Social News 22/6 Ben Tre: 872 cases of dengue fever recorded in six months Up to 872 cases of dengue fever, including one death, have been reported in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre in the last six months, tripling those in the same period last year. According to Vice Director of the provincial Health Department Vo Hong Khanh, the districts of Binh Dai, Thanh Phu and Mo Cay Nam recorded the largest numbers of dengue infections. To cope with the situation, the province’s health sector has intensified supervision of dengue developments. Campaigns to raise public awareness of the importance of hygienic practices and waste collection, and those to spray mosquito repellent in high-risk areas have been operated across the locality, contributing to containing the spread of the disease. Locals were recommended to use mosquito nets and cover tightly water containers to hinder mosquitoes from laying eggs. They were also advised to swiftly go for a medical examination to timely detect the disease. HCM City approves anti-poverty programme The HCM City People’s Committee has approved an action plan for a national poverty alleviation project that will be piloted in the city. The project called “Support for reduction of multi-dimensional poverty in urban areas” with an outlay of 8.17 billion VND (366,300 USD) is funded by the United Nations Development Programme. It will monitor and analyse multi-dimensional poverty in urban areas, especially poverty among migrants and labourers in the informal sector, on a regular basis to provide inputs for development and implementation of poverty reduction policies and programmes and socio-economic development in the city. Multi-dimensional poverty issues, particularly poverty among migrants and labourers in the informal sector, will be addressed in the city through creative and effective poverty alleviation and socio-economic policies based on accurate and transparent inputs. PM urges further press renovation Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked media agencies nationwide to make ceaseless renovations so as to further promote their core role in providing information for the people during a meeting with journalists nationwide on June 21 on the occasion of the 91 st anniversary of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day. “Journalists must be continually innovative and creative to find out new methods and contents in order to meet the people’s demands,” he said, adding that the success of the press contributes to protecting the Party and the socialist regime as well as developing the country. Hailing journalists’ efforts over the past years, he noted that the increasingly complicated regional and global situation requires more attempts of the media in the cause of national protection and development. He expressed hope that Vietnam’s revolutionary press will continue to effectively popularise the Party and State’s policies and laws, while rejecting wrongful allegations and creating social consensus. The PM also called on journalists to join the cabinet’s efforts to build a professional and modern administration system and an incorruptible, transparent and effective government. The press should also make more contributions to the reform of administrative procedures to better serve people and businesses, he added. During the meeting, reporters also voiced their proposals to the government on how to enhance the efficiency of coordination in carrying news on the government’s activities, as well as specific policies to increase the effectiveness of the media system. Bac Giang asked to do more for closer people-Party ties Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai has suggested the northern province of Bac Giang design better support policies for locals to foster the close relations between the people and the Party. During a working with provincial leaders on June 21, she asked the province to build a dialogue mechanism to help deal with problems facing local people, while associating the mass mobilisation with government building. Bac Giang should also focus on enhancing the capacity of mass mobilisation officials in State agencies, while continuing to specifying mobilisation activities in the coming time in accordance to the resolution of the 12th Party Congress, she said. She also praised efforts of the localities over the past years in Party and government building. So far, Bac Giang has had over 2.4 million mass mobilisation groups with 5,000 “clever mass mobilisation” models covering all social areas, which contributed to promoting people’s patriotic movements as well as socio-economic development activities. Over the past five years, the province mobilised over 366 billion VND and 1.5 million square metres of land and thousands of working days donated by individuals and collectives for the building of rural infrastructure system. Earlier the same day, Mai and her delegation visited a number of successful litchi and orange farms in Luc Ngan district. She also had a working session with Luc Ngan district officials, during which she proposed that the locality focus on reducing the poverty ratio in a sustainable manner by developing effective production models, while renovating mass mobilisation work to call for stronger involvement of the people in the national development and construction. Top legislator inspects Cao Bang’s rural development The northern mountainous province of Cao Bang should redefine its development priority list and should focus investments on agriculture and rural areas, suggested National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. The NA Chairwoman and her