Day, April 30. Every station has two storeys and a length of 137 meters connecting with pedestrian overpass over the Hanoi highway. The line No. 1 consists of 11 stations, including Van Thanh, Thao Dien, Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long, Binh Thai, Thu Duc, High-tech Park, Suoi Tien, Tan Cang, An Phu ... Metro Line No. 1 runs abut 20 km from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, passing through Districts 1, 2, 9, Binh Thanh, and Thu Duc in Ho Chi Minh City and Di An district in Binh Duong. The line is expected to open in 2020, including 2.6 km of underground line with three stations and over 17 km of elevated line with eleven stations with total capital of US$2.49 billion. Ministry of Health warns about high risk of new measles outbreak   The Ministry of Health warns that families should have their babies vaccinated as scheduled in the National Expanded Immunization Program  Due to a gradual increase of measles cases, the Ministry of Health yesterday asked the People’s Committees of all provinces and cities nationwide to have a closed eye on measles prevention in order to avoid any possible outbreak. Accordingly, the ministry requested the local authorities to direct the cooperation between their departments of health and related agencies in checking for anyone who has not been injected with measles vaccine in the local areas; carrying out immunizing them against measles; monitoring any area that has wild fluctuations of population as well as remote areas and ethnic communities; strictly performing the task of vaccinating enough dozes to all children as scheduled in the National Expanded Immunization Program (accounting for at least 95 percent children of all wards). It also asked all hospitals to be well-prepared for emergencies, organize the flows of patients sensibly, arrange isolated units for the effective treatment of measles patients in order to minimize fatal cases, strictly implementing the task of controlling cross infection inside the hospitals, and limit the transference of patients to higher-leveled hospitals if not necessary. Meanwhile, epidemic fighters in local areas have to try their best to timely discover suspicious cases of measles and quickly cope with the cases. The local authorities should also propagandize the risk of measles and prevention against the disease. In minor cases, children are advised to stay at home. Statistics of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology show that since the beginning of 2018, there have been around 100 cases of measles in Vietnam, an increase of more than 30 percent compared to the same period last year. In the whole year of 2017, there were only 141 measles cases found nationwide, mostly in the northern region. It is noticeable that among the cases of measles this year, 54 patients are babies of under 9 months old (accounting for 38.3 percent). The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has warned about a high risk of measles outbreak this year in accordance with the rule of an outbreak every four years. In the years of 2013-2014, there were more than 5,000 cases of measles in the northern region, 100 of whom regrettably died. Worryingly, the rate of immunization in many remote areas, ethnic communities, and industrial parks is very low, leading to an even higher risk. HCMC to pilot 24 district medical centers offering family medicine services   At a meeting yesterday, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong announced that the city will open medical centers in 24 districts offering family medicine services    Dr. Thuong said that 24 medical centers piloting the model are centers in crowded districts where workers reside but just having few infirmaries. These centers will provide healthcare services to laborers as well as help reduce pressure on big hospitals. These centers will provide first aid and emergency treatment, treatment for health insurance card holders; receiving test results transferring from big hospitals, traditional medicine. Additionally, these centers will treat special patients at homes and supply medications as prescriptions and provide basic healthcare services. Moreover, medical workers in these centers will inject vaccine according to the National Expanded Immunization Program, keep track on diseases and locations which are vulnerable for diseases, manage patients living with tuberculosis, HIV, mental diseases and sifting non-communicable patients. Along with opening medical centers in districts offering family medicine services, the Department encouraged grass-root hospitals to establish satellite clinics in medical centers which play a role as ‘helpers’ for districts hospitals. Decree on development of rural sectors issued The Government has issued Decree No. 52/2018/NĐ-CP on the development of rural sectors and traditional craft villages.  The Decree applies to all domestic and foreign organizations and individuals directly investing in production, business and services for rural sectors including small and medium-sized enterprises, co-operatives, households and traditional villages.  