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Now the delayed Olympics have actually finished, many of us are perhaps left with many mixed emotions and reactions across the globe. It was no secret that the Japanese would lose even more by cancelling the games for a second time, so there was a financial incentive to go ahead. However, with the Covid pandemic peeking just as the athletes started to arrive, public sentiment in Japan was firmly saying they should cancel the games. After 17 days of competing, the IOC with the help of the Japanese organizing committee seemed to have pulled off the impossible. The coverage on TV was of course slightly quieter than normal due to lack of spectators, however with fellow competitors, coaches, media, and local volunteers cheering and clapping, it didn’t seem to matter. And with so many new disciplines introduced for the first time, such as Skateboarding and Speed Climbing making compulsive watching, the 2020 games became cool and trendy, and it delivered. Surely the point is to grow the sports, and to encourage youngsters everywhere to put down their mobiles and start participating too. Seeing 13-year old’s winning medals will inspire many kids to follow in their footsteps. That has to be a bonus. However, the biggest winners have to be all of us sitting at home watching, many in lock down. But for 17 days competing and enjoying these talented competitors, we were able to watch on TV and for a while Covid was not at the top of the agenda. So, what did you get out of watching the 2020 Olympics?

The Saigon Bridge has few traffic at 5:30 p.m. on July 26, 2021, minutes before the city's night movement ban came into effect. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen. The prolonged ongoing Covid-19 pandemic across Vietnam has pushed the country down to last place on the Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index. Vietnam slipped 20 places in two months, from 100th in June to 114th in early July and now to 120th with the latest score of 22.0, tied with Thailand. China (74.0) leads the recovery index, followed by New Zealand (69.5) and Hungary (69.0). The Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index ranks more than 120 countries and territories on infection management, vaccine rollouts and social mobility. According to VN Express, a higher ranking indicates that a country or region is closer to recovery with low numbers of Covid-19 cases, better vaccination rates or less strict social distancing measures. Since April 27, 2021, when the new wave hit Vietnam, the country had recorded 201,692 local cases in 62 cities and provinces. Since Sunday morning. HCMC leads the tally with 119,802 cases, followed by industrial hubs Binh Duong with 25,906 and Long An with 10,115. The number of recoveries since the start of the pandemic is 66,637, while the death toll stands at 3,250. Hanoi, HCMC and many other southern localities had to impose social distancing orders to try and reduce the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus. The order has been in effect in HCMC for more than two months. Hanoi authorities have decided to extend social distancing for another two weeks, until August 22. During that period, people must stay at home and not venture out except for essential purposes such as buying food or medication. All non-essential activities have been halted. Over 8.5 million people have received at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccination. Of these, at least 888,500 have been fully vaccinated.

MANILA – Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino announced on Sunday that additional cash benefits will be given to the four athletes who won medals for the Philippines during the Tokyo Olympics. Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam The two boxers thanked Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino for announcing additional cash incentives and house and lot for medalists of Tokyo Olympics during an online press conference on Sunday (Aug. 28, 2021). Tolentino said the POC will give additional P3 million for gold, P2 million for silver and P1 million for bronze winners. (Screengrab from Zoom press conference) "With some of the savings of the POC, I'm now announcing that the bronze [medalist] will receive from the POC an additional PHP1 million, for the silver medalist, PHP2 million, for the gold [medalist], PHP3 million," Tolentino said in an online press conference from Tokyo. This means weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines' first ever Olympic gold medalist, will get PHP3 million more, silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio of boxing will bag PHP2 million each, and fellow pug Eumir Marcial will collect PHP1 million more for winning the bronze. Bronze winner Eumir Marcial Top SE Asian Country. The four-medal haul is the most a Philippine team has ever had in a single Olympiad even as it ended up as the top performing country in Southeast Asia this Olympics. Diaz’s win and the first Philippines golf medal was even mentioned by the BBC yesterday as won of the highlights of the 2020 games! Tolentino also announced that he will also give Paalam, Petecio, and Marcial a house and lot each like how he promised Diaz. "The two silvers and one bronze, I will also give them house and lot," Tolentino bared. Upon hearing the news, Marcial said, " There are so many blessings and we are thankful to the Lord that He used someone to help us and give us inspiration. We are so happy." Tolentino earlier said those who failed to win medals in Tokyo will receive PHP500,000 each from MVP Sports Foundation. The Philippines was represented by 19 athletes in the 2020 games and will send five para-athletes to Tokyo shortly. (PNA)

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday commended more police officers for going beyond their duty to help the people in need through various community projects. HELPING HAND. Police Corporals Jeofrey Bimmactad (left) and Amelyn Buyagan pose with Lolo Pedro and Lola Maria whom they helped get electricity for their home in Barangay Holowan, Lamut, Ifugao in this undated photo. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday (Aug. 8, 2021) commended the two police officers for going beyond their duty to help the poor elderly couple. (PNP photo) This, after Corporals Amelyn Buyagan and Joefrey Bimmactad of the Ifugao Provincial Mobile Force Company helped elderly couple (Lolo Pedro and Lola Maria) get electricity for their home in Barangay Holowan, Lamut, Ifugao. Eleazar cited Bayugan and Bimmactad for providing electrical materials for the power installation through the Ifugao Electric Cooperative under the Ifugao Provincial Police Office’s “Adopt a Grandparent” project. The two police personnel also gave the poor couple grocery items. Eleazar said this kindness and care should be emulated by other PNP offices and units. “This is the simplest way we can repay our elderly for their contributions to the development and growth of the next generations,” he said. "For us, small things but very important and a great service for those we help like Lola Maria and Lolo Pedro.” He also commended the Davao del Sur cops for installing a bio-sand filtration water system for the residents of Barangay Colonsabac in Matanao, Davao del Sur. Personnel from the Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay (R-PSB) in Colonsabac headed by Lt. Clabybourne Labisda with 2nd Provincial Mobile Force commander Lt. Col. Rey Santillan, were responsible for the water filtration system that was finally turned over to residents on Aug. 5. The project was part of the R-PSB’s development project aimed at providing communities with their basic needs, including the water filtration system for the potable water supply of Barangay Consabac and other nearby villages. “This project really goes beyond our responsibility as police personnel, but it is innate in all policemen to care for the communities we are part of and to look out for the welfare of others,” Eleazar said. Eleazar earlier lauded several police officers for helping the people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. (PNA)