entourage had a working session with provincial leaders on June 21 to examine the locality’s accomplishments of socio-economic targets, its construction of new-style rural areas from 2010-2016 and agriculture restructuring. Though Cao Bang made effort in connecting producers of farm products and export markets, it should take measures to address the slow pace of economic restructuring, she said. The province’s proposal on promoting regional connectivity as part of transport connections to create more trading opportunities needs to be considered thoroughly, she noted. The legislator also realised that the combined modern rural area construction and agricultural restructuring programme is a hard nut to crack for Cao Bang when only two out of its 177 participating communes have met the set criterion over the past five years. She affirmed that the National Assembly will consider the allocation of capital for the programme for localities nationwide in the coming time. The locality paid attention to developing agricultural and forest production, as well as holding dialogues with enterprises to help them overcome difficulties in business and production. In the first half of 2016, its industrial production value is estimated at 1.08 trillion VND (48.4 million USD). The same day, the top legislator visited Nam Tuan commune in Hoa An district, requesting the district to exert more efforts to improve the living conditions for locals, citing the high percentage of poor households, 35.7 percent of the population. Earlier, she visited the Pac Bo national special relic site in Ha Quang district, where late President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from February 8, 1941 to late March 1941. Journalists urged to build HCM City’s strong authorities Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang called on journalists to join hands in developing a transparent and strong authorities during a meeting on June 21 on the occasion of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day. Thang hailed the press for its contributions to the city’s comprehensive and remarkable development over the past 40 years. Journalists have helped convey both positive and negative feedback from the public to the authorities, which have strengthened connections between the two sides, he stressed. He expressed his hope that journalists will continue shaping model mindset, spread the thoughts and moral virtues of President Ho Chi Minh, prevent crimes, and give suggestions to policymakers. The city’s leaders are ready to acquire feedback about negative occurrences in any State agencies or units, he said. All possible support will be provided for the media members to perform their tasks, he promised. VFF leader meets pilot in SU30 MK2 accident President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on June 21 visited and presented gifts to Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, a surviving pilot on the aircraft SU30 MK2 that recently went missing in the waters of central Nghe An province. The aircraft SU30 MK2 with two pilots went missing at 6:50 am of June 14 during a training session in the area of Hon Mat Island, about 40km off the coast of Nghe An’s Vinh city. Cuong, who is also the head of the SU30 fighter squadron under Division 371’s Regiment 923 of the Air Defence – Air Force Service, was in stable condition when he was found by fisherman Pham Van Le from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh. He was carried back to the mainland on June 15 and is currently under treatment at the central military hospital 108 in Hanoi. Nhan wished that Cuong would recover soon, and pledged that the VFF will help him settle down his life and work. Cuong expressed thanks to the Party, State, the VFF and medical staff of Military Hospital 108, and said he wants to recover soon to return to work. Hospitals fail to gain effective IT access Most hospitals in Vietnam have failed to access information technology effectively as they don’t have appropriate software to satisfy their demands. The information was revealed at an event held by the Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association (HCA) on June 21 to introduce the 2016 conference on Vietnam’s panorama of information technology-communication. According to HCA General Secretary Vu Anh Tuan, information technology is mainly applied at provincial and central level hospitals, resulting in independent database, inopportune software upgrade and mistakes in handling health insurance payment. Therefore, the management and use of medical database is an urgent need for the health sector, he stressed. According to a survey conducted by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), Ho Chi Minh City’s health sector annually provides check-ups and treatment for 40 million patients, causing overloads at hospitals. Thus, the application of IT will help hospitals have more measures to gradually fix their existing problems. Scheduled for June 23-24, the 2016 conference on Vietnam’s panorama of information technology-communication will provide an overview of the smart health care system as well as new trends of IT application in the sector. Airbus to help investigate crash of missing Vietnamese CASA plane Airbus, the maker of the sea patrol CASA plane which went missing on June 16, will cooperate with Vietnam to identify the reasons behind the incident, a Vietnamese televised statement showed June 21. Vietnam has almost located the position of the black box recorder of the missing sea patrol CASA plane and will retrieve it on June 22. The black box, at about 60 meters deep, will be recovered by divers, robots and