Seven rural sectors consist of agricultural-aquatic-forestry processing and production, handicraft production, material production serving for rural sectors, furniture, rattan, ceramics, glass, textiles, yarns, embroidery, knitting, small mechanics, production and trading of pet animals; salt production; services for production and rural living.  According to the Decree, the State encourages and facilitates individuals and organizations operating in rural sectors to launch trade promotion based on current regulations of the national trade promotion program.  They will be provided with consultancy and direct support from the State and local budgets for trade promotion activities and construction of infrastructure for traditional villages. Road safety campaign for kids launched in HCMC   A parent learns how to install a child safety seat in a car at the launching ceremony of the Protect Your Precious campaign in HCMC   General Motors Vietnam (GM Vietnam) and AIP Foundation, in collaboration with Vietnam’s National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), have kicked off a “Protect Your Precious” campaign in HCMC to promote the use of child safety seats and the importance of seat belts for children. The launching ceremony was attended by more than 100 teachers, parents and students from primary schools in the city. Similar campaigns were carried out in Hanoi on April 1 and Danang on April 8. At the event, parents and their children actively participated in road safety games for kids and a knowledge-sharing workshop run by NTSC experts. In addition, a viral video and a campaign song named “The Precious”, composed by musician Doan Nhuoc Quy, helped actively spread the message and remind parents of ensuring safety for their children. “GM Vietnam is conducting this campaign to join the Government’s effort for ensuring the safety of young vehicle passengers through 2018 National Traffic Safety Year, whose theme is Traffic Safety for Children,” said Ian Nicholls, president of GM Southeast Asia. With the theme “Back seat. Buckled up”, the Protect Your Precious campaign is aimed at preventing unnecessary deaths and injuries among children by raising public awareness of the significance of child safety seats and seat belts as well as emphasizing parents’ responsibility for keeping their children safe when traveling by car. According to AIP Foundation, road crashes in Vietnam cause around 22,400 fatalities and more than 453,000 injuries a year, which result in an annual loss of an estimated US$3 billion. Children are particularly vulnerable. In Vietnam, 2,000 children die from road crashes a year. This is the second leading cause of death for Vietnamese children between the ages of five and 14. For children, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent deaths and serious injuries in a vehicle crash. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash. More than 75% of people who are ejected during a fatal crash die from injuries. “As Vietnam’s economy continues to grow, so too will the number of families who own cars and use them as their main mode of transport. In order to protect our children and continue promoting a culture of road safety, we must encourage safe habits for all road users, whether it’s wearing a helmet or buckling a seatbelt,” said Greig Craft, president of AIP Foundation. With the support of the U.S. Embassy and Government agencies, the campaign is expected to include the participation of more than 700 parents in the three cities and benefit more than 76,000 people across Vietnam. Flower parades planned at Danang fireworks festival   An artist’s impression of a Vietnamese flower float which represents the Dragon Bridge in Danang  Twelve vehicles decorated with or covered in flowers will participate in flower parades during the Danang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2018 slated for April 29-June 30 in the central coastal city of Danang. The flower floats will travel at an average speed of 15 kilometers per hour on the route: Asia Park – Hai Thang Chin Street – Bach Dang Street – Ba Thang Hai Street – Thuan Phuoc Bridge – Le Duc Tho Street – Hoang Sa Street – Vo Nguyen Giap Street – Nguyen Van Thoai Street – Tran Thi Ly Bridge – 2/9 Street – Asia Park. The parades will take place on May 5, May 12, May 19, June 16, June 17, June 23, and June 24, with each lasting two hours and a half. The flower floats will represent famous bridges of the countries and territories such as Long Bien, Han River, Dragon, Tran Thi Ly and Thuan Phuoc bridges in Vietnam, Swietokrzyski Bridge in Poland, Tournelle Bridge in France, Brooklyn Bridge in the U.S., Rialto Bridge in Italy, Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong, Oresund Bridge in Sweden, and 25 de Abril Bridge in Portugal. Greater job opportunities at French job bazaar   Jobseekers are interviewed at the France-Vietnam Job Fair 2016 in HCMC  Students fluent in the French language or having studied in France will have greater opportunities to land a job at the France-Vietnam Job Fair 2018 due to kick off in Hanoi on May 5. The event, jointly held by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, France Alumni Vietnam, and the French Embassy in Vietnam, will feature 35 French and Vietnamese enterprises, with over 200 vacancies up for grabs in numerous