News

Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is conducting public consultation on the "Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan” from 23 May to 22 July to publicize the Consultation Paper and solicit public input through a variety of means and channels. MGTO held a press conference at the Tourism Activities Centre today (23 May) to unveil its arrangements and publicity measures for public consultation on the "Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan”. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Deputy Director Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong were present in the press conference among others. Public consultation and exchange sessions The public consultation process on the Master Plan will span two months with public consultation and exchange sessions arranged by MGTO. Two public consultation sessions will be hosted on 28 May and 11 June on the 2nd floor of the Tourism Activities Centre, followed by two exchange sessions on 18 June and 9 July, targeting members of local trade and associations. During the consultation period, the Office will host special sessions to collect feedback from relevant advisory committees as well. In addition, the public can voice their opinions to MGTO by post, phone, fax, email or on the thematic website. Alternatively, they can also submit their written views in person to MGTO’s office. MGTO’s address and contact are as follows: Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, No. 335-341, "Hot Line" Building, 12th floor, Macao; Tel: 2831 5566; Fax: 2837 2446; e-mail: masterplan@macaotourism.gov.mo; thematic website: http://masterplan.macaotourism.gov.mo. Public is welcome to obtain Consultation Paper The Consultation Paper is now available for download on the thematic website: http://masterplan.macaotourism.gov.mo and also in printed copies at the following locations: MGTO’s office at Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, No. 335-341, "Hot Line" Building, 12th floor; MGTO’s Tourist Information counters at different locations including Ritz Building at Senado Square, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Barrier Gate, Macau International Airport and Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal; Service Centre of the Macao SAR at Rua Nova da Areia Preta, No. 52; Public Information Centre at Rua do Campo, No. 188-198, Vicky Plaza, 2nd floor; as well as all public libraries in Macao. Publicity via various channels During the consultation period, MGTO will publicize the relevant message and the Consultation Paper via a variety of publicity channels for the public’s awareness about the ongoing consultation. The publicity channels include promotional video on television, radio broadcast, thematic website, WeChat, newspaper advertisement, outdoor/street banner, street pole banner, bus advertisement, poster, brochure, outdoor road show, etc. An array of road shows will be rolled out at Senado Square, the open area adjacent to Garden of Flower City in Taipa (Rua de Seng Tou), Iao Hon Market Garden, Tap Seac Square, Leisure Area at Rotunda de Carlos da Maia and Friendship Square. The Consultation Paper of the “Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan” will be presented to the public on display boards with text and photo illustrations at the aforementioned locations. Master Plan preparation proceeds along three stages MGTO began studying and drafting the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan in 2015, aiming to develop a comprehensive plan for Macao’s tourism industry, lay the foundation and set the direction for its future development in the next 15 years. The Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan will be formulated under the goals and guidance given by the “Draft of the Macao SAR’s Five-Year Development Plan (2016 – 2020)”. The tasks for formulation of the Master Plan are divided into three stages. The first stage consists of data collection for current situation analysis and drafting of a preliminary Master Plan. At the second stage, the Office will devise an in-depth version of the Master Plan and conduct public consultation. Following that, the final Master Plan will be formulated at the third stage. MGTO has completed the first-stage tasks for the Master Plan formulation in November 2015 and prepared a preliminary draft of the Master Plan. The second stage has now begun for public consultation. Opinions will be solicited from the public and later be applied, adopted or further interpreted during the Master Plan studies. The third-stage tasks will commence this coming September, to revise and finalize the ultimate Master Plan. It is expected that the final Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan will be ready by mid-2017. In early 2015, MGTO invited public tenders for the "Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan Service Provision”, to propose an inclusive development plan for Macao’s tourism industry in the short, medium and long term in order to develop a comprehensive “Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan”. By doing the related work, the Office aims to foster the sustainable development of Macao’s tourism industry in line with the SAR Government’s vision to build the city into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
…

