Social News 6/4 (Hourly Updated) Moc Chau Tea Festival opens   Farmers work on vast tea hills in Moc Chau, Son La. The third edition of the Moc Chau Tea Festival began on April 6 at Vinatea Moc Chau, a member of the Vietnam National Tea Corporation (Vinatea), in northern Son La province, bringing together six local tea producers. The festival will feature a wide variety of events, including art performances, a tea-leaf picking contest, a tea ceremony and exhibitions of tea products and photos of tea plantations in Moc Chau. The geographical indication for Snow Shan (Shan Tuyet) tea of Moc Chau in Thailand will be announced during the festival. The organiser will also hold sight-seeing tours around Moc Chau vast tea hills and tea production for visitors and a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the national Moc Chau tea plantation which was founded on April 8, 1958. The festival aims to promote Moc Chau tea products, provide a platform for tea producers and traders to meet and foster safe and clean tea-making, said Nguyen Thi Hoa, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Moc Chau district. It is also an opportunity for the district to attract more visitors and draw investors’ attention. Tea businesses and cooperatives are expected to form partnerships during the event, she added. Moc Chau is endowed with a cool climate and soil suitable for growing tea plants.  Formed in 1959, the Moc Chau tea area now stretches across some 1,800 hectares and produces more than 23,000 tonnes of tea leaves annually. Moc Chau tea products are exported to many international markets, including Japan, Taiwan (China) and Pakistan. In recent years, the production of tea in Moc Chau has also boosted local tourism.- “Vietnam Day” promotes Vietnam-Russia culture exchange   Art performance at the event  The 4th “Vietnam Day” programme was held in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations University (MGIMO) on April 5, showcasing Vietnamese culture and food to Russian friends.  Speaking at the event, Egor Andreev from the MGIMO affirmed the event has become a useful playground for Russian students who are learning Vietnamese language and culture.  He said 327 Vietnamese students graduated from the MGIMO over the last six decades, and many of them became senior officials and diplomats in Vietnam.  Educational cooperation between Vietnam and Russia has contributed to helping the two countries improve the quality of human resources, thus fostering bilateral relations.  Nguyen Thi Kim Thu from the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia highlighted the significance of the event’s theme, “The youth of the 21st century”, saying that it helps promote friendship and cultural respect.  In the framework of the event, a seminar discussing the role played by young people in reinforcing Russia-Vietnam relations was held.  Participants also debated global challenges to Vietnamese youths and Russia-Vietnam cooperation, and the role of youths in the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the two countries. Taste of Australia features various activities   Visitors enjoy beverages at the event   The Consulate General of Australia in Ho Chi Minh City hosted a programme called “Taste of Australia” on April 5 as part of activities to celebrate the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.  The annual event aims to introduce and promote Australian food, beverages, cuisine, and culture, and the country’s world-class chef training field. For the first time Australian music would be a focus of the programme. The musical events include music and wine pairing in HCM City, and the central cities of Da Nang and Hue with Australian artists and classical pianist Van Anh Nguyen, a performance by singer-songwriter Nick Barkerm, and an appearance by singer Deni Hines.  Mark Coulton, Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment of Australia, said the two nations have elevated the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, opening up great opportunities to further develop trade ties. Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick said the event creates a unique chance for attendees to enjoy both Australian nice music and food.  Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem stressed Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties have developed constantly and obtained remarkable achievements in different fields from politics, trade, investment, education, defence to development cooperation.  “Taste of Australia” offers a good chance for people in the city, and in Vietnam in general to have interesting experiences with Australian cultural identity, he said. Preparations made for Vietnamese Catholics’ seventh national congress   At the meeting   The seventh national Congress of Vietnamese Catholics building and protecting the homeland for the 2018-2023 tenure is planned to take place in Hanoi on October 17-18. Preparations for the event were discussed at a meeting between the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Standing Board of the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics in Hanoi on April 5. Catholics in 21 cities and provinces have organized their congresses while those in nine other provinces had conferences to review their five-year activities and 12 others will hold their congresses, as preparatory steps for their seventh national congress. Priest Tran Xuan Manh, Acting Chairman and Secretary General of the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics affirmed that the Committee is working hard to prepare for the event. President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man asked the front units to provide maximal assistance for the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics to ensure the congress will be successful. He said he believes that via the congress, the social role and prestige of the Committee will be heightened to bridge the State and the Church and enhance the Church’s companion with the nation. Green public procurement benefits economy, society: workshop   Green public procurement will bring many benefits to not only buyers and sellers but also the environment and the whole economy and society (Illustrative photo: baodauthau.vn) Green public procurement will bring many benefits to not only buyers and sellers but also the environment and the whole economy and society, said Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) Hoang Van Thuc said. He made the remark at a workshop on April 5 which discussed challenges and opportunities of green public procurement in Vietnam. A 2015 report of the VEA under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shows that the State spends 20 – 30 percent of its budget on public procurement every year on average. This figure could reach 50 percent if it includes spending on the building work. Amid economic restructuring towards sustainable development, sustainable procurement will considerably contribute to the attainment of the sustainable development goals, including improving production quality, effectively and sustainably using natural resources, and ensuring security and social equality. Kim Yong Jin, Director of the Republic of Korea’s Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, said Vietnam is a developing Asian-Pacific economy with a growth rate of 5 – 7 percent in the last 10 years. Realising the problems of traditional modes of economic growth, Vietnam announced a green growth strategy and is building a road map for implementing green public procurement until 2020. He added as public procurement could be equivalent to 12 – 30 percent of the country’s GDP, the procurement of environmentally friendly products will help reduce pollution and promote green production and sustainable consumption. However, Deputy Director General Thuc also pointed to hindrances to green public procurement, including the inconsistency of legal documents which has led to State agencies’ lax coordination, the limited awareness and capacity of procurement officials, and the shortage of guidance on integrating sustainability criteria into the bidding process. Notably, awareness of the positive impacts of sustainable public procurement among State agencies and procurement officials remains modest, he noted. He underscored the importance of training courses for these officials, adding that it is a priority in the VEA’s cooperation with the Korean institute. The countries’ sharing of information about and experience in this field will be helpful for carrying out green public procurement in Vietnam. Acecook Vietnam becomes gold sponsor of Hue Festival 2018   The Acecook Vietnam JSC will fund 3.3 billion VND (144,800 USD) for Hue Festival 2018, becoming a gold sponsor for the event scheduled for April 27 – May 2.  The signing ceremony took place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on April 4.  Speaking at the event, General Director of Acecook Vietnam Kajiwwara Junichi said the company is honour to support the event, adding that over the past 23 years, it has strived to maintain the value of traditional cuisine by combining Vietnamese flavour with Japanese technology.  Themed “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development: Hue - One Destination, Five World Heritages”, the biennial event aims to promote art exchanges among cultures and introducing unique values of the culture of Vietnam and Hue, thus boosting service-tourism growth and strengthening socio-economic development of Thua Thien-Hue. So far, the Hue Festival 2018 has attracted more than 20 international art troupes from various countries, including France, the Republic of Korea, Israel, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Russia, China and Spain. The old capital city of Hue owns five UNESCO heritages, including Hue Complex of Monuments, Hue Royal Court Music, Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), Nguyen Dynasty's royal documents and the royal literature on Hue royal architecture. As Hue served as the imperial city under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the festival will reenact royal celebrations and events such as Royal Night, Orient Legends and the Nam Giao