sectors such as commerce, banking, accounting, auditing, communications, education and computing. The event will provide Vietnamese students and graduates, especially those furthering their studies in France, a chance to get various jobs and learn about recruiters while employers are expected to meet with and recruit skilled and experienced workers at the fair. The job bazaar is scheduled to incorporate some seminars with diverse topics in an effort to boost students’ communication skills so as to encourage them to find good jobs. The France-Vietnam Job Fair was first held in Hanoi in November 2014, then in HCMC in April 2015. The annual event then took place in both cities in 2016, and was repeated in HCMC in 2017. Fishery association, ministry at odds over wastewater standards The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has rejected petitions to lower the standards of wastewater regarding nitrogen and phosphoric contents as proposed by the local seafood association, which insists the technical barriers are too high to surmount. Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan told a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in Hanoi on April 17 that the environment cannot be sacrificed for economic growth, Thanh Nien reports. As such, the environment watchdog will not relax the standards, but may consider a roadmap so that seafood processors can gradually improve conformity, Nhan told the meeting that was convened for authorities to hear complaints about national regulations on environmental protection that are said to spell great trouble for seafood processing enterprises. Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy secretary general of VASEP, said at the meeting that regulations under the National Standards 11:2015 set too stringent standards on the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater at seafood processors, which will push conformity costs to preventively high levels. Other countries do not set such high standards, Nam said. Phosphorus is a chemical used by most seafood processors, which results in the high amount of the chemical in wastewater, Nam said, adding that despite applying new technology, the amount of phosphoric content after treatment still exceeds the limit at 20-30mg per liter. Even neighboring countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia do not have regulations on phosphoric quantity in effluents. Therefore, VASEP requested the ministry to remove the current regulation on this chemical. For nitrogen, the current technology to treat nitrogen and ammonia in effluents has failed to meet standards as only the biological method is available for wastewater treatment when microorganisms are in the state of being average and weak. Nam said that most seafood processors are small- and medium-sized enterprises, which dump a small amount of wastewater into the environment, so it is not necessary to impose so stringent environmental regulations. In response, Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan said that the ministry would not let the environment take a backseat for the sake of economic development. Nhan said the ministry understands how stressful enterprises are when seeking to cut costs for raising the competitiveness of their exports. However, after consulting scientists, the ministry decided to keep regulations on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus unchanged, Nhan asserted. In reality, these chemicals are involved in eutrophication, a phenomenon in which the nitrogen and phosphorus amounts exceed the allowed limits, causing fish die en mass in recent years. In short, the regulations will remain unchanged, but the ministry will introduce a roadmap for seafood processors to gradually replace their technology, said Nhan. Kid riders to race in short track   Kids will join a bike race in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City from May 6-20. - Photo courtesy Việt Nam Cycling and Sport Motor Federation  Kids aged from one to six years old will race in a bicycle race in Hà Nội, HCM City and Đà Nẵng on May 6-20, Việt Nam Cycling and Sport Motors Federation said. Kids will join a 150m leg-push race with small bicycles (without pedals) in Hà Nội on May 6, in Đà Nẵng on May 13 and HCM City on May 20.    They will compete in four age groups (each group will comprise of 12 riders) in two rounds. Competitors can ride with their own bikes or bikes provided by the race organisers. The qualifying round will select the top three finishers for the final round. In Hà Nội, competitors will race in a track at LeParc by Gamuda in Yên Sở Park from 8am to 5pm, at Đà Nẵng’s Asia Park from 8am to 12am and at a track in HCM City (specific location to be determined) from 8am to 5pm. The race, which is held by the federation and Kids&Family TV channel (VTC11) of Digital VTC Television, aims to help kids starting with bicycle riding, balance skills and speed. Prizes and awards will be given to riders at the races. Changes expected to expanded vaccination programme next June   Next June several new vaccines will be used in the 2018 expanded vaccination programme. The national expanded vaccination programme in 2018 will witness several changes come