Prof Mario Capecchi, a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, today (23 May) was awarded a Doctor of Science honoris causa degree by the University of Macau (UM), in recognition of his contributions to the development of gene targeting and biomedical treatment for cancer. Following the ceremony, Prof Capecchi presented a Doctor honoris causa Lecture, in which he discussed different kinds of gene mutation technologies and how the murine models derived from these technologies can be used to treat cancer. Dr Lam Kam Seng, chair of UM’s University Council, officiated at the ceremony in the company of UM Rector Wei Zhao. Prof Chuxia Deng, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, delivered the citation for Prof Capecchi. Prof Deng noted in the citation that Prof Capecchi’s achievement of excellence ‘beckons and inspires young scientists’. Prof Deng added that Prof Capecchi was mentored by two Nobel laureates, Prof James Watson and Prof Walter Gilbert, and later published a ground-breaking paper on gene targeting in mice, which awed the scientists in the field and was hailed as the second ‘Giant Leap’ after the human landing on the moon. ‘The murine model derived from the gene targeting technology has contributed immensely to research in developmental biology, immunology, neurobiology, oncology, physiology, metabolism and human diseases,’ read the citation. During the lecture, Prof Capecchi noted that gene targeting has become a widely used technology in the study of gene functions in mammals. The technology gives scientists virtually complete freedom to manipulate the DNA sequences in the genome of living mice, and to choose which genes to mutate and how to mutate them. This allows scientists to study some of the most complicated biological processes, such as how an animal grow, learn and behave, and what causes the onset of a disease. The traditional gene knockout technology was mainly used to create knockout mice by blocking a certain gene expression in the reproductive system of the mice. However, in traditional gene knockout embryonic death from a gene mutation can occur and this prevents scientists from studying the gene in adults. Conditional gene knockout, on the other hand, targets specific genes at specific times rather than eliminating the genes from the beginning of the animal’s life. Prof Capecchi discussed how gene targeting and conditional gene knockout technologies can be used to create mouse models to facilitate research on human diseases, including cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. The lecture attracted hundreds of experts, scholars, researchers, and UM faculty and students. Participants had an in-depth discussion with Prof Capecchi on gene targeting and how the technology can be used to treat human diseases. Following the lecture, Prof Capecchi participated in the Third Macao Symposium on Biomedical Sciences, organised by UM’s Faculty of Health Sciences, where he exchanged ideas with biomedical scientists from around the world.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals decreased by 3.0% year-on-year to 2,471,253 in April 2016 as the Easter holiday fell in April last year instead of March as in this year; meanwhile, visitor arrivals rose by 4.4% month-to-month. In April 2016, same-day visitors dropped by 10.1% year-on-year to 1,247,036, whereas overnight visitors rose by 5.6% to 1,224,217. The average length of stay of visitors increased by 0.2 day year-on-year to 1.1 days; the average stay of same-day visitors (0.2 day) held stable while that of overnight visitors (2.1 days) rose by 0.3 day. Visitors from Mainland China increased by 1.2% year-on-year to 1,651,662 in April 2016, of which those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme dropped by 2.3% to 694,604. Mainland visitors came mainly from Guangdong Province (666,166), Hunan Province (75,290) and Fujian Province (65,373). Visitors from the Republic of Korea (43,661), Thailand (25,321) and Taiwan (92,141) increased by 5.9%, 39.5% and 9.7% respectively year-on-year, while those from the Philippines (25,979) and Hong Kong (485,970) decreased by 0.7% and 19.4% respectively. Long-haul visitors from the United States (16,849) and the United Kingdom (5,672) decreased year-on-year, while those from Australia (8,796) and Canada (6,530) increased. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land increased by 4.3% year-on-year to 1,413,737; those arriving through the Border Gate (1,244,085) and the Checkpoint of Cotai (168,025) rose by 3.7% and 9.1% respectively. Visitor arrivals by sea decreased by 15.5% year-on-year to 862,683; those disembarking at the Outer Harbour (510,658) and the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa (352,025) fell by 19.6% and 2.6% respectively. Visitor arrivals by air increased by 13.9% year-on-year to 194,833, with 194,590 arriving at the airport. In the first four months of 2016, visitor arrivals totalled 9,928,359, down marginally by 0.3% year-on-year; same-day visitors dropped by 6.9% to 5,195,625 while overnight visitors rose by 8.1% to 4,732,734. Visitors from Mainland China (6,593,631) and Hong Kong (2,045,651) decreased by 1.0% and 3.0% year-on-year, whereas those from the Republic of Korea (217,582) and Taiwan (343,015) increased by 3.7% and 11.1% respectively. Moreover, long-haul visitors from the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom registered year-on-year increase.
…

In order to promote the art of Cantonese Opera, the Macao Museum under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, organises the exhibition “The Enchanting Red Boat – An Episode of the Cantonese Opera Culture”, to be inaugurated on Thursday, 26th May, at 6pm, in the lobby of the Macao Museum. As part of the programme of the 27th Macao Arts Festival, the exhibition will be open to the public until 9th October. Cantonese Opera, also known as “Guangdong Drama”, is a distinctive local culture and art. Many repertoires were inherited from “zaju”, a variety show of the Yuan dynasty. Originating in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Cantonese Opera became popular in the Pearl River Delta and burgeoned in the late Qing dynasty. Cantonese Opera was inscribed on the Tentative List of the Macao SAR Intangible Cultural Heritage and on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006, and it was also recognized by UNESCO and was officially inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, testifying to its artistic value and significance. In order to promote the art of Cantonese Opera and introduce its “beauty”, the Macao Museum organises the exhibition “The Enchanting Red Boat - An Episode of the Cantonese Opera Culture”. Its title, “Red Boat”, highlights the origin of Cantonese Opera. “Red Boat” refers to the boats painted in red in which the Cantonese Opera troupes were taken through the dense river network of Guangdong Province, as well as the costumes and sets of the performances. These troupes were known as “red boat troupes”. These red boats basically vanished due to the civil war occurred in the 1950s. The exhibition features nearly 100 artefacts, including the most representative artefacts of the Macao Museum related to Cantonese Opera, and other materials, photos and collections provided by Cantonese Opera associations and organizations. These artefacts include the costumes of renowned Cantonese Opera artist Chun Siu Lay, and traditional bamboo Chinese instruments made by Cantonese Opera musician Li Yui-cho, among others, illustrating the history, development and presentation of Cantonese Opera in Macao. Biographies of celebrated Cantonese Opera conductors will also be presented, allowing visitors to contemplate the beauty of this traditional art and the enchanting nostalgia it brings. The exhibition “The Enchanting Red Boat” will feature an educational area themed on Emperor Hua Guang, who is respected as a patron saint by Cantonese Opera artists, allowing visitors to have a better understanding of the customs of Cantonese Opera. In addition to the exhibition catalogue published by the Macao Museum as usual, three exquisite postcards specially designed by members of the Macao Animation & Comic Creators Association are available, adding the exhibition’s publications creative innovation. In preparation for the opening of the exhibition, tickets will only be available until 4pm on 26th May. A Chinese music performance will be held in the Museum lobby at 5:20pm. For more information on the exhibition and activities, please visit the Macao Museum website www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or call the Museum through tel. no. 2835 7911, during office hours.
…