MANILA – The Hong Kong government will lift the travel ban on the Philippines today Monday, allowing more than 3,000 stranded Filipino workers to fly back to their employers. In a news release by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Sunday, Labor Attaché Melchor Dizon said the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be allowed to travel to Hong Kong could exceed those stranded during the travel ban as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) continued to process job orders. HK authorities require a 14-day quarantine even for fully vaccinated workers upon arrival, according to DOLE. Dizon likewise encouraged OFWs in HK to take advantage of the privilege of choosing the brand of Covid-19 vaccines and the chance of getting cash and other incentives once they get inoculated. “We encourage our fellow Filipinos here in Hong Kong and those stranded in the Philippines to have themselves vaccinated against Covid-19. Otherwise, you will not be allowed entry into Hong Kong. This is also for your protection,” Dizon said. He noted that of about 220,000 OFWs in HK, less than 50 percent have availed of the vaccine of their choice even as the government has drawn incentive package. “There are lots of vaccine brands here (HK). You can choose your brand. There are also incentives if you are vaccinated,” Dizon said. The HK government is giving cash incentives to migrant workers and house and car to residents who get vaccinated. POLOs are required to validate the authenticity of a Covid-19 vaccination card or document of an OFW from the host country. According to a Bloomberg report on Aug. 3, Hong Kong has fully vaccinated 2.5 million people, or about 33 percent of its estimated 7.5 million population. The Hong Kong government also said only schools which achieve a 70-percent vaccination level among students can fully resume face-to-face classes by September. (PR)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is confident that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be able to win its fight against Covid-19 just as it hurdled various challenges in the past. Duterte made the remark as ASEAN commemorates its 54th founding anniversary. ASEAN member states, he said, are “no stranger to difficult times”, noting that their bonds of amity and solidarity have always pulled the regional bloc through. “Notwithstanding the difficulties we face as the Covid-19 pandemic enters its second year, I am confident that ASEAN will prevail as it has done so many times in the past,” he said in an official statement on Sunday night. He said he had no doubts that ASEAN member states would be able to overcome the problems they are currently facing. “ASEAN will continue to rise to present challenges and lead the region with renewed sense of purpose and an even firmer commitment to the ideals of peace, freedom, and prosperity,” he added. He emphasized the importance of working hand in hand to reach their shared goals. “As we celebrate our collective achievements and reflect on how far we have come as one community, may we always remember and value how much stronger we are together than on our own,” he said. Duterte also recognized ASEAN as Southeast Asia's “preeminent regional organization” and “one of the world's most successful institutions.” “The creation of ASEAN in 1967, in a period of great power rivalry and tensions, was indeed a bold, visionary step towards enduring peace and shared prosperity for the region,” he said. ASEAN, he added, has gone a long way from when it was first created in 1967. “With more than five decades of community building, ASEAN has gone from strength to strength as the friendship and cooperation among its members deepened,” he said. He described ASEAN as an “indispensable institution” for the promotion and preservation of peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Citing its considerable market and dynamic workforce, he said ASEAN is also an “important economic hub” contributing to global growth and development. Composed of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, ASEAN was established on Aug. 8, 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. It was later referred to as the ASEAN Declaration by the five founding members – Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. (PNA)

Workers living in an apartment complex in HCMC's Hoc Mon District line up to receive food provided by local authorities. Photo by VnExpress/Thu Thao. Most landlords in Ho Chi Minh City have reduced rental fees for poor workers and invited those from vulnerable communities to stay for free amid the pandemic. Pham Chi Tam, deputy chairman of the HCMC labor federation, said over 620 apartment owners across the city have agreed to cut down rental fees for over 34,000 tenants, totaling over VND5 billion. Amid the Covid-19 social distancing order, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested localities to provide support for residents so they could stay put and not return to their hometowns spontaneously, risking new infections. HCMC has given out financial packages worth billions of dong to help its poor and vulnerable communities during the pandemic, while also providing them food and other necessities. Private Landlords are helping Le Thi Hai Duong, 52, has been doing checks on her six-room apartment for the past few days to accommodate those in need for free. According to Vn Express. three years prior, Duong became the landlady of an apartment in Binh Thanh District after taking out a loan of over VND1 billion ($43,464) for construction. She rented the rooms, each spanning 25 square meters and equipped with existing furniture and appliances, to college students for VND2.5 million a month. But when the pandemic hit, those students had to return to their hometowns. As Covid-19 social distancing kicked in, Duong thought she could help those in dire circumstances with a place to stay for free. So, she contacted the Vietnamese Fatherland Front committee of Binh Thanh seeking help. Vo Thi Phuong Uyen, its deputy chairwomam, said Duong's offer would be communicated to 20 wards in Ho Chi Minh City. Local authorities would then find poor workers and those who could not return to their hometowns to help. Wards would provide free Covid-19 tests for potential tenants and make sure they test negative before moving in. "I will provide rice, noodles and other basic food items so people coming to stay can be self-isolated for at least another seven days," said Duong, adding that even though she has to pay around VND30 million each month to the bank, it is nothing compared to what others are facing during the pandemic. Around 20 kilometers from Duong's, Nguyen Thi Tien, 50, and her family in Hoc Mon District also gave up trying to return to their hometowns after their landlady said their rent would be wavered. "However much I made I had to send it all back to my hometown to pay off debts, so I have no saving," said Tien, adding she had to take out several loans six years prior to treat her only daughter from a severe illness. After the girl recovered, the family moved to HCMC to make a living. Tien sells fruits at Hoc Mon Market while her husband works in construction. Both lost their jobs when the pandemic hit, plunging their family into a precarious financial situation. Just last month, some of their friends invited them to return to An Giang to cut down on living expenses, but their apartment was locked down soon after, forcing them to stay put. "There's always been silver linings. When we were quarantined for 14 days, we received a lot of food, and a philanthropist even gave each unemployed worker VND800,000," Tien said while pointing at stacks of rice, noodles and eggs in a corner of her kitchen. When the lockdown was lifted, Tien's landlady Nguyen Thi Thanh announced that all rental fees for August would be wiped and convinced her tenants to stay. With the financial and sustenance burden lifted, Tien's family decided to hold out and wait for the storm to pass. 300 migrants get rent reductions There are around 300 migrant workers living in Tien's apartment complex. Just last month, their landlady had cut their rental fees by half and distributed rice or noodles. "I’ve been renting apartments for around 20 years, and have never seen workers facing such difficult conditions," Thanh said, adding prolonged social distancing in the city has forced many of her tenants to stay home without a job. Many are migrants from faraway localities like Nghe An or Ha Tinh in the north central region, some a bit closer like the Mekong Delta's An Giang and Ca Mau. Thanh thought it would be too dangerous for them to return to their hometowns on motorbike so decided to cut their rent and convince them to stay. "I used to have a hard life, so I know just a few hundred thousand dong could mean the world to those in need," she said, adding she would continue lowing the rent if the situation persists. Pham Chi Tam, deputy chairman of the HCMC labor federation, said over 620 apartment owners across the city have agreed to cut down rental fees for over 34,000 tenants, totaling over VND5 billion. Amid the Covid-19 social distancing order, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested localities to provide support for residents so they could stay put and not return to their hometowns spontaneously, risking new infections. HCMC has given out financial packages worth billions of dong to help its poor and vulnerable communities during the pandemic, while also providing them food and other necessities.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Vice President Kamala Harris is set to travel to Vietnam and Singapore later this month, becoming the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit Asia so far. "Her trip will build on the Biden-Harris Administration's message to the world: America is back," her office said in a statement. According to CNN, the statement continued, "Our Administration sees Asia as a critically important region in the world. The Vice President's visit will emphasize the importance of comprehensive engagement and strategic partnerships -- key components of our Administration's approach to foreign policy." During meetings with government officials, the private sector, and civil society leaders, Harris will share the Biden administration's vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, her office said, raise trade and security issues, including in the South China Sea, and promote economic cooperation. Harris will travel August 20 to August 26. Harris' chief spokesperson, Symone Sanders, said in a statement announcing the trip that the vice president will "engage the leaders of both governments on issues of mutual interest," noting that regional security, the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change will be areas of discussion. Harris will become the first vice president ever to visit Vietnam, and more broadly, it will be her first trip to the region as vice president and second international trip since taking office. Harris visited Guatemala and Mexico in early June as part of the administration's efforts to stem migration from the Northern Triangle, a trip marked by political missteps. President Joe Biden has yet to travel to the region since taking office, but the White House has underscored the importance of US relationships in the region with the first two world leaders to visit the White House in person, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Biden has repeatedly said that a central challenge of this moment is whether democracy can prevail over autocracy, with those regional partnerships crucial to his efforts to counter China's growing influence.