other special devices. Airbus will analyze the black box recorder and debris to find out what had caused the accident under the supervision of Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense. The company will discuss the details of the crash with Vietnam as well as provide the country with human resources, equipment, technical and financial support. The information shared in the process will be kept confidential. “We are committed to doing our best to provide maximum technical support to Vietnam to identify the reasons of the accident as well as search for the missing military personnel,” said Jean Michel Caldagues, Airbus’ vice president for Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. On June 14, the Su-30MK2 Vietnamese fighter jet crashed offshore the central province of Nghe An. The jet had two pilots on board, one of whom, Major Nguyen Huu Cuong was rescued, but the other, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai, 43, was found dead at sea and has been brought ashore. A CASA-212-40 with nine people on board went missing on June 16 while searching for the Su-30MK2. Vietnam Ambassador joins India’s celebration of Int’l Yoga Day Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh stretched and bent along with more than 30,000 yoga practitioners at an outdoor session in New Delhi on June 21 to mark International Yoga Day. At the event, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to the mat and urged people to practice yoga for the sake of their health. In Vietnam, 500 Yoga instructors and practitioners participated in a mass yoga lesson at My Khe beach in the central city of Da Nang on June 19. The activity was co-organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, the Vietnam-India Friendship Association of Da Nang city, and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. The United Nations designated June 21 the world yoga day in December 2014, gathering support from over 190 countries. The date was first celebrated last year, with a session in New Delhi joined by more than 35,000 people and breaking two world records. Truong Sa, Hoang Sa spotlighted in Lam Dong exhibition An exhibition of historical evidence proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos opened in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on June 21. The event is jointly held by the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC), and the Da Lat Academy of Ground Force. On display are numerous documents and around 130 pictures, maps and publications of scholars, researchers both home and aboard. Especially, a collection of 19 royal documents from the Nguyen Dynasty from the 17 th to the outset of the 20 th century (1820-1945), reflecting Vietnam’s continuous and legal sovereignty over these islands. The event contributes to increase people and Vietnamese Overseas’ awareness of solidarity, the country’s inviolable sovereignty over the two archipelagos and its stance on protection of sea and island sovereignty. All exhibits will be given to the Da Lat Academy of Ground Force after the exhibition. Da Nang: Travel agency fined over poor management The Da Nang-based Trade and Tourism Ltd Company L will have its business license revoked for poor management over its clients, according to the tourism authority of central Da Nang city. The company organised a package tour for a group of 25 Chinese tourists visited the city from June 12-16. These tourists were then caught to disturb public order, burn Vietnamese banknotes and use foreign currency to pay for services at TV club on June 14 night. The company’s license on international travel service will be invalidated from six to 12 months. It will also be fined up to 30 million VND (1,350 USD) for infringing Decree No 158/2013/ND-CP on tourism activities. According to Vice Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Tran Chi Cuong, strict punishments will be given to travel companies’ violations as part of effort to require them to improve their operation management, especially over services provided to foreign tourists. Vietnam’s Kilo-class submarine brigade honoured Vietnamese government has awarded the Navy’s Submarine Brigade 189 the third class Medal for Fatherland Protection in a ceremony to celebrate its five years of establishment, a government statement released on June 21 showed. Brigade 189 was founded in June 20, 2011 and is based in Cam Ranh Naval Base in the central province of Khanh Hoa. It is in charge of operating the diesel-powered 636 Varshavyanka (kilo)-class submarines that Vietnam in 2009 inked deals to buy from Russia to enhance the country's capacity to defend its territorial waters. Russia has already handed over five out of the total six submarines. “Up to now the Brigade has fully mastered the five submarines,” the Vietnamese government statement said. The first submarine, the Hanoi, arrived in Cam Ranh in January 2014. The 73.8m-long submarine can operate at a maximum depth of 300 meters and at a range of 6,000-7,500 nautical miles for 45 days and nights with 52 crew members. It has the quietest engine in the world and is the best choice for reconnaissance and patrols. The other fours are named as Ho Chi Minh, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang. The last one, the Ba Ria Vung Tau, is expected to be delivered to Vietnam in the end of this year. Central Highlands provinces to green additional 71,000 hectares The Central Highlands provinces plan to plant 71,101 hectares of forests besides protecting over 2.25 million hectares of natural forests by 2020, according to the Standing Board of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region. The