ritual. In addition, many side events will be held, such as the Hue Science Festival (organised by the Hue College of Medicine and Pharmacy), International Gastronomy Fair, beer carnival, International Trade Fair, Splendid Taste of Ancient Village in Phuoc Tich, traditional boat race on Huong (Perfume) River, kite festival, Tam Giang Lagoon Fantasy and Hue Poetry Festival. Exhibitions taking different themes include ‘the poetry on Hue royal architectural works inscribed on truc chi (bamboo pulp) paper’, ‘colours of Bat Trang pottery’, ‘orchids and bonsai’, ‘old car exhibition’ and ‘cultural heritage with integration and development’. Various sight-seeing tours offer more fantastic journeys to discover local attractions such as Lang Co beach and Tam Giang Lagoon. Hue Festival has taken place every two years starting from 2000, bringing together excellent arts companies with unique performances from across the world. This year, the province hopes to welcome about 4.2 million visitors, up 10 percent year on year, and earn tourism revenue of 4.2 billion VND, a rise of 15 percent. Tien Giang develops offshore fishing fleet    The southern province of Tien Giang has developed a fleet of offshore fishing vessels in order to create jobs for workers at sea and affirm sea and island sovereignty.  With a coastline of 32km, Tien Giang is home to localities with long tradition in fishing such as Go Cong township, Go Cong Dong and Tan Phu Dong districts and My Tho city, attracting tens of thousands of skilled workers.  Other industries such as seafood processing, aquatic products and dried seafood also contributed to boosting local economic growth and ensuring social welfare.  In order to sustainably tap aquatic products, the province has encouraged building high-capacity vessels equipped with modern technology and capable of going fishing offshore.  Infrastructure for fishing logistics services such as ports and storm-proof wharves have also been upgraded. Two of its ports, My Tho and Vam Lang, are among national fishing ports.  Last year, the province dealt with more than 260 petitions asking for support from fishermen. Traditional fishing grounds of local fishermen include the Truong Sa archipelago, DK1 platform, and west sea area.  This year, the province strives to tap more than 102,000 tonnes of fish and shrimps. National blood centre set up to ensure supplies for patients   At the ceremony to announce the establishment of the national blood centre (Photo: dantri.com.vn)  The National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) on April 4 announced the Ministry of Health’s decision to set up a national blood centre under the institute. Director of the institute Bach Quoc Khanh said that the centre, equipped with modern technology and high profession will support the development of blood transfusion sector in the country. It also creates a premise to set up a national blood centre under the Ministry of Health, he added. Carrying out the World Bank’s Regional Blood Transfusion Centres Project, the institute built a modern transfusion blood centre with capacity of 90,000 blood units per year. Particularly, the institute received 303,462 blood units in 2017 and the number is expected to increase to 600,000 units by 2030. The centre is established to organise blood transfusion and reserve blood for national security. NIHBT Deputy Director Pham Tuan Duong is assigned as the director of the blood centre. Quang Ngai tightens control of fishing activities to fight IUU   Fishermen of An Hai commune in Ly Son island district in the central province of Quang Ngai prepare for a fishing trip.   The central province of Quang Ngai has set up two offices to monitor and inspect activities of fishing vessels at sea as part of local efforts to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The two offices are based at Tinh Ky fishing port (Tinh Ky commune) and Tinh Hoa port (Tinh Hoa commune in Quang Ngai city). The offices’ staff will conduct inspection of fishing vessels coming in or leaving the ports. The staff will also inspect and certify the origin of catches.  According to Duong Van To, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the department will set up inspection offices at all fishing ports in the province with the aim of preventing local ships from involving in illegal fishing and facilitating the management and certification of seafood origin in line with regulations.  In September 2017, the EC issued a yellow card warning Vietnam for failing to progress in fighting IUU fishing. The EC also proposed nine recommendations that Vietnam should implement. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it isn’t. A “red card” can lead to a trade ban on fishery products. The EU will assess Vietnam’s efforts to fight IUU fishing in April. On December 13, 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Directive 45/CT-TTg on some urgent tasks and solutions following the EC’s warning. The whole political system, from the central to local level, and fishermen of Vietnam have taken drastic actions to prevent and combat IUU fishing. There have been an array of urgent solutions, including supplementing anti-IUU fishing regulations to legal documents, enforcing the issued regulations, disseminating the solutions to fishermen and relevant parties, enhancing cooperation with coastal and island countries to prevent IUU fishing, and holding dialogues to update the EU on Vietnam’s efforts to improve fisheries management. As a result, illegal fishing in foreign waters by Vietnamese boats has declined considerably, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said at the ministry’s regular press conference on March 2. Foreign-funded projects help Quang Tri deal with unexploded ordnance   Sappers are searching for war-left bombs and mines   Several foreign-funded projects have been conducted in the central province of Quang Tri over the past two decades, helping the locality to clear bombs and mines left from war. Quang Tri is one of localities most affected by the aftermath of war, with 81 percent of the province’s total area polluted with unexploded ordnance (UXO).  Statistics from the provincial centre for overcoming bomb and mine consequences show that by April 2018, bomb and mine accidents had killed 3,430 people and injured 5,100 others, including many children. Demining projects in Quang Tri have been funded by many foreign agencies, including the foreign ministries of Germany, the US and Norway, the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the UK’s Department for International Development, Ireland’s development assistance fund, UNICEF and the US organisation Peace Trees.  The projects have helped clear 132 million sq.m of seriously polluted areas, and safely handle more than 650,000 bombs, mines and other UXO.  More than 350,000 people were provided with knowledge and skills to prevent UXO accidents via the “Mine Risk Education (MRE)” programme.  Local authorities have also paid attention to supporting local victims of war-era UXO, helping them improve their living conditions and re-integrate into the community.  Non-governmental organisations have financed the building of 332 humanitarian houses, and directly aided 215 UXO victims and their families.  Some 1,200 UXO victims who are living with disabilities were provided with medical examination and prosthetics and other orthopedic instruments, while 50 disabled people and medical workers were trained in community-based rehabilitation.  Nguyen Duc Thien from the provincial centre for overcoming bomb and mine consequences said demining projects have contributed to expanding safe land area for production in the locality.  To improve the work, the locality will set up a mine action centre, he said, adding that Quang Tri hopes to receive greater support and resources for the scheme. VFF leader extends Chol Chnam Thmay greetings to Khmer people   A Chol Chnam Thmay celebration in KhemMapaPhia pagoda of Hau Giang province in 2017   President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man has extended his best wishes to Khmer people nationwide on the occasion of their New Year festival - Chol Chnam Thmay, which falls on April 14-16. In his letter sent to Khmer monks and people, Man wrote that Vietnam gained many important achievements in the socio-economic, defence, security and diplomatic fields in 2017 thanks to the efforts of the Party, army and citizens. The material and spiritual lives of people, including the Khmer community, have been improved. He appreciated the community’s efforts to follow the Party’s policies and the State’s laws, as well as their participation in movements launched by the VFF and their contributions to socio-economic development. He expressed his hope that Khmer people will be happier and contribute more to national building and safeguarding. Chol Chnam Thmay is one of the most important festivals for Khmer people. It usually lasts three days and is celebrated mostly in pagodas. The festival is a demonstration of Khmer people’s aspirations, like many other ethnic groups, to move on from the previous year’s misfortunes and look forward to a promising new year. Chợ Rẫy Hospital adopts advanced radiotherapy system   Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City yesterday (April 4) began using an advanced radiotherapy system Versa HD that improves treatment precision, productivity and efficiency.   Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City yesterday began using an advanced radiotherapy system called Versa HD to improve treatment precision, productivity and efficiency. The system, the most advanced radiotherapy in use in Việt Nam, is being used in the delivery of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in a conventional time slot, according to Nguyễn Trường Sơn, director of the hospital. The system was funded with Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Austrian government to support the upgrading of equipment and machines at the hospital’s oncology centre. The centre provides treatment for 800 to 1,000 patients every day, resulting in patient overloading and long waiting times, which will be reduced with the new system. Every year, there