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According to a press release shared with Saigoneer by Save Vietnam's Wildlife (SVW), the Environmental Police Department of Nghe An asked Pu Mat National Park to receive seven live Indochinese tiger cubs that had been confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. SVW joined the Pu Mat staff, and the tigers were taken to the national park's rescue center where their health could be checked and monitored. After being given milk, the tiger cubs — which had been in a state of shock — began to recover and play with one another. According to SVW, "These animals will be fed exclusively with imported cat milk, and gradually will be switched to meat feeding. Veterinarians will also check health, test for viruses and bacteria to treat all 7 animals. In addition, they will be given supplemental drugs and products to increase calcium and are encouraged to participate in exercise activities to help develop good bones and joints." While the rescue of any animal from the wildlife trade is good news, there is an ongoing problem. A wild tiger has not been seen in Vietnam in over 20 years, meaning there are limited rescue facilities equipped to handle such massive animals. "However, Pu Mat National Park still agreed to coordinate with SVW to decide on the immediate solution of saving the seven tigers above to keep their chance to live, and at the same time, they are trying to take care of seven individuals. After that, the authorities will be proposed to transfer to the appropriate unit with full conditions and facilities to take care of the tigers." SVW adds that in 2016, the WorldWide Fund for Nature estimated that fewer than five tigers remain in Vietnam's forests, while there are 302 tigers legally living in captivity at 21 registered farms, zoos, and rescue centers. Nguyễn Văn Thái, SVW's director and recent winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, said: "There is no longer a chance to rescue tigers in the wild. So, there is no Rescue Center in Vietnam that is eligible to rescue the above seven tiger cubs at the present time. The fact that SVW, an NGO that directly carries out rescues and supports other rescue centers in Vietnam and ready to receive the above seven tiger cubs has shown that we are always ready to bring the best solution to help caring and rescue wildlife in time." For their immediate needs, SVW has issued a call for donations, as they estimate that VND100 million is needed per month care for the seven cubs, a figure that will increase as they grow. The NGO emphasized that, unfortunately, releasing the tigers to the wild is not feasible since they have lost their hunting instinct in captivity and are too used to humans. Illegal Breeders Astonishingly, while news of the rescued cubs was still being digested, police in Nghe An Province confiscated 17 live adult tigers from illegal breeders this morning, August 4. SVW is involved with those rescues as well, but given the challenges involved in caring for seven cubs, this developing situation just became far more difficult for the conservationists involved. Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is a national Non-profit organization that was founded on the critical need for more effective solutions to secure a future for Vietnamese wildlife. Donations badly needed For their immediate needs, SVW has issued a call for donations, as they estimate that VND100 million is needed per month care for the seven cubs, a figure that will increase as they grow. The NGO emphasized that, unfortunately, releasing the tigers to the wild is not feasible since they have lost their hunting instinct in captivity and are too used to humans. If you would like to help the SVW take care of these tigers and wish to donate click here.

Two teenagers who posed as militia members and extorted money from people during Hanoi's Covid-19 social distancing period are detained at a local police station, August 4, 2021. Photo courtesy of Hanoi police. Hanoi's Hoan Kiem District detained six teenage boys this week for posing as militia members and extorting money from people for violating social distancing measures. The arrested are 17-year old Nguyen Duc Anh, Pham Viet Duc and Nguyen Dac Thang; and 15-year-old Nguyen Duc Quan, Tran Minh Sang and Nguyen Van Tuong Huy. The teenagers allegedly targeted those who were not wearing masks or helmets or violating other social distancing rules. Then posing as militia members, they asked people to get off their vehicles and threatened to take them to police stations if they did not pay the money demanded. At around 8 p.m. on August 2, they gathered at a house on Van Chuong Street, before "patrolling" streets in Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem and Tay Ho districts. At around 1:30 a.m. on August 3, they found a man in Hoan Kiem District riding a motorbike with a friend under the Long Bien Bridge, and chased him. They asked the man why he was out on the street and demanded money. The frightened resident gave them VND341,000 ($14.84), but Hoan Kiem District police reached the scene and caught the teens red handed. Seems these teenagers were well prepared, as several batons, walkie-talkies and other items were seized. The group confessed they had successfully extorted around VND2.8 million in total during similar attempts. Hanoi has imposed a two-week social distancing order starting July 24, requiring people to stay home unless for essential purposes like purchasing food, medications, and emergencies. Anyone going out must provide appropriate documents proving they have a legitimate reason to do so. In Vietnam, the militia is a force supporting the police in performing various duties including maintaining public order. The public are advised to remain vigilant during the current emergencies, and are recommended to ask to see some form of official ID, if they are suspicious.

Satellite image of the Woody Island, part of Vietnam's Paracel Islands. Photo courtesy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Vietnam has asked China to stop and not repeat military drills on its Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, asserting that they violate Vietnam's sovereignty. "China performing drills on Vietnam's Paracel Islands violates Vietnam's sovereignty over the islands, goes against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), complicates the situation, and is not beneficial for current negotiations between China and ASEAN on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (COC), as well as the maintenance of peace, stability and cooperation at the East Sea," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday. She was responding during a regular press meet to inquiries regarding the Maritime Safety Administration of China's Hainan Province announcing Wednesday that a military drill will be held August 6-10 at Vietnam’s Paracel Islands and the southeastern region of China's Hainan Island. Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly (Truong Sa) islands in accordance with international law, Hang reiterated. "Vietnam requests China to respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, to end and not to repeat similar violations that complicate the situation in the East Sea," she said. The East Sea is internationally referred to as the South China Sea. Vietnam's Paracel Islands have been forcefully and illegally occupied by China since 1974.