plantations include 5,500 hectares of special use forest, 7,350 hectares of protection forest and 47,500 hectares of production forest. In addition to maintaining forest land without using it for other purposes, except projects related to national security and defence, the regional localities will revoke forest areas housing projects that break regulations on forest development and give strict punishments to any violations. Regarding forest land swapped for other purposes, the provinces need to keep close watch on the reforesting progress. Furthermore, afforestation has been made in over 73,000 hectares of land, increasing the forest coverage to 49.8%. The Steering Committee noted the low progress of forest plantation in the localities, with 48,543 hectares of forest grown during 2011-2015, accounting for 4.4% of the nation’s forest areas. Regional fertile soil is suitable for farmers to plant other high-value industrial trees, making forest plantation less competitive than other long-term trees like coffee and pepper. On the other hand, forest growing is also less attractive to farmers due to natural calamities, forest fires and pets and diseases. The Central Highlands has a total land area of 54,261 square kilometres. The region holds a key strategic position in the national economy, politics, security and defence. Forest protection and development in the region is significant to water resources, ecological environment and socio-economic development of south central and southeastern coastal provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that the total area of forest and land zoned for forestry in the region stood at nearly 3.4 million hectares. The area of forest land decreased 180,000 hectares compared to 2010. From 2010 and 2014, regional forest reserves dropped from 327.5 million cubic metres in 2010 to 270.5 million cubic metres in 2015. In 2015, competent agencies uncovered 6,034 cases of violations of regulations on forest protection and development, up 463 cases against the figure recorded in 2014. 2,000 Pentaxim vaccine doses to be delivered As many as 2,000 additional five-in-one Pentaxim vaccine doses will be made available to children aged under two in Hà Nội. Children born between June 22, 2014, and April 22, 2016, and have not been vaccinated are eligible to register for the vaccine. According to the Hà Nội Centre for Preventive Medicine, registration for the vaccine will only be accepted online through the centre’s website at www.ytdhanoi.gov.vn from 9am tomorrow. Earlier this month, the centre offered 3,500 Pentaxim vaccine doses to children. The five-in-one Pentaxim vaccine is a combination of five different vaccines that protect infants against five common, potentially fatal, childhood diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and hepatitis B, as well as Haemophilus influenza Type B. As part of the expanded national immunisation programme, free Quinvaxem vaccination is provided to prevent these five diseases. Parents seem to prefer the paid Pentaxim vaccine instead of the free Quinvaxem vaccine because they are afraid of the latter’s side effects following local reports of infant fatalities after being vaccinated. However, there is hardly any scientific evidence linking the vaccination programme with these deaths. Over the last few years, Việt Nam has seen parents refusing the free Quinvaxem and delaying vaccinations for their babies, preferring to wait for the Pentaxim vaccine. This reluctance is said to be threatening the babies’ health and public health in general. Lai Châu Province waterlogged after morning rain Heavy rain that occurred in many places in the northern mountainous province of Lai Châu from 7am to 10am on Tuesday, will help temporarily reduce the intensity of drought and prolonged hot weather. Lai Châu Province’s hydrometeorological forecasting centre said the average rainfall was measured from 25.2mm at Sìn Hồ meteorological station to 52.4mm at Nậm Xe in the region. The highest rainfall was at Lai Châu City centre, at approximately 100mm. Heavy rain caused flooding and traffic jams in several places in the city centre.    Specifically, in two wards of Đoàn Kết and Quyết Tiến, serious flooding caused problems for approximately 40 local households. The deepest water levels of one metre has made travel difficult for locals, leading to the mobilisation of police and military forces to help residents carry furniture and belongings out of flooded areas. Nguyễn Bá Hùng, deputy chairman of Quyết Tiến Ward People’s Committee said the seriously flooded areas were age-old residential quarters with narrow sewer systems that always suffered water-logging after heavy rain. Rescue forces had to lift the sewer cover up to provide more drainage. A source from the city People’s Committee said the flooding had subsided by early afternoon.        The rainy season is coming and as many flood-prone areas are unprepared, the city authorities said they would arrange for workers to monitor the situation around the clock so that adequate precautions could be taken to assist residents.    The city authorities also said they would co-ordinate with the environmental office to tackle the flood situation.     