are 75,000 cancer-related deaths and around 150,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. HCM City has 5,000-6,000 new cases of cancer every year. Government reclaims bonds used for Đèo Cả tunnel project   The southern exit of the Đèo Cà tunnel on National Highway 1A linking the two central provinces of Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa  Government bonds used for the construction of the Đèo Cả tunnel project are to be reclaimed under a decision by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. Under the decision, VNĐ1.180 trillion (US$51.7 million) of the total VNĐ4.958 trillion ($217.2 million) in Government bonds allocated during the period of 2014-2016 by the Transport Ministry for the Đèo Cả Tunnel Project, including those used to build the Cổ Mã Tunnel, will be collected by the Ministry of Finance. The money claimed included VNĐ716.4 billion ($31.3 million) allocated for 2016 only. The reclaimed capital will be reserved for mid-term investment for the period of 2016-2020 under the authority of a resolution passed by the National Assembly Standing Committee. The Ministry of Transport had to refund the money allocated in 2016 including the money which was not yet disbursed, as well as the amount paid for ground clearance and the resettlement of residents. The Transport Ministry was asked to review toll collection stations for the new tunnel, as well as toll fees. They are also required to produce a report to the Prime Minister calculating the effectiveness of money invested in the Đèo Cả Project. The Đèo Cả Tunnel Project runs through the Cả Pass on National Highway 1A linking the two central provinces of Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa. Construction began in 2012. The 4.1-kilometre long Đèo Cả Tunnel is part of a 13.4-kilometre road project, which also includes another tunnel, Cổ Mã, which is 500m long and opened to traffic in 2015. The tunnel, built with an investment of VNĐ15.6 trillion (US$748 million), allows vehicles to travel at a maximum speed of 80km per hour from Phú Yên Province’s Hào Sơn Commune to Khánh Hòa Province’s Cổ Mã Commune. Each side of the road inside the tunnel has two 3.5m lanes, helping reduce the distance between Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa provinces by 9km, and cutting off around 50 minutes of travel time. The new tunnel has put an end to commuter’s reliance on the Cả Pass, which is dangerous during the rainy and typhoon seasons. Toll fees for using the tunnel have been collected since September 2017, and range from VNĐ60,000 (US$2.64) to VNĐ288,000 (US$12.67), depending on the type of vehicle used. The Đèo Cả Tunnel, which was put into operation in August last year, is the second longest mountain road tunnel in the country, after the Hải Vân Tunnel, which is 6.28 kilometres long and runs between Thừa Thiên in Huế Province and Đà Nẵng City. Urban design project on Belt Road No 3 publicised   The Manor Central Park developed by Bitexco Group along the Belt Road No 3. — Photo Vietnamnet.vn  Buildings in areas along Belt Road No 3 could rise up to 50 storeys, according to the urban design project which was introduced by the Hà Nội Department of Planning and Architecture on Tuesday. The project is for a 4.22km-long belt road running from Khuất Duy Tiến to Nguyễn Xiển streets and covering 61.68ha. On Khuất Duy Tiến Street, the project encouraged the development of office and residential housing, which could be 50 storeys in height. For the Thanh Xuân intersection where Khuất Duy Tiến, Nguyễn Trãi and Nguyễn Xiển streets meet, mixed-use commercial projects were encouraged to exploit advantages from the metro line. On Nguyễn Xiển Street, residential housing projects with an average height of 25-30 storeys were also suggested. According to the department, the setting up of urban design along the Belt Road 3 will help renovate and coordinate the organisation of landscape on both sides of the road to ensure a harmony between architectural space, urban landscape between the existing construction and the new one, creating a modern, dynamic and civilised Hà Nội urban centre. Land used in urban design along Ring Road 3 will be managed in accordance with the zoning plan and detailed planning approved by the competent authority. The high-rise buildings on the southeast of Trần Duy Hưng Street and Thăng Long Avenue, will be the highlight of the project. Belt Ring Road No 3 is an important road traffic route of Hà Nội. With a length of about 65 km, it runs through such districts as Đông Anh, Bắc Từ Liêm, Nam Từ Liêm, Cầu Giấy, Thanh Xuân, Thanh Trì, Hoàng Mai and Gia Lâm. Landslides threaten lives of Chợ Gạo Canal residents   Hundreds of households living along Chợ Gạo Canal in Tiền Giang Province are facing risk of landslides and worry their houses could be swept away.   Hundreds of families living along Chợ Gạo Canal in Mekong province of Tiền Giang fear a landslide might destroy their homes any moment. Chợ Gạo Canal is an important waterway for transporting goods through ships from HCM City to the Mekong Delta and vice versa. In the 2013-14 period, the Ministry of Transport implemented the first phase of a project to dredge and upgrade the canal. However, the second phase which was approved to be carried out in the 2016-2017 period in the build, operate and transfer (BOT) format was suspended, as it could be transferred to other form of investment. Costing VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$57.7 million), the project is aimed at upgrading a 28.6-km section of the canal. The slow implementation of the project’s second phase has affected the lives of families living along the canal. The entire road system was completely eroded, affecting the business of the local people. The areas most susceptible to erosion are concentrated in Bình Phục Nhứt, Bình Phan and Xuân Đông communes. Several sections of dykes along the 10-km canal were eroded. The local people said the cause of the severe landslide was the large number of boats passing Chợ Gạo every day, while the embankment kept degrading and was not repaired on time. Trần Thị Thanh Hiền, a resident in Bình Phục Nhứt Commune, said the residents lived in anxiety because the main road was damaged by the landslide. Hiền, whose house was at least a dozen metres away from the canal long ago, now lives in fear of being swept away by the water, as erosion has brought the house perilously close to the edge of the canal. To control the landslide, residents were using simple tools such as timber, sand bags and steel wires, but a few days later, the road suffered more damage through another landslide. These households cannot be shifted because they are waiting for support from the Government to carry out the second phase of the project. Lê Văn Mỹ, chairman of People’s Committee of Chợ Gạo District, said more than 600 households had been affected by the poor implementation of the second phase of the project. The local authorities have asked the Transport Ministry to conduct the second phase quickly to help households lead a better life. The upgrade project will ease the traffic along the canal, preventing ships from getting stuck in landslides and shallow water. Sacked health workers calling for justice   As many as 137 health workers in the northern province of Lai Châu got sacked this month after the province reviewed its employment policy.  As many as 137 health workers in the northern province of Lai Châu got sacked this month after the province reviewed its employment policy. The dismissal has caused concerns because the health workers signed labour contracts of indefinite duration with healthcare centres and hospitals back in 2011. But last year, the health workers reluctantly signed one-year labour contracts or were told they had to leave their jobs. Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, spokesman of Lai Châu Province People’s Committee Hà Trọng Hải said in 2011 the province’s Home Affairs and Health departments temporarily employed 258 people to meet staff demand of local healthcare sector. But just 80 of 258 temporary health employees passed the employment exam in September, 2017. Those who failed or did not take the exam lost their jobs. Director of the province’s Health Department Nguyễn Văn Đối said the department wanted to keep experienced staff and hoped that others could retake the exams and work again. Dismissed health workers are very worried because of their sudden unemployment, and submitted petitions to the province’s People’s Committee.  OVs in Germany offer support to Truong Sa    On April 2, the Truong Sa (Spratly) Club in Germany held an exchange with people who have visited Truong Sa archipelago and those who are planning a trip to the archipelago in mid-April. The exchange was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador Doan Xuan Hung and representatives of a selection of Vietnamese associations, unions, and businesses who have been steadfast in their support of the Club’s activities regarding Truong Sa over the past year. In addition to raising funds for Truong Sa, the exchange offered a chance for Club members to brief the Vietnamese community on their recent work and future plans. In its first year of operation, the Club has launched two fundraisers for the children of soldiers stationed on the islands, encouraged students to write letters to the islands’ soldiers, and organized arts performances and talks with Vietnamese students and German and international friends on the topic of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa archipelagos. Addressing the event, Ambassador Doan Xuan Hung praised the Club members’ hard work over the year and expressed his belief that activities organised by the club in support of Truong Sa will attract the participation of more OVs in the future. On the occasion, the Club encouraged OVs to help fund the planting of trees on the islands in an effort to restore the abundant flora that was destroyed by storms late last year. Together with 6,750 Euros raised at the event, the Club will hand over 10,000 Euros to five people who are set to visit Truong Sa in mid-April, where they will present the funds to Truong Sa residents and soldiers. VNN