The Philippines celebrated another medal won at the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics, making it the first time the country has won multiple medals since the Los Angeles 1932 Games. Nesthy Petecio in Tokyo Nesthy Petecio got a silver medal at the Women’s Featherweight category. In addition to the Php 5 million cash incentive in accordance with Republic Act 10699, Nesthy Petecio is set to receive Php 3 million from Phoenix Petroleum’s Siklab Atleta Pilipinas Foundation. “We would like to congratulate Nesthy for a job well done. As the first Filipina ever to win a boxing medal at the Olympics, this is such a great achievement, and another source of pride for our country,” Phoenix Petroleum Senior Vice President Atty. Raymond Zorrilla said. “Phoenix is happy to support our Olympic athletes because of the honor they give to the country, so we are glad to reward this cash incentive to Nesthy,” he added. Free Condo Meanwhile, Real estate tycoon Dr. Andrew L. Tan is giving Nesthy Petecio a P10-million residential condominium unit in One Lakeshore Drive inside the 11.2-hectare Davao Park District in Lanang, Davao City. One Lakeshore Drive The condominium unit is fully furnished and will be right in the heart of the township. It is a little over an hour from Sta. Cruz which is Nesthy Petecio’s hometown. The township will have commercial and retail hubs, office towers, school, and a state-of-the-art hospital. “We are very proud of this huge accomplishment of Nesthy Petecio. Her silver medal in the Olympics is a historic one because this women’s featherweight division of boxing debuts only in this Tokyo Olympics, and she is the first silver medalist in the category. Rightfully, she deserves the reward from our chairman, Dr. Andrew L. Tan, for the pride she gives to the Filipino nation,” says Atty. Harrison Paltongan, president, Suntrust Properties, Inc.

MANILA – The Philippine government is working hard to ensure stable and affordable food prices, especially amid the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and stricter quarantines throughout the country due to the coronavirus Delta variant, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Thursday that the headline inflation rate decreased from 4.1 percent in June 2021 to 4.0 percent in July 2021. Year-to-date inflation remains at 4.4 percent. Overall food inflation slightly increased from 4.9 percent in June to 5.1 percent in July. Fish inflation accelerated from 8.7 percent to 9.3 percent due to Typhoon Fabian which affected regional port operations. Vegetable inflation also turned positive from -2.7 percent to 5 percent due to the flooding caused by the heavy southwest monsoon rains. On the other hand, pork inflation, which has been the main driver of inflation in 2021 due to the outbreak of the African swine fever, fell from 49 percent in June to 38.4 percent in July. This contributed to the slower meat inflation of 16 percent in July. Average rice prices also continue to decrease with rice inflation at -1 percent. “We are now seeing the benefits of Executive Orders 133 and 134. We expect pork prices to go down further in the second half of the year as more imports come in through the increased minimum access volume allocation and lower tariffs. Rest assured that we will continue to proactively manage any threats to the country’s food security, especially during the ECQ,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said. To manage fish inflation and ensure stable fish supply, the Department of Agriculture will fast-track the issuance of the certificate of necessity to import (CNI) fish to cover the domestic demand gap during the closed fishing season starting October 2021. Meanwhile, non-food inflation slowed down from 3.4 percent in June to 3.2 percent in July. One of the main drivers was the decrease in transport inflation from 9.6 percent to 7 percent as mobility in the country continued to improve. However, with the emergence of the more contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) Delta variant, the government has prioritized saving lives and managing the risks from Covid-19 through heightened restrictions in high-risk areas from Aug. 6 to 20, 2021. “While the ECQ is expected to slow down economic activities in August, this is an investment towards a strong recovery in 2021. We encourage everyone to use this time to get vaccinated, so we can safely reopen the economy once we have contained the spread of the Delta variant,” Chua said. (PR)

DUMAGUETE CITY – A total of 111,030 residents of Negros Oriental were issued with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) cash cards as of July this year after having signed up for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys). Engr. Ariel Fortuito, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Negros Oriental provincial head, in a Kapihan sa PIA forum Thursday, said the priority for the issuance of cash cards are low-income families or those who do not have any accounts at other banks. CASH CARDS. A man shows his cash card issued by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). A total of 111,030 residents of Negros Oriental who signed up for the Philippine Identification System were issued Land Bank cash cards as of July 2021, said Engr. Ariel Fortuito, Philippine Statistics Authority-Negros Oriental provincial head, on Thursday (Aug. 5, 2021). (File photo courtesy of PSA-Negros Oriental) The cash cards will enable them to gain formal access to basic banking and other financial services as well as receive government subsidy digitally. The state-run Land Bank has partnered with PSA to allow PhilSys registrants to open a bank account free of charge at designated registration centers. Immediately after registration, those who are interested can apply for a cash card with Land Bank with only a valid identification card and no other requirements unlike other banks, Fortuito said. "At least the low-income people now have a Land Bank Mastercard prepaid card that can be used in the future for government transactions, such as subsidies," he added. He also gave an update on the initial results of the 2020 Census on Population and Housing (2020 CPH) saying that Negros Oriental's total population is now at 1,432,990. This city, the provincial capital, is still the most populous among the cities and the municipalities, with 134,102 inhabitants, he added. On Friday, the PSA will embark on nationwide data dissemination to officially report on the initial results of the 2020 CPH. (PNA)