June, with a new vaccine replacing the 5-in-1 Quinvaxem, the polio vaccine to be deployed through injection, and the use of a Vietnamese-made measles-rubella combined vaccine. The changes were announced by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology under the Ministry of Health (MOH) at a conference discussing the application of new vaccines held in Da Nang on April 17. Accordingly, the Indian-produced ComBe Five vaccine, which was licenced by the MOH in May 2017, has been chosen to replace the previous Quinvaxem vaccine. The new vaccine is similar to Quinvaxem, being effective against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and pneumonia/meningitis due to Hib bacteria. Meeting the strict requirements of the World Health Organisation, ComBe Five has been deployed in more than 43 countries around the world with over 400 million doses used. Its safety and effectiveness is similar to that of other 5-in-1 vaccines of the same composition. In order to maintain the results of eliminating polio during the past 17 years, along with continuing to use three oral doses of polio vaccine, children at five months of age will be given an additional injection of polio vaccine under the regular immunisation programme from 2018. Accordingly, from June this year, children nationwide will be given an injection of IPV polio vaccine manufactured by France’s Sanofi. The vaccine is offered by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations and the United Nations Children's Fund. Partners will provide the IPV vaccine to Vietnam in two batches in March and August 2018 providing more than 1.9 million doses. From June, the vaccine will be deployed in four provinces and cities, including Vinh Phuc, Da Nang, Gia Lai, and Vinh Long, before being expanded to other locales across the country. Currently, Vietnam has ensured its active self-production of the measles-rubella combined vaccine on the basis of technology transfer from Japan. The vaccine has initially replaced the previous imported one, to provide injections of nearly 8,000 doses for children aged 18-24 months since February 2018, with no serious reactions recorded. Assoc. Prof., Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Head of the MOH’s Department of Preventive Medicine, said that Quinvaxem would continue to be used for children under one year of age in the expanded immunisation programme until it is replaced by the new vaccine to ensure children are fully immunised. The MOH recommends that parents continue to fully vaccinate their children in accordance with the vaccination schedule to prevent the spread of dangerous infectious diseases. Railway passengers provided with more e-payment options   Railway passengers are now able to buy tickets and pay fares using electronic wallets Payoo and MoMo, two of the main e-payment solutions popular among youngsters nowadays. Accordingly, passengers need to visit the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR)’s website at dsvn.vn to book their tickets as usual and can then make payment via their Payoo wallet. They can also buy tickets and pay fares by logging into their account on MoMo's mobile wallet application, where they can select the option of making train reservations and follow the instructions. The rollout of two more payment options aims to provide a feasible way for train passengers to make reservations and payments, helping them reduce transaction time, and avoid long queues at ticket counters. Launched in 2008 by VietUnion Online Services Corporation, Payoo is an online payment service platform for e-commerce in Vietnam. Developed and managed by the Online Mobile Service Jsc (M_Service), the MoMo app, MoMo offers a one touch payment service through its smartphone application. Over 4,500 laborers in Dong Thap Province work abroad    Locals in Dong Thap are at a training course before going to Japan According to People’s Committee in the Mekong delta province of Dong Thap, over 4,500 residents in the province have being worked overseas so far. From the beginning of the year, more than 503 locals sought an overseas job mostly in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (China) The province has taken the lead in labor export in the Mekong delta region. Through study, Dong Thap residents working in the field of food making, agriculture, mechanics, automobile technology, construction have good income of around VND28-35 million monthly a person; these persons have sent money home to support their family; accordingly many households have escaped poverty. Moreover, Japanese enterprises are favor of laborers from Dong Thap because Vietnamese workers are industrious, and well skillful. Japanese enterprises receive over 200 laborers in Dong Thap monthly. Director of the province’s employment service center Nguyen Thi Minh Tuyet said the province authority defined labor export as a key mission, aiming to develop the economy and improve the quality of life. In reality, the province yields fruitful results. However, lately, some locals have been ripped off by bad men who swindled their money; therefore, related agencies warned people to register in the government’s employment service center not to listen to anyone. Dong