Lai Châu Province’s hydrometeorological forecasting centre warned medium and heavy rains would occur in the whole province in the coming months. It said flash floods and landslides were liable to happen at many areas, so it had established the first natural calamity risk level. The National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting earlier warned north-west mountainous areas of Lai Châu, Điện Biên and Lào Cai provinces can expect medium-and heavy rains. Hà Nội bag 3 golds at youth fencing tourney Hà Nội has pocketed three gold medals to lead the National U23 Fencing Championship in Hải Dương Province. Nguyễn Xuân Lợi of Hà Nội defeated Vũ Văn Hùng from Hải Phòng 15-13 to win the men’s sabre event. Bùi Thị Thu Hà of Hải Phòng triumphed in the women’s sabre after her 15-5 win over Nguyễn Minh Hằng from the host city. Earlier, Đỗ Thị Anh brought the second gold for Hà Nội after winning 15-7 over Phạm Thị Ngọc Luyến of Bắc Ninh to take the women’s foil title. Nguyễn Minh Quang trounced HCM City’s Chiến Thắng 15-9 on the men’s side to take the third title for Hà Nội. HCM City’s Nguyễn Phước Đến beat Hanoian Trần Út Ngọc 15-6 in the men’s epee class. And Nguyễn Phương Kim from HCM City championed on the women’s side, beating Bắc Ninh Province’s Nguyễn Thị Quyên 15-12. After the individual categories, athletes will take part in the team events. The championship, which draws more than 100 athletes from six cities and provinces, wraps up tomorrow. All rural residents to get clean water by 2020 All rural residents across the nation will get at least 60 litres of clean water each per day by 2020 under the National Target Programme for Rural Water and Sanitation, Director of the National Centre for Clean Water and Rural Environment Sanitation Le Thieu Son said. Towards the target, the Centre will take a number of measures to align the rural water supply and sanitation development plan with the national target programme on developing new-style rural area, Son said at a workshop in Hanoi on June 21. The Centre will focus on transferring suitable technologies in the field to disadvantaged localities and areas vulnerable to climate change and natural calamities, according to Son. Additionally, it will offer technical support for investors in the field and assistance to households in installing water treatment devices to improve water quality. According to the Centre, there are 16,220 rural collective clean water supply projects across the nation, of which 1,804 systems are under the management of the Centre. As of 2015, some 86 percent of rural people had access to sanitary water. The proportion of rural people using water that meets national safety standards was 45 percent while 65 percent of rural households had hygienic toilet facilities. Most local health care centres and schools in rural areas were equipped with hygienic water and toilet facilities. Vietnam pilot posthumously awarded medal, promotion Colonel Tran Quang Khai who died in a crash landing last week received a posthumous bravery award on June 21 along with a promotion to senior lieutenant colonel, retroactive to the date of his death. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Thanh, commissar of the Air Defence-Air Force Service, made the presentation of the National Protection Order to the surviving spouse and family members of Colonel Tran Quang Khai.   Colonel Khai and co-pilot Major Nguyen Huu Cuong went missing on June 14 in an Su-30MK2 aircraft during a training mission off the coast of the central province of Nghe An. Major Cuong was rescued by fishermen the following day. VNA launches “Europe- Dream in hand” program The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) launched its preferential program under theme of “ Europe- Dream in hand” for its international routes of Hanoi, HCMC/ London (the U.K), Hanoi, HCMC/ Paris (France), Hanoi, HCMC/ Framkfurt (Germany) and cities of Europe departuring from now to September 30. Accordingly, the passengers will receive preferential ticket up to 30 percents in comparison with the lowest price as they buy economy class ticket. Particularly, the return ticket from Hanoi, HCMC to London (the U. K) costs from VND 19, 5 million (US$ 850), Hanoi, HCMC – Paris (France) at VND 21, 5 million (US$ 950) and Hanoi to cities of Europe at VND 23, 5 million (US$ 1, 050) The destinations belong to Europe are Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Saint Helier, Leeds, Manchester (the U. K), Dublin (Ireland); Berlin, Hannover, Hamburg, Munich (Germany), Geneva, Zurich (Switzerland), Bologna, Milan, Rome, Venice (Italia), Barcelona, Madrid (Spain), Helsinki (Finland), Brussels (Belgium), Oslo (Norway), Vienna (Austria), Copenhagen (Denmark), Warsaw (Poland), Amsterdam (Holland). The above prices exclude taxes and other additional fees. Mekong countries share land governance experiences Government officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, which border the Mekong River, shared land governance experiences at a forum which opened in Hanoi on June 21. The three-day function features nearly 20 panel discussions, during which the officials, along with scientists and businesspersons, are set to exchange experiences and suggest solutions to ensure transparent and fair land access for farmers and enterprises, thus driving sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. Jochem Lange, Country Director of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), said ensuring responsible and sustainable investment in land is vital for socio-economic development. At the forum, Ngo Dong Hai, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Affairs, said in the current industrialisation and modernisation, land resources have not been managed and exploited effectively. Land degradation and pollution has reached an alarming rate in many areas, while drought and saltwater intrusion are threatening others. Sustainably developing land resources is critically important to the sustainable development of Vietnam, he added. Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnam is strongly restructuring agriculture with a view to enhancing the sector’s added value and sustainable development. To do that, it must remove policy obstacles, especially those related to land – the basic means of production in agriculture and forestry. The forum was held as part of the Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG) project, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The MRLG project aims to assist the Mekong countries to issue solutions to challenges they are facing during the building and implementation of land governance policies and legal regulations. PM urges Dak Lak to accelerate economic restructuring Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the authorities of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak to boost economic restructuring in a more practical manner during a working session with local leaders on June 21. The Government leader suggested the locality pay heed to fostering agricultural production, seeking and expanding markets for farm products, and running campaigns to promote agricultural products and trademarks. He also required Dak Lak to examine its land fund and mechanisms to reasonably distribute cultivation land to locals, towards facilitating agricultural production and private economic development and improving locals’ living conditions. While speaking highly of the local authorities’ determination to develop Buon Ma Thuot city into a centre of the region, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged the province to focus on ensuring water for production and daily use, effectively preventing deforestation and minimising migration that is hindering the locality from realising its growth targets. He underlined the necessary for Dak Lak to well perform ethnic and religious policies and encourage start-up activities, while taking measures to improve its investment climate and provincial competitiveness index (PCI) in the spirit of Resolutions 19 and 35 of the Government. According to Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Thanh Nghi, Dak Lak will focus on building new-style rural areas in a practical and comprehensive manner, aiming to bring sustainable interests to local farmers. The locality will strongly invest in agricultural production and industries serving agriculture as well as develop energy, services and tourism, he stressed. Dak Lak has submitted a proposal to the Government to build the York Don National Tourism Site on the basis of the York Don National Park, with a view to laying a foundation for pushing local economic and tourism development in the future. Agreeing in principle with the locality’s proposal, the PM requested relevant ministries and sectors, and the local authorities to strictly abide by regulations on forest development and environmental protection in the national park. The site should also serve as a centre for training and performing traditional art forms of Central Highlands ethnic minority groups, contributing to preserving the unique cultural values of the region, he stressed. Dak Lak has been one of the localities hardest hit by prolonged drought in the Central Highlands. However, it still maintained a stable socio-economic development, with estimated Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) hitting VND16.5 trillion (US$742.5 million) in the first two quarters of this year, up 4.6 percent year-on-year. It also made remarkable achievements in budget collection, poverty reduction, and support for people in drought-hit areas. Temple honoring royal mandarin Nguyen Huu Canh opens in HCM City A temple commemorating royal mandarin Nguyen Huu Canh was inaugurated in the National Historical Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 9 on June 20. The ceremony was attended by Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang, former Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai, standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Tat Thanh Cang, chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, former chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Hoang Quan, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh city Party Committee Vo Thi Dung, representatives of the Nguyen Huu Canh’s family and the government of Quang Binh province-home of mandarin Nguyen Huu Canh. The 7,440 square meter temple is designed in accordance with the Vietnamese-style southern traditional architecture. The materials were taken in used like wood, brick, and tile. Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong emphasized that the Mandarin Nguyen Huu Canh Temple will become a place of education for our rich national history and traditions and youth patriotism. Nguyen Huu Canh (1650-1700), was born in Chuong Tin Commune, Phong Loc District of Quang Binh Province. He was a famous army commander and an excellent administrator. He is credited for expanding our territories to the south and laying foundations for the city of Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City. Seminar to discuss smart healthcare solutions The Viet Nam Information and Communication Technologies Outlook (VIO 2016) to be held in HCM City on Friday will discuss the application of IT in healthcare and the latest trends in IT solutions in the sector and feature an overview of smart healthcare. IT and technology are increasingly used in the medical sector, especially in diagnosing and treating diseases, Vu Anh Tuan, general secretary of the HCM City Computer Association, said. But many hospitals in Viet Nam do not utilise IT solutions effectively, he said. The Ministry of Health has issued directions for promoting IT use in