Police are investigating the crime scene. Source: Mainichi/Ryoichi Mochizuki Discussing with media regarding the death of a young man from Hai Phong in Japan, Trinh Van Hai, chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Dao ward, Duong Kinh district, Hai Phong city said: "They have received information from the victim's family in Hai Phong." It is known that the victim is Trinh Tu A, born in 1999, an international student in Japan, whose family is living in Hung Dao ward. According to Hai, as soon as victim’s family made a report, the local authorities came down to contact the victim’s family to clarify the case and encourage the family to wait for the results of the investigation. "This morning (August 4), the Ward People's Committee also confirmed the relevant documents for the family to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and the authorities to coordinate in handling the case as well as bringing victim's body back to Vietnam," Hai said. According to a report posted by Vietnam Times, Trinh Van T. the father of the victim said: "We have only one son, Trinh Tu A.” In 2019, A. turned 20 years old, his family let A. study abroad in Japan. He calls home often and is very affectionate with everyone in the family. Due to Covid-19 outbreak in Japan, Tu A's school could not organize teaching, A. had to use money sent by his family to get by. A had asked the school to return to Vietnam. In February 2020, he reported to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan to request to fly back to Vietnam but could not arrange to return. "He hasn’t returned yet, but now my family has received information that he was murdered and saw the video clip on social network," the father said. Currently, the family is grieving, plus, the complicated situation of Covid-19 and the family's tight economy, so T. has not completed the procedures to bring Tu A's body back to the country. Family seek help to bring body home "We hope the authorities will consider and create conditions to help so that the family can bring our child's body back to his hometown as well as brought the perpetrator to justice soon," said T. The Sankei daily reported that the police determined that the cause of the victim's death was drowning. Police investigations revealed that the victim died shortly after the incident. "Police said an autopsy on August 3 found that the victim had bruises on the head and neck and that the cause of death was suffocation from drowning.” Japanese newspaper quotes. In addition, according to Fuji News, the police are also investigating the suspect who left the crime scene with blood on his clothes on suspicion of murder. According to police, the incident occurred at around 8:20 p.m. (local time) on Aug. 2 on Ebisu Bridge in the Minami district of Osaka city, Fuji TV reported. A woman called 110 and said that a foreign man was drowning in the river. Police pulled the man out of the river about 20 minutes later. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. A witness told police he saw Japanese and foreign men arguing and that a fight started. One of the Japanese men grabbed the victim by the arm and leg and forced him off the bridge. The suspect also climbed over the cordon to kick the victim to the ground. The witness said the men all appeared to be drunk. Police said the man who pushed the foreigner off the bridge was wearing long black pants and a white T-shirt. The victim's roommate confirmed police had come to his home to collect his belongings to serve the investigation. Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on Aug. 3 noted that shortly after there was a video showed a young man was assaulted and died after being pushed into a river in the Namba area of the Japanese city. The Consulate General of Vietnam in Osaka, Japan contacted Osaka police and sought information from the Vietnamese community in the Kansai region to verify the case. In addition, the Consulate General sent a diplomatic note asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Osaka police to help verify the case and provide information for the implementation of citizen protection measures. The Consulate General had also contacted the person who was believed to record and upload the video to the fanpage “Osaka Baito” on Facebook. According to the Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka said it had worked with the Japanese Foreign Ministry and the Osaka police, requesting prompt investigation to soon bring the criminal to justice. The Consulate General will also work closely with Japanese agencies and Vietnamese associations in Kansai region to collect more information and conduct timely and necessary citizen protection measures. The Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also urgently working with domestic authorities to assist the victim's family with post-mortem care. According to NHK, the number of Vietnamese people living in Japan has trebled over the past five years. The figure now stands at over 300,000. A total 74% are students and technical intern trainees who come to the country to acquire advanced skills to take home, it said.

Hỏa Lò Prison Relic. Photo svhtt.hanoi.gov.vn Hỏa Lò Prison historical relic site in Hanoi has launched an exclusive radio channel on the popular app Spotify, to help audiences learn more about history in an easier and more interesting way. According to the prison relic's Management Board (MB), the channel started broadcasting after a period of careful deliberation with the goal of bringing history closer to the public through social networks. Spotify is a very popular online music, podcast, and video streaming platform. It hosts music and other content from artists around the world and gets millions of hits every day. The prison relic site broadcast channel includes podcasts that are produced by an experienced, skillful, and creative team with a lot of passion and love for the historical site, the MB said. Vietnam News explained that the radio channel aims to create excitement within the community, particularly among young people. Currently, the prison relic Facebook fan page has more than 60,000 likes with regular posts on the social network. This is the first time that a media channel about Vietnamese history has attracted the attention of so many young people, according to a report from the MB. The board said the exclusive appearance on Spotify is an amazing breakthrough in the preservation work and through the app, it will attract younger generations and help them learn more about the country's history. Moreover, it said, as the COVID-19 pandemic becomes more intense, people are advised to limit going out. The MB said those staying home will be able to improve their historical knowledge while ensuring their safety, as well as alleviate their boredom. "I think the prison relic site’s channel on the Spotify platform is an interesting use of digital technology in historical preservation. It helps spread to all audiences the images and stories of prisoners, in particular, and Vietnamese history in general, including those who cannot directly go to this site," said Ngọc Tiến, a student from the Việt Đức High School in Hanoi. Great way to attract a younger following This is a remarkable development to integrate into the digital era, bringing a part of Vietnam’s history closer to the public, the young Hanoian added. Hỏa Lò Prison has launched a radio channel to bring history closer to the public. Photo toquoc.vn Hỏa Lò Prison was constructed between 1886 and 1901 and named Maison Centrale. It was considered one of the three most savage prisons in Vietnam, along with Côn Đảo and Sơn La prisons. Hỏa Lò was designed to hold around 500 prisoners; however, by the 1930s, the number of prisoners had soared to approximately 2,000. Most of them were political prisoners. Later, between 1964 and 1973, the prison was used to house hundreds of American pilots who were shot down during bombing raids against North Vietnam, including John McCain, former US Presidential candidate, and Douglas Peter Peterson, who later became the first US ambassador to Vietnam. In 1993 the government retained part of Hỏa Lò Prison to transform it into the historic site. Hỏa Lò Prison, which used has also gone by the monikers ;"Hell on Earth" "The School for Patriots” and the “Hanoi Hilton”, is a historical site located at 1 Hỏa Lò Street, in the centre of Hà Nội. The prison also gained notoriety as a French prison for political prisoners. There is a memorial monument dedicated to the Vietnamese patriots and revolutionary fighters who were interned at the prison. This is also a “Red Address” for educating Vietnamese people from all walks of life, especially the younger generations, on the patriotic and revolutionary traditions of those who sacrificed for the sake of the nation’s independence and freedom.

A customer makes payment via a QR code The COVID-19 pandemic is not only creating challenges for consumers but also for banks, and they are encouraging us to foster digital transformation to survive, experts have said. A recent survey by the State Bank of Vietnam found that 95 per cent of credit institutions in Vietnam have either implemented digital transformation strategies or are in the process of formulating them. According to Vietnam News, it is expected that in the next three to five years digital-only banks will have revenue growth of at least 10 per cent, while regular lenders will have more than 60 per cent of customers using digital transaction channels. State-owned banks seek to digitise their entire system, while smaller banks have identified certain areas to improve service quality and the customer experience. Commenting on digital banking development in Vietnam at an online talk show IDG TekTalk on Tuesday, Phan Việt Hải, director of information technology and also the digital banking centre at Viet Capital Bank, said digital banks must create a superior customer experience by changing the way services are provided using technology. Nguyễn Quang Minh, deputy CEO, partnerships, Timo Digital Bank, said, "In addition to offering perfect and up-to-date financial products and services, we also have to really understand the market, customers' needs and expectations and more importantly, identify the problems and difficulties they are facing every day in each transaction.” Phạm Quang Minh, general director of Mambu Vietnam, said banking services have changed greatly in the past few years. In Asia, including Việt Nam, rising customer expectations for online and mobile banking services are the driving force behind the digital transformation of financial service providers. Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, deputy general director of VCCorp & founder of Bizfly Digital Transformation, said currently banks are not only competing with each other but also with rapidly growing fintech companies, which have created “amazing” services and experiences through digital technology and transformation. For succeeding at the digital transformation, the determination shown by a bank’s bosses plays an important role, he said. “Technology contributes only around 30 per cent to the success with the remaining 70 per cent being owed to other factors like the mindset of businesses’ leaders and digital transformation,” he added. Banks face Challenges According to experts, banks still face challenges in digital transformation related to regulations on electronic transactions, data sharing, network security, and an inadequate legal framework among others. They said completing a comprehensive legal framework would provide a fillip to digital transformation. The standardization of technical infrastructure is also very important to facilitate interconnection and seamless integration between the banking industry and others to form a digital eco-system, they added. Yeo Siang Tiong, cybersecurity company Kaspersky’s general manager for Southeast Asia, said: “Digital transformation, in any sector, always presents new challenges, but especially for banks and for financial services. To put it simply, revolutionizing banks’ way of doing transactions means overhauling their legacy systems including people, processes and technologies.” Humans remain the weakest link, especially those who lack proper awareness of the simplest risks like phishing and spam, while employees require new training and third-party services should be assessed comprehensively, he said. “When it comes to security, the endpoint should be the foundation and banks should have known this by now. Financial services should be looking at an adaptive approach in security, which should be proactive rather than reactive – ready before an attack happens.” Online transaction increased by 66% Due to social distancing restrictions amid the current global pandemic, online payment has become more convenient than cash, and, with just a smartphone and banking application, users can save, borrow money, pay for electricity, water, television, and internet bills, buy movie and airplane tickets, make hotel reservations, or even buy vegetables or meat online. Phạm Tiến Dũng, head of the State Bank of Vietnam’s payment department, said online transactions in the first four months of the year jumped by 66 per cent in terms of numbers and 31.2 per cent in value year-on-year, including 86.3 per cent and 123.1 per cent on mobile phones and 95.7 per cent and 181.5 per cent using QR codes. Statistics from the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam show that in the first five months its automatic clearing house processed over 800 million transactions worth over VNĐ8 quadrillion ($347.7 billion), an increase of 113 per cent and 169 per cent. A recent survey by Visa also revealed strong increases in the use of e-wallets, contactless payment via cards and smartphones and QR Code. The year-on-year growth rate of the total e-commerce transaction value in the first quarter of 2021 rose by 5.5 times compared to the fourth quarter of 2020.

MANILA – Bianca Pagdanganan had a strong start to her stint in the Tokyo Olympics women's golf event, putting herself in a good position for a medal finish after her first round stint on Wednesday at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in the Japanese capital. Pagdanganan, among those who played early into Round 1, finished two-under-par 69, good for a share of seventh place as of posting. (file photo) Pagdanganan opened her medal bid with two straight birdies in Holes 1 and 2, both of Par 4. Her first setback came when she bogeyed the Par 3 Hole 4, but she bounced back by making a birdie in the Par 5 Hole 5. She lost one stroke anew after bogeying the Par 4 Hole 11, but two birdies within a three-hole stretch put her back in a strong position for the podium with three days of competition left. Saso needs a better round two Meanwhile, Yuka Saso could not get her game going and finished at the bottom half of the 60-woman field. Saso, the reigning US Women's Open champion, finished three-over-par 74, currently in a tie for 47th place as of posting. Saso started off sluggish, not getting a birdie in her first four holes, even bogeying Hole 2. She finally got a birdie in Hole 5, but that was quickly canceled by a bogey in the Par 4 Hole 6. Saso even had a stretch of two straight bogeys in Holes 16 and 17 before ending her round with a par in Hole 18. Swedish golfer Madelene Sagstrom played a near flawless performance and is at the top spot as of posting with a five-under-par 66. Sagstrom never had a bogey during the entire first round. American Nelly Korda and Indian Aditi Ashok are tied for second with a four-under-par 67. Both Filipino players have a later start today, unfortunately when the heat can reach over 100F. (PNA)

Huawei announced on August 3rd 2021 its plan to invest USD100 million in startup support at the inaugural Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, which took place simultaneously in Singapore and Hong Kong. Huawei announced it is investing USD100 million in Asia Pacific Startup Ecosystem over 3 years at the inaugural Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, which took place simultaneously in Singapore and Hong Kong on Tuesday. Huawei said the investment would go towards its Spark Program in the Asia Pacific region, which aims to build a sustainable startup ecosystem for the region over the next three years. Huawei has been helping Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand build their startup hubs. New Start up hubs in the Philippines At the summit, Huawei also announced that this program would focus its efforts on developing four additional startup hubs -- in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, -- with the overarching aim of recruiting a total of 1,000 startups into the Spark accelerator program and shaping 100 of them into scale-ups. Also, at this summit, Huawei launched its Cloud-plus-Cloud Collaboration and Joint Innovation Program, to further ramp up its support for startups around the world. Huawei will devote ongoing efforts and leverage its complete business portfolio in the cloud-plus-cloud collaboration space to foster technological innovation, global and local services, and business ecosystems, accelerating the growth of startups. The summit was attended by representatives from many prominent Asian startups, academia, various industries and governments, and the media, as well as more than 50 regional top venture capitalists and over 300 startup founders. Speeches and panels at the event focused on the social value of this startup ecosystem and how startups can promote technological and ecosystem innovation, to contribute to local communities and drive socioeconomic development. Three additional initiatives under the Asia Pacific Spark Program were launched by Huawei at the event: The Spark Developer Program, which aims to nurture a developer ecosystem powered by Huawei Cloud in the Asia Pacific region; the Spark Pitstop Program, designed to onboard and support startups on Huawei Cloud to accelerate product development; and the Spark Innovation Program (SIP), focused on facilitating enterprise innovation through the Spark startup ecosystem. Huawei Senior Vice President and Board Member Catherine Chen opened the summit by emphasizing how important startups are to social advancement and what Huawei is doing to support startups: "Startups and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are the innovators, disruptors, and pioneers of our times. Thirty-four years ago, Huawei was a startup with just USD5,000 of registered capital. Recently, we have been thinking: How can we leverage our experience and resources to help more startups address their challenges? Doing so would allow them to seize the opportunities posed by digital transformation, achieve business success, and develop more innovative products and solutions for the world." Zhang Ping'an, CEO of Huawei's Cloud Business Unit, noted, "Since its launch in 2017, Huawei Cloud has been the world's fastest-growing cloud, and has driven the growth of countless startups. Last year, we launched the Spark Program in Asia Pacific. Through this program, we are working with local governments, leading incubators, well-known VC firms, and top universities to build support platforms for startups in many regions. Now 40 startups are participating in our program." Zhang continued, "Starting today, we are stepping up our support for startups through four new initiatives, aimed at cloud-plus-cloud collaboration, continuous tech innovation, global and local services, and high-quality business ecosystems. Today, we launched our Cloud-plus-Cloud Collaboration and Joint Innovation Program, through which we will support startups with USD40 million worth of resources. Half of that investment is coming from Huawei Cloud, half from Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). In 2021, our plan is to support 200 startups in the HMS ecosystem, and share our network of channel resources with developers worldwide who together serve 1 billion Huawei device users. In addition, we will open an HMS Developer Innovation Center to support 100,000 HMS cloud-native developers." More and more startups are pursuing end-to-end digitalization as they move towards a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei Cloud infrastructure works in conjunction with Huawei Mobile Services to support startups from all industries. Huawei's cloud offerings help developers and partners to unify accounts, development platforms, and app distribution and operation. HMS is now the world's third largest mobile app ecosystem and is helping many startups expand their global influence. Currently, 4.5 million developers from over 170 countries and regions rely on HMS. Huawei recognizes startups as key partners. At the Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, Huawei unveiled the latest data on its innovation research programs with startups. The data shows solid relationships between Huawei and more than 2,000 partners from across the Asia Pacific region, with ongoing initiatives to build support platforms in close partnerships with governments, top VC firms, and leading universities in Hong Kong and Singapore. Huawei rounded off the series of announcements with a plan to build an HMS Developer Innovation Center. Through this center, Huawei aims to cultivate future talent in cooperation with 210 leading universities across the Asia Pacific region. Jeffery Liu, President for Asia Pacific Region of Huawei, added, "For the past two decades, we have remained committed to being 'In Asia Pacific, For Asia Pacific'. Leveraging Huawei's global customer base and full-stack technologies, the Spark Program will invest more than USD100 million over the next three years, and provide comprehensive support to the establishment of a sustainable startup ecosystem that creates new value for this dynamic region." (Antara)

Huawei announced on August 3rd 2021 its plan to invest USD100 million in startup support at the inaugural Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, which took place simultaneously in Singapore and Hong Kong. Huawei announced it is investing USD100 million in Asia Pacific Startup Ecosystem over 3 years at the inaugural Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, which took place simultaneously in Singapore and Hong Kong on Tuesday. Huawei said the investment would go towards its Spark Program in the Asia Pacific region, which aims to build a sustainable startup ecosystem for the region over the next three years. Huawei has been helping Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand build their startup hubs. New Start up hubs in Vietnam At the summit, Huawei also announced that this program would focus its efforts on developing four additional startup hubs -- in Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, -- with the overarching aim of recruiting a total of 1,000 startups into the Spark accelerator program and shaping 100 of them into scale-ups. Also, at this summit, Huawei launched its Cloud-plus-Cloud Collaboration and Joint Innovation Program, to further ramp up its support for startups around the world. Huawei will devote ongoing efforts and leverage its complete business portfolio in the cloud-plus-cloud collaboration space to foster technological innovation, global and local services, and business ecosystems, accelerating the growth of startups. The summit was attended by representatives from many prominent Asian startups, academia, various industries and governments, and the media, as well as more than 50 regional top venture capitalists and over 300 startup founders. Speeches and panels at the event focused on the social value of this startup ecosystem and how startups can promote technological and ecosystem innovation, to contribute to local communities and drive socioeconomic development. Three additional initiatives under the Asia Pacific Spark Program were launched by Huawei at the event: The Spark Developer Program, which aims to nurture a developer ecosystem powered by Huawei Cloud in the Asia Pacific region; the Spark Pitstop Program, designed to onboard and support startups on Huawei Cloud to accelerate product development; and the Spark Innovation Program (SIP), focused on facilitating enterprise innovation through the Spark startup ecosystem. Huawei Senior Vice President and Board Member Catherine Chen opened the summit by emphasizing how important startups are to social advancement and what Huawei is doing to support startups: "Startups and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are the innovators, disruptors, and pioneers of our times. Thirty-four years ago, Huawei was a startup with just USD5,000 of registered capital. Recently, we have been thinking: How can we leverage our experience and resources to help more startups address their challenges? Doing so would allow them to seize the opportunities posed by digital transformation, achieve business success, and develop more innovative products and solutions for the world." Zhang Ping'an, CEO of Huawei's Cloud Business Unit, noted, "Since its launch in 2017, Huawei Cloud has been the world's fastest-growing cloud, and has driven the growth of countless startups. Last year, we launched the Spark Program in Asia Pacific. Through this program, we are working with local governments, leading incubators, well-known VC firms, and top universities to build support platforms for startups in many regions. Now 40 startups are participating in our program." Zhang continued, "Starting today, we are stepping up our support for startups through four new initiatives, aimed at cloud-plus-cloud collaboration, continuous tech innovation, global and local services, and high-quality business ecosystems. Today, we launched our Cloud-plus-Cloud Collaboration and Joint Innovation Program, through which we will support startups with USD40 million worth of resources. Half of that investment is coming from Huawei Cloud, half from Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). In 2021, our plan is to support 200 startups in the HMS ecosystem, and share our network of channel resources with developers worldwide who together serve 1 billion Huawei device users. In addition, we will open an HMS Developer Innovation Center to support 100,000 HMS cloud-native developers." More and more startups are pursuing end-to-end digitalization as they move towards a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei Cloud infrastructure works in conjunction with Huawei Mobile Services to support startups from all industries. Huawei's cloud offerings help developers and partners to unify accounts, development platforms, and app distribution and operation. HMS is now the world's third largest mobile app ecosystem and is helping many startups expand their global influence. Currently, 4.5 million developers from over 170 countries and regions rely on HMS. Huawei recognizes startups as key partners. At the Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, Huawei unveiled the latest data on its innovation research programs with startups. The data shows solid relationships between Huawei and more than 2,000 partners from across the Asia Pacific region, with ongoing initiatives to build support platforms in close partnerships with governments, top VC firms, and leading universities in Hong Kong and Singapore. Huawei rounded off the series of announcements with a plan to build an HMS Developer Innovation Center. Through this center, Huawei aims to cultivate future talent in cooperation with 210 leading universities across the Asia Pacific region. Jeffery Liu, President for Asia Pacific Region of Huawei, added, "For the past two decades, we have remained committed to being 'In Asia Pacific, For Asia Pacific'. Leveraging Huawei's global customer base and full-stack technologies, the Spark Program will invest more than USD100 million over the next three years, and provide comprehensive support to the establishment of a sustainable startup ecosystem that creates new value for this dynamic region." (Antara)

SINGAPORE – Huawei announced on August 3rd 2021 its plan to invest USD100 million in startup support at the inaugural Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, which took place simultaneously in Singapore and Hong Kong. Huawei announced it is investing USD100 million in Asia Pacific Startup Ecosystem over 3 years at the inaugural Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, which took place simultaneously in Singapore and Hong Kong on Tuesday. Huawei said the investment would go towards its Spark Program in the Asia Pacific region, which aims to build a sustainable startup ecosystem for the region over the next three years. Huawei has been helping Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand build their startup hubs. At the summit, Huawei also announced that this program would focus its efforts on developing four additional startup hubs -- in Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam -- with the overarching aim of recruiting a total of 1,000 startups into the Spark accelerator program and shaping 100 of them into scale-ups. Also, at this summit, Huawei launched its Cloud-plus-Cloud Collaboration and Joint Innovation Program, to further ramp up its support for startups around the world. Huawei will devote ongoing efforts and leverage its complete business portfolio in the cloud-plus-cloud collaboration space to foster technological innovation, global and local services, and business ecosystems, accelerating the growth of startups. The summit was attended by representatives from many prominent Asian startups, academia, various industries and governments, and the media, as well as more than 50 regional top venture capitalists and over 300 startup founders. Speeches and panels at the event focused on the social value of this startup ecosystem and how startups can promote technological and ecosystem innovation, to contribute to local communities and drive socioeconomic development. Three additional initiatives under the Asia Pacific Spark Program were launched by Huawei at the event: The Spark Developer Program, which aims to nurture a developer ecosystem powered by Huawei Cloud in the Asia Pacific region; the Spark Pitstop Program, designed to onboard and support startups on Huawei Cloud to accelerate product development; and the Spark Innovation Program (SIP), focused on facilitating enterprise innovation through the Spark startup ecosystem. Huawei Senior Vice President and Board Member Catherine Chen opened the summit by emphasizing how important startups are to social advancement and what Huawei is doing to support startups: "Startups and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are the innovators, disruptors, and pioneers of our times. Thirty-four years ago, Huawei was a startup with just USD5,000 of registered capital. Recently, we have been thinking: How can we leverage our experience and resources to help more startups address their challenges? Doing so would allow them to seize the opportunities posed by digital transformation, achieve business success, and develop more innovative products and solutions for the world." Zhang Ping'an, CEO of Huawei's Cloud Business Unit, noted, "Since its launch in 2017, Huawei Cloud has been the world's fastest-growing cloud, and has driven the growth of countless startups. Last year, we launched the Spark Program in Asia Pacific. Through this program, we are working with local governments, leading incubators, well-known VC firms, and top universities to build support platforms for startups in many regions. Now 40 startups are participating in our program." Zhang continued, More and more startups are pursuing end-to-end digitalization as they move towards a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei Cloud infrastructure works in conjunction with Huawei Mobile Services to support startups from all industries. Huawei's cloud offerings help developers and partners to unify accounts, development platforms, and app distribution and operation. HMS is now the world's third largest mobile app ecosystem and is helping many startups expand their global influence. Currently, 4.5 million developers from over 170 countries and regions rely on HMS. Huawei recognizes startups as key partners. At the Huawei Cloud Spark Founders Summit, Huawei unveiled the latest data on its innovation research programs with startups. The data shows solid relationships between Huawei and more than 2,000 partners from across the Asia Pacific region, with ongoing initiatives to build support platforms in close partnerships with governments, top VC firms, and leading universities in Hong Kong and Singapore. Huawei rounded off the series of announcements with a plan to build an HMS Developer Innovation Center. Through this center, Huawei aims to cultivate future talent in cooperation with 210 leading universities across the Asia Pacific region. Jeffery Liu, President for Asia Pacific Region of Huawei, added, "For the past two decades, we have remained committed to being 'In Asia Pacific, For Asia Pacific'. Leveraging Huawei's global customer base and full-stack technologies, the Spark Program will invest more than USD100 million over the next three years, and provide comprehensive support to the establishment of a sustainable startup ecosystem that creates new value for this dynamic region." (Antara)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday thanked outgoing UK ambassador Daniel Pruce for his “personal role in improving the Philippines’ access to Covid-19 vaccines. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte discusses matters with outgoing Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Philippines Daniel Robert Pruce during a farewell call on the President at the Malacañang Palace on Aug. 4, 2021. (Presidential photo by Simeon Celi) In a statement from the Office of the President, Duterte credited Pruce personally for his contribution that led to the signing of a tripartite agreement between the national government, local government units (LGUs), and private sector for the procurement of UK’s AstraZeneca vaccines. To date, the UK has donated a total of 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca that contributed to the country’s ongoing Covid-19 vaccination program. Duterte credited Pruce for the revitalization of UK’s economic and political presence in the Philippines through high-level exchanges and dialogues. He also renewed his call for the finalization of a memorandum of understanding between (MOU) the Philippines and United Kingdom on the recruitment of Filipino healthcare professionals. Duterte explained that the memo is expected to ensure fair, ethical, and sustainable recruitment and employment of Filipino healthcare professionals in the UK. Global Action He reiterated the Philippines’ support for the UK’s Presidency of UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) this year, recognizing the UK’s commitment as it steers the global climate agenda towards urgent climate action. Duterte also conferred on Ambassador Pruce the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Datu (Grand Cross), Gold Distinction, for his accomplishments. Meanwhile, Pruce thanked Duterte for all the support given by the Philippine government in the efforts to further strengthen bilateral ties across a broad range of areas, including political and defense cooperation, trade and investments, people-to-people exchanges, and fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. He thanked Duterte for the Philippines’ support of the UK’s dialogue partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Pruce stressed the importance placed by the UK on its relations with the Philippines and further underscored that the Philippines-UK bilateral cooperation will continue to grow from strength to strength. The two leaders acknowledged that this year marks a milestone in Philippines-UK relations as both countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties. (PNA)

The concept of the product is simple: users will cough into the microphone of their smartphone, and the AI system will analyze the sound and give a diagnosis of possible COVID-19 infection. FILE PHOTO Media reports state that the AICOVIDVN project is a joint force between 200 specialists and over 1,000 engineers locally. This will hopefully ease the process of identifying positive cases as it is easier, faster, and more convenient on a wider scale. Currently, the team has processed and labeled over 7,000 samples of coughing audio data received from other countries. Now, they need at least 10,000 data points from Vietnamese people to make the software more accurate. The project is seeking 5,000 more submissions of cough recordings. The biological characteristics that are being studied from the coughs are: · Changes in the sound produced by vocal cords · Changes in the mood and expression · Changes of the sound from the lung and airways · Muscle degeneration Through these analyses, the AI will be able to detect the effects on coughs caused by COVID-19 and identify people who have the disease from people who do not. This is something that is impossible to do with just the ear. Besides Vietnam, similar AI models are being researched in India, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The engineers of AICOVIDVN said, “Because the coughs of people from different countries have different characteristics, we need the cough of Vietnamese people the most.” The project is receiving recordings via Zalo and Messenger.

Due to the Covid pandemic, organisers have just announced that this year’s Vietnam’s Film Festival has been postponed. 21st Vietnam Film Festival (file photo) The 22nd edition of the Vietnam Film Festival will now be postponed until November instead of taking place in September as planned. This is due to the ravages of COVID-19, Director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Cinematography Department Vi Kien Thanh said on August 3. The opening ceremony has been is slated for November 19, while the closing and award ceremony will be held four days later. Films seeking participation in the festival must be sent to organizers before August 15. Earlier, the holding of the film festival in Hue city of the central province of Thua Thien – Hue on September 12-16 was approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. A panoply of sub-events will be held on the sidelines, notably an exhibition highlighting Thua Thien – Hue province, and an outdoor movie screening combined with an “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional long dress) fashion show. The biennial festival honors outstanding works and artists with contributions to the country's cinematography. It also offers chances for insiders to further roll out a project to devise and promote the Vietnam Film Festival in the 2021-30 period. Now the festival aims to take place two months later in November.