Thap People’s Committee assigned the employment service center to provide vocational training courses and send laborers abroad. HCMC takes heed welfare for senior people    A group of people visit Thi Nghe house where many elderly pepole reside Speaking at the seminar named ‘Solutions and models of taking care of elderly people”, Dr. Pham Quang Huy from the National Academy of Public Administration proposed the government setting up a medium –term strategy to ensure senior citizen’s income including pension and welfare to protect them. The meeting was yesterday held by the HCMC Institute for Development Studies (HIDS) and the welfare caring association for elderly and disabled people in Asia and Japan. Participants said that there are the number of important things that Ho Chi Minh City authorities have to take into consideration such as building community-based houses for caring senior people, developing more care home that specialized in looking after elderly as well as training people to look after elderly people at homes. With the elderly population of 460,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City accounting for 5.4 percent of the whole population, the city is encountering social security problems for senior people, said Le Van Thanh from HIDS Vietnamese elderly people dislike to be sent to an old people’s house but if they stay at home, nobody take care of them because their children must go out to work. Mr. Thanh said that some senior people accumulate not enough for spending when retiring while there are more and more old people in the city, which is a burden for young people. This leads to difficulties for their children. At present, some elderly people still work while others live on social welfare. Thanh said that covering all expenses including money for their old parents are a headache for all families especially those are in low-income group. As many as ageing people are not eligible for social insurance; therefore, they encounter risks in economy and health problems. Le Chu Giang, former head of the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Issues' Social Services Section, the city has 11 houses sponsored by organizations and individuals to freely look after 700 difficult elderly people while 300 senior people are residing in other pay five houses. Elderly people live in an old’s houses only when their children have no choice. Additionally, charge of VND5 million per month is a problem for these poor families who want to send their parents to the special house. Accordingly, many elderly people still stay with the children at homes. As per Vietnamese old people’s thinking, they want to connect with kids hence, the authorities should pay attention to build community-based old houses. Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoai Huong from HIDS informed the meeting that care services for senior residents as per demand such as talking to old people, buying food, making food, feeding, bathing , walking old people, in HCMC have been started. Ms. Huong thought that community-based caring models should be expanded because elderly people can stay at their homes. Accordingly, lecture of Cadre training institute Trinh Thi Hien said that it is urgent to develop social work for looking after elderly people. The Medicine University Hospital in HCMC’s district 1 take the lead in setting up a department to take care of elderly patients. Hospital managers have planned to expand the caring service for these citizens at homes. National-scale art programme to mark establishment of Dai Co Viet dynasty    A performance during the Hoa Lu Festival in Ninh Binh   A national-scale ceremony and art programme entitled 'Shining epic on Dai Co Viet' will take place from April 24-27, to mark the 1050th anniversary of the establishment of Dai Co Viet, the first imperial dynasty in Vietnam. The programme will feature profound implications, contributing to affirming the role and important values of the Dai Co Viet dynasty, the first centralised feudal state in Vietnam during the process of national construction and defence, while highlighting the role of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang in the process of national reunification. The art programme will see the participation of hundreds of artists and athletes from the Hanoi Vietnam Tuong Theatre, Hanoi Cheo Theatre, Ninh Binh Cheo Theatre, Viet Bac Art Troupe, Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports, and others. The highlight of the programme will be a string of 47 events to be held in Ninh Binh province to celebrate 1050 years since Dinh Bo Linh ascended to the throne and set up the Dai Co Viet State, which laid the foundations for the prosperity of many subsequent dynasties in the history of the nation. Artist Le Quy Duong will be the general director cum screenwriter of the programme and the programme will also receive consultancy from historians Truong Dinh Tuong and Dr. Tran Dinh Ngon. Dai Co Viet (Great Viet) was the first centralised feudal state in Vietnam which existed from 968 to 1010 AD. It was also the first capital of the country until King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long (the former name of Hanoi) in 1010. VNN