healthcare, but many hospitals have not identified appropriate software, he said. Medical data management and exploitation is an urgent requirement in the medical sector to improve diagnosis and treatment, he said. The Friday seminar, with the theme Digital Era for Healthcare Sector, hopes to create close links between the healthcare sector and the information and technology sectors, he added. A function to give away awards to the country's top five ICT companies will be organised on June 23. Tuan said the awards aim to recognise, popularise, honour, and encourage firms in the ICT industry and foster their competitiveness. Organised by the HCA at Gem Centre, the two events will attract 1,000 healthcare and information and communications officials from HCM City and other cities and provinces, chiefs of hospitals and clinics, and local and foreign ICT experts. Veteran actress directs first movie First-time director Hồng Ánh is making a motion picture about young Vietnamese people set in the chaotic reality of a multi-cultural society. The movie, titled Đảo Của Dân Ngụ Cư (The Island of Aliens), is adapted from Đỗ Phước Tiến’s story. Set in a seaside town in Việt Nam, The Island of Aliens follows the characters’ journey in their search for happiness and the meaning of life. It vividly depicts Việt Nam’s multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society. The story is told from the viewpoint of Phước, a restaurant chef’s assistant, who portrays the desperation of the characters in their search for happiness. The other characters include a Chinese-Vietnamese businessman and his daughter, an Indian-Vietnamese businessman and a Khmer southern Vietnamese. “I am haunted by the loneliness of the characters and their dreams of freedom,” director Ánh said. “They come from different parts of the country and live together in an isolated space at a time of changing values in Việt Nam.” “I would like to share their loneliness, which is sometimes born of their own rules and narrow dreams.” The intent is to present the movie at international film festivals before the national release in 2017. Ánh said she read the script some 10 years ago and intended to produce the movie and act in it, but the project did not pan out. Ánh said she was inspired by Hong Kong director Wang Kar-wai and would be influenced by his style in her first motion picture. “I will make the movie according to director Wang’s style of colour and slow rhythm. There will be long periods without dialogue,” she said. "The cinematography will consist of long takes in contrast to repeated fixed wide shots. The sounds will be recorded from real life and from old and well-known love songs, with silence in-between.” The movie will be shot by veteran cameraman Lý Thái Dũng in Hội An township in the central province of Quảng Nam and the central city of Huế. The cast comprises a combination of young talent and established actors and actresses from the Vietnamese film industry. Ngọc Thanh Tâm, an emerging actress, will star as the female lead. Being introduced to the silver screen for the first time as the male lead, singer-songwriter Phạm Hồng Phước will be the wow factor in the film. In a supporting role, Nhan Phúc Vinh promises to surprise the audience with his new image. Two Vietnamese veteran actors Hoàng Phúc and Ngọc Hiệp will also return to the cinema after a long break. The Island of Aliens was penned by author Tiến in 1992. It was translated into French and English. Famed writer Nguyễn Quang Lập wrote the movie script in 1996. “The story of The Island of Aliens can never be out of date,” director Ánh said. “I will make a movie according to my own interpretation.” The movie is an arthouse film being produced by Ánh’s studio Blue Production and Live Media. Hồng Ánh is an established actress and has won several awards, including the best actress title at the Dubai Film Festival in 2008. PM demands mitigating accidents caused by UXO The Prime Minister has instructed relevant agencies to take comprehensive measures to minimise damage and injuries caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO). Directive No. 20/CT-TTg requires relevant ministries, agencies, and the State Steering Committee for the National Mine Action Programme, also known as Programme 504, and People’s Committees of provinces and cities to strengthen the responsibility of the whole political system in the work. Communication campaigns are to be boosted to raise awareness of UXO danger, thus helping people avoid UXO-related accidents, especially in the Central and Central Highlands regions. The PM orders the dissemination of knowledge of unexploded ordnance as well as regulations on the storage, trade and use of wartime bomb and mine, explosives and weapons. Relevant ministries and agencies are assigned to revise legal documents, policies and regulations in the field. He requests relevant bodies and localities, particularly at communal level to increase inspection and deal with related violations. The PM also urged the research of suitable mechanisms to provide support for UXO victims. Priority will be given to the upgrade of civil-military health care facilities in remote and farflung areas, particularly in UXO-contaminated areas. According to statistical data, around 30 percent of explosions are triggered through reckless acts by people collecting, storing, trading, sawing or dismantling UXO. The remaining explosions are unexpectedly caused by those, including children, who live in areas contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Recent explosions included the one in the Van Phu urban area in Ha Dong district, Hanoi, on March 19 which killed five people and injured 10 others and another in Duc Binh Tay commune, Song Hinh district, Phu Yen central province which cost three lives. Vietnamese dubbed ‘son of forest’ runs 150km for environment A Vietnamese university student has completed a 150 kilometer run from Ho Chi Minh City to a national park in the southern province of Dong Nai to raise awareness of deforestation. Phan Ba Lanh, a freshman from the Foreign Trade University in Ho Chi Minh City, has run 150 kilometers from the southern city to Nam Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai, to spread the message of ‘making the forest green again.’ Lanh dropped out of school when he was in 11th grade and decided to leave his hometown for Hanoi. At the age of 17, he was living by himself in the capital, surviving by cleaning dishes, serving tables, parking motorcycles and working at an Internet café. Phan Ba Lanh during the journey from Ho Chi Minh City to the southern province of Dong Nai “Working on the streets made me realize that many people have poor environmental awareness. With a different perspective on life, I decided to return home to finish high school and go to university,” Lanh said. Following several outstanding environmental protection efforts during his time in university, Lanh began to plan his own projects, including the 150-kilometer-long journey which he named ‘son of the forest.’ His plan was sketched out for a long time, as Lanh physically prepared by running 10 kilometers on a daily basis. It also included the help of a partner, who would carry food, water, and other supplies by motorbike. However, it took a long time for the young student to find a partner, as most of his friends kept refusing. “I was frustrated at first. Going alone would be risky, and I would only be able to walk if I had to carry luggage with me,” Lanh stated. “I was, however, determined that the journey had to be carried out no matter what. Once a quitter, always a quitter,” he said. However, one of Lanh’s friends finally agreed to help him the day before his trip, with the pair only having one night to set out the specific schedule. In order to finish the journey in three days as planned, Lanh had to start at 4:00 am and complete 50 kilometers every day. The run began with difficulty as the road out of the city was filled with traffic and exhaust fumes from vehicles. Lanh took short breaks every five kilometers to refill himself with snacks and water. “Sometimes I couldn’t rest because of the heat and the lack of shade in the city, which made my attempt even more meaningful,” the young student said. “Though my feet were sore, swelling and starting to bleed on the last day, I tried to keep up with the schedule,” he continued. As Lanh approached his destination, he was nearly worn out, and suffering from sun-stroke that forced him to take more rest. “The pain made me want to give up. However, the green trees along the path gave me energy. I felt as if I could run for as long as I wanted,” Lanh said. “I was overwhelmed with emotion the moment I crossed the ‘finish line.’ The journey has been a great motivation for my upcoming environmental protection projects,” he added. Lanh shared his plan for another run aimed at raising awareness of preserving the environment, educating youths on green businesses, and gathering funds to grow six hectares of mangrove in the south-central province of Binh Dinh. He will also continue preparing for a journey across the whole of Vietnam. Vietnam Festa in Kanagawa 2016 to open in October The second Vietnam festival in Kanagawa is scheduled for October 28-30 in Yokohama city. This was announced at a press conference held by authorities of Kanagawa prefecture and the Vietnamese embassy in Japan on June 20.    The event marks the development of cultural exchange between the two countries, which has been expanded to not only Tokyo but also other localities in Japan. It aims to introduce Vietnamese culture to Japanese people and contribute to the fine development of Vietnam-Japan relations. The first Vietnam festival in Kanagawa (Vietnam Festa in Kanagawa 2015) made a good impression on the people of Kanagawa. Addressing the press conference, Vietnamese ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong expressed belief that this year’s festival will further develop the relationship between Vietnam and Kanagawa and open up prospects for bilateral cooperation. Diverse activities will be held this year to strengthen economic, trade, tourism and cultural connectivity between Vietnam and Kanagawa. Visitors will have an opportunity to enjoy cultural, art and music performances and fashion shows and taste Vietnam traditional dishes. Vietnamese localities and enterprises will showcase their products at 100 pavilions during the festival. This year’s event is expected to attract over 400,000 people. More than 600,000 jobs created in five months As many as 613,800 jobs were created in the first five months of the year, achieving 38.3% of the year’s plan and equal to 96.2% of the same period last year, said Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan. A total number of 573,000 domestic jobs were created, fulfilling 38.2% of the year’s plan, and 43,800 Vietnamese workers worked abroad, reaching 43.9% of the plan. As of May 2016, 82,585 foreigners are working in Viet Nam. Regarding labor export issue, Viet Nam inked a Memorandum of Understanding on labor cooperation with the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will synchronously launch a number of measures to increase labor exports to Japan, Taiwan and China. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE