Macao News https://macaonews.org Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:20:29 +0000 Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:22:53 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68233 2023-12-11 15:22:53 2023-12-11 15:22:53 7 This year’s Walk for a Million saw more participants than ever as well as a record-breaking 18 million patacas in donations.]]>The 40th iteration of the Walk for a Million charitable event was held in Macao yesterday, following a three-year long pandemic induced hiatus.  This year’s four-kilometre fundraiser walk was the first to be held both online and offline, with an unprecedented turnout of approximately 100,000 participants.  The event – organised by the Macao Daily News charity fund – raised over 18 million patacas in donations for the vulnerable and underprivileged groups, shattering previous records. Speaking to the media, the president of the fund, Ho Teng Iat, said “I am grateful to the people of Macao…[who] have been with us for 40 years.”  [See more: The French chamber is launching an ESG awards programme] High ranking officials, including Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, and his predecessor, Edmund Ho, participated. They were joined by multiple Chinese Olympic champions.  One local resident interviewed by TDM said that “the atmosphere was overwhelming” and “joyful.”  The walk kicked off near the Kun Iam Statue on Avenida Dr Sun Yat-Sen at 10 am and concluded in the A-Ma Temple area at approximately 2:30 pm.  —With reporting by Kenny Fong  ]]> Thu, 07 Dec 2023 07:54:00 +0800 Erico Dias 68166 2023-12-07 08:28:16 2023-12-07 07:54:00 7 Carlos Piteira says he will revitalise Lisbon’s hub for the Macanese community. That will entail appealing to a younger demographic and finding new ways to fund the association.]]>The Macanese anthropologist Carlos Piteira is highly likely to become president of Portugal’s Casa de Macau, as no one else has put their name forward for the role, Hoje Macau reports.  Portugal's Casa de Macau’s current president, Rudolfo Faustino, is standing down. Piteira’s platform is “Perpetuate the legacy, project the future.” He has said he will respect traditions while adapting the association to face future challenges. [See more: Rita Santos will remain head of the regional council of the Portuguese Communities] The most pressing of those may be the need to attract more members, especially young people. Piteira has also said he will find new ways to finance the association, reduce bureaucracy and modernise the Casa de Macau’s digital platforms. His election manifesto also states an intention to “safeguard the primacy of Macanese identity” in part through strengthening Casa de Macau’s partnerships with other organisations – those both directly and indirectly linked to Macao and its people. Casa de Macau is located in Lisbon, very near the airport. Occupying a spacious brick villa, it serves as a hub and event space for Portugal’s Macanese community, as well as anyone with an interest in Macao.  ]]> Wed, 29 Nov 2023 07:37:45 +0800 Erico Dias 67913 2023-11-29 07:37:45 2023-11-29 07:37:45 7 The need for lusophonic language skills will only increase, claim officials, who also promise support for students undertaking further education in Portugal. ]]>The Portuguese language could soon experience a resurgence in Macao. Officials have declared their intention to build a brand new Portuguese school that will cater to the language needs of an increasingly globalised city, the Macau Daily Times reports. The paper says that Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong disclosed the plan at the Legislative Assembly earlier this week, explaining that while English was already taught at most schools in the city, there was also a need for high-level Portuguese instruction.  The new, government-run Portuguese school would be a “one-stop system” to ensure Macao had plenty of bilingual and trilingual speakers, according to Macau Daily Times. [See more: Portuguese teachers and interpreters are in demand] “We will support students to do a course of four years in Portuguese language and, after that, they will [travel] to Portugal to continue their studies there,” it quoted Ao Ieong as saying. “Financial support will be granted to students to continue their studies in higher education in Portugal, in order to train qualified professionals fluent in Portuguese and to develop multidisciplinary knowledge.”  As China forges deeper relationships with Portuguese-speaking countries through Forum Macao initiatives, demand for Portuguese language skills will grow, she added. More Portuguese-speaking locals would also help cater to more foreign tourists visiting the SAR. Macao already has one dedicated Portuguese school, the Macau Portuguese School, with 750 students. It’s a private, non-profit international school catering to grades 1 through to 12.  ]]> Tue, 28 Nov 2023 07:10:50 +0800 Erico Dias 67881 2023-11-28 08:02:11 2023-11-28 07:10:50 7 Santos ran unopposed, but said the impressive voter turnout was an indication of support for her position and advocacy on a number of issues.]]>Rita Santos has been re-elected president of the regional council of the Portuguese Communities for Asia and Oceania, Hoje Macau reports. She entered the election unopposed but despite there being only one option on the ballot, voters were reportedly out in force, with queues forming outside voting stations at various Portuguese consulates. Santos said the “happy” result showed that people have confidence in her. “I felt a lot of support throughout the day, which gives us more strength to fulfil what is proposed in our electoral programme,” she told the paper. [See more: Residency permits for Portuguese nationals come under the spotlight] Rita Santos said she would prioritise sorting out the dire delays in consular services being experienced at the Consulate General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong during her next term. Portuguese citizens in Macao and Hong Kong have been forced to wait more than six months to renew their identification documents this year, and Santos recently hand delivered a petition to Lisbon calling for a solution.  “After election day I will communicate with the consul […] to resolve this situation,” Santos said to Hoje Macau. “We want the community to have greater ease in obtaining identification documents.” The Council of the Portuguese Communities is a consulting branch of Portugal’s government. Its remit concerns policies that relate to emigration and the interests of offshore Portuguese communities. The regional council covers mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.  ]]> Mon, 27 Nov 2023 07:30:55 +0800 Erico Dias 67818 2023-11-27 07:42:59 2023-11-27 07:30:55 7 Get into the Yuletide spirit at Macao’s 17-day Christmas Market, featuring stalls, festive snacks, rides and – of course – Santa.]]>Starting from 16 December, all things festive will be on display (and for sale) at Tap Seac Square, courtesy of the Christmas Market. There’ll be plenty of booths offering festive gifts and snacks, with an emphasis on products crafted by local artisans, according to a statement from the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), which is organising the event. Roving performance artists (the likes of Santa Claus, clowns, and magicians) will “spice up the joyful atmosphere,” the IAM says. [See more: All Macao wants for Christmas is a Hins Cheung concert] Children can look forward to Christmas-themed amusement park rides, plus a “Christmas labyrinth.” They’ll be able to explore a Christmas log cabin being set up on site – as well as a Nativity scene depicting Jesus’ birth in a stable. Christmas Market rides will be free of charge. To make accessing the market easier, IAM is setting up a temporary drop-off and pick-up area on Rua de Afonso de Albuquerque. The 17-day event is scheduled to run beyond Christmas, winding up on New Year’s Day. Opening hours are between 2:00 pm and 11:00 pm, except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, when the market will run until midnight.  ]]> Mon, 27 Nov 2023 07:10:07 +0800 Erico Dias 67826 2023-11-27 08:05:13 2023-11-27 07:10:07 7 A collaboration between Huawei, CTM, and the university gives staff and students secure, high-speed intranet access wherever they happen to be.]]>Macao’s telecom company CTM has partnered with Huawei and the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) to address the SAR’s campus development needs through 5G technology. The partnership has developed the city’s first “5G Smart Campus Network” in Macao, as well as the first cross-regional data solution between mainland China and Macao. Using Huawai’s 5G mobile VPN, the network gives teachers and students high-speed access to MUST’s intranet regardless of their location – with improved data protection measures. [See more: 5G has finally launched in Macao. What will it mean for the city?] In October, the collaborative solution won first prize in the 6th Bloom Cup 5G Application Competition, organised by the national Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It also won the Best International Application Award, out of applicants from 23 countries and regions worldwide. The 5G Smart Campus Network has been designed to facilitate academic research and enhance user experiences both within Macao and when MUST students or staff are overseas, using international roaming capacity. CTM has said it will waive its usual 5G data usage fees for users connecting to the university intranet from Macao, the mainland and Hong Kong.  ]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2023 15:30:52 +0800 Erico Dias 67759 2023-11-23 15:30:52 2023-11-23 15:30:52 7 Dozens took part in a jovial evening of trivia and good food, while helping to raise funds for charities dealing with men’s health. ]]>The Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) organised a trivia night yesterday at the Roadhouse pub, as part of its fundraising campaign for Movember and the Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau (ARTM).  Movember seeks to raise awareness of men’s physical and mental health, while ARTM provides assistance to substance abusers and has a dedicated men’s health section.  Some 90 attendees were organised into teams of four people each, and went through six rounds of thought-provoking trivia questions on topics ranging from music to sport. A team of friends calling themselves the Buffaloes were declared the overall winners after acing three rounds.  Prizes were donated by sponsors of the event, which included the Flying Winemaker, the Roadhouse Macau, Grand Hyatt Macau, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Sands China, Watson’s Wine and Macao News.  [See more: Five things to know about Movember] [caption id="attachment_67761" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Some 90 participants took part in the quiz night to raise money for men's health initiatives[/caption] “AustCham Macau’s Movember trivia night was a wonderful success and very well attended for its second year,” says Eddie McDougall, one of the chamber’s board of directors, calling it “another memorable night for a good cause.” AustCham’s Movember campaign for this year was inaugurated with an expert talk about men’s physical and psychological health.                                  Originating in Australia during the early 2000s, the Movember movement has grown exponentially over the years. It seeks to raise money for men’s health by having participants take part in various fundraising activities such as growing out their moustaches. AustCham will announce the total amount of money raised for the entire Movember campaign at the end of the month.  —With reporting by Kenny Fong  ]]> Wed, 22 Nov 2023 07:54:05 +0800 Erico Dias 67707 2023-11-22 07:54:05 2023-11-22 07:54:05 7 Hundreds of Macao’s Portuguese residents have signed a petition expressing their frustration with the local Portuguese consulate. It’s been hand delivered to Portugal’s government.]]>A petition signed by 430 Portuguese citizens residing in Macao has been handed to a representative of Portugal’s government in Lisbon. It calls for an end to delays in basic services at the local consulate, Ponto Final reports. The situation has meant that some of these citizens, unable to renew their Portuguese passports, have applied for Macao passports – effectively opting to become Chinese nationals – in order to leave the SAR. Others have been forced to remain “stuck in Macao,” said Rita Santos, the president of the regional council of the Portuguese Communities for Asia and Oceania. Santos personally delivered the petition to Paulo Cafôfo, secretary of state for Portuguese communities, on a recent trip to Portugal. [See more: Residency permits for Portuguese nationals come under the spotlight] “All Portuguese must have the same rights,” Santos said. “We cannot be treated like second-class citizens. All Portuguese people have the right to have their identification documents up to date.” A lack of staff has been cited as one reason for more than six-month delays in passport renewals – in stark contrast to the five days it takes in Portugal itself. A backlog of requests that built up during the three-year Covid-19 pandemic has also exacerbated the situation. According to Santos, Cafôfo assured her that Portugal’s consular employees would soon be seeing a salary increase, which is meant to attract more staff to the consulates. In August, the Consulate General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong said that, from December, all its appointments would be channelled through a new online platform run by the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  ]]> Tue, 14 Nov 2023 07:44:58 +0800 Erico Dias 67457 2023-11-14 07:44:58 2023-11-14 07:44:58 7 When the bureau gave F4 winner Arvid Lindblad celebratory champagne on Sunday, it broke a law enacted just days earlier.]]>The Sports Bureau (ID) has apologised for allowing a 16-year-old race winner to illegally drink champagne on the podium of the 70th Macau Grand Prix, the Macau Post Daily reports. British driver Arvid Lindblad, a Red Bull junior, celebrated his win in Sunday’s Macau Formula 4 race with a traditional champagne shower. Then, he took a hefty swig from the bottle – a moment immortalised on live television – and put the ID in breach of the new Prevention and Control on Minors’ Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages law.  The law, which came into effect on 5 November, states that alcohol must not be provided to anyone under the age of 18 at public venues. In a statement, ID acknowledged its “negligence” as a Macau Grand Prix organiser, and promised that underage drinking wouldn’t happen at the iconic motor-sporting event again.  [See more: The 70th Macau Grand Prix: Photos from an unforgettable weekend] The Health Bureau (SSM) has confirmed it is investigating the case. If found guilty, the ID could be fined up to 20,000 patacas. The SSM has also reportedly recommended that event organisers replace champagne with fizzy drinks during future prize-giving ceremonies. Lindblad, meanwhile, has said he was “over the moon” with a winning time of 2:24:971 in his Macau Grand Prix debut for the SJM Theodore PREMA Racing team. The Grand Prix’s first weekend is over, but the action kicks off again on 16 November (and it all wraps up on the 19th).  ]]> Tue, 14 Nov 2023 07:44:54 +0800 Erico Dias 67454 2023-11-14 07:44:54 2023-11-14 07:44:54 7 Following a four-month-old's death, authorities approve video surveillance in daycare centres, though details are yet to be finalised.]]>The Office for the Protection of Personal Data (GPDP) has agreed to install video surveillance systems in daycare centres, Ponto Final reports. The decision follows the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS)’ evaluation of daycare operations after a four-month-old's death at the Fong Chong Nursery in Taipa. IAS president Hon Wai noted that, with necessary operational adjustments, video surveillance could meet privacy requirements under Macao’s personal data protection laws as well as satisfy parental demands.  While details regarding the measure's implementation have yet to be finalised, the initial plan is to install cameras in daycare centres’ more public areas.  [See more: More CCTV cameras come into operation today across Macao] Wai emphasised the need to balance people’s expectations of privacy versus safety and acknowledged that complete surveillance – covering the likes of bathrooms – would not be universally accepted.  To compensate for some unmonitored spaces, Wai said better staffing arrangements could see at least two employees supervising children at any one time. Following the tragic incident in Taipa, the Fong Chong Nursery will close by the year's end. The IAS is helping move the 68 affected children to other establishments. The parents of the deceased child had campaigned for the government to install surveillance cameras in daycare centres, in a bid to prevent what happened to their child from happening to others. More than 8,000 people signed their petition.  ]]>