On occasion of the 27th Macao Arts Festival (MAF), the Macao S.A.R. Government invited consuls of various countries accredited to Hong Kong and Macao to participate in a tour organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) on 22 May. The delegation visited the Mandarin’s House and the Lilau Square, both classified as World Heritage sites, and the Le French May festival exhibition “Edgar Degas: Figures in Motion”. Later the delegation attended the concert “Mullova and the Macao Orchestra” by the Macao Orchestra. This cultural visit allowed the consuls to experience Macao’s rich culture and artistic atmosphere. The consular corps, accompanied by a guided tour from IC, visited the Mandarin’s House and the Lilau Square located in the Historic Centre of Macao, where they were introduced to the architectural characteristics of the buildings, thereby experiencing the beauty of Macao’s World Heritage. The Mandarin’s House, built in 1869, was the residence of renowned Chinese modern philosopher Zheng Guanying, and is currently the largest residential Chinese complex in the city. The Mandarin’s House is currently open to the public and hosts numerous performing arts shows and different types of workshops, tea art workshops, activities and exhibitions, among others. The performance “Yue Opera Excepts”, part of this edition of the MAF, was held in the Mandarin’s House and is a fine example of reuse and revitalization of World Heritage. The neighbouring Lilau Square was one of the first residential neighbourhoods of the Portuguese in Macao. Today it still features many Western style buildings. The delegation then headed to the Le French May exhibition “Edgar Degas: Figures in Motion” held at MGM MACAU, thus having an opportunity to experience the city’s cultural and artistic atmosphere. At the end of the day, the delegation, accompanied by the Acting President of IC, Leung Hio Ming, the Head of the Department of Cultural Events, Kent Ieong Chi Kin, and the Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Leong Wai Man, attended the concert “Mullova and the Macao Orchestra” by the Macao Orchestra at Macao Cultural Centre, which marked the first collaboration between Russian violinist Viktoria Mullova and the Macao Orchestra. The members of the delegation were impressed by Macao’s cultural panorama and the visit allowed them to deepen their understanding about the city’s artistic atmosphere.
…

Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and co-organised by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Tap Siac Craft Market will be held from Friday, 27 May, for two consecutive weekends (Friday to Sunday), at Tap Siac Square. It will also be held at the Nam Van Lake Square from 3 to 12 June. A diversity of workshops will be hosted during the event. Admission is free. Interested parties are welcome to register for participation via the Activity Registration System. The workshops at Tap Siac Square comprise a variety of courses, namely, “Fabric necklaces with embroidered cactus”, “Handmade DIY wooden ear studs”, “Leather journals” , “English cross stitching memo pads”, “Silver wrapped pendants”, “Cork seals”, “Natural crystal & pearl pendants”, “Silver ear rings”, “Succulent plants workshop”, “Eco-friendly postcards”, “Handmade vegetable tanned leather card holders”, “Pressed flower music boxes workshop”, “14k gold-plated accessories”, “Pins with poodle head”, “Hoa felt Dolls”, “Handmade dye leather key rings”, “Cake pendants with leopard pattern”, “Parent-child diaries” and “Goolr handmade books”. The workshops to be held at the Nam Van Lake Craft Market include, “Happy kids story-telling workshop”, “HOME SWEET HOME—paper clay accessories”, “Mini potting”, “Plush bears”, “Coin bags in animal shape”, “Parent-child diaries”, and “Creative illustrated brooches”. Workshop instructors are the booth operators as well as cultural and creative professionals from Macao, Guangzhou, Malaysia and Singapore. Residents and tourists may join the activities and experience the fun of handicraft making. Online registration is available from today until Wednesday, 25 May, 5pm. Please enrol via the Activity Registration System on IC’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event). On-site registration will also be available, subject to availability. For more information about the workshops and the Craft Market, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo), the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com), or the “Tap Siac Craft Market” page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TapSeac.Artfair). For enquiries, please call Ms. Wong, staff member of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040 during office hours.
…

Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and co-organised by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Tap Siac Craft Market will be held from Friday, 27 May, for two consecutive weekends (Friday to Sunday) at Tap Siac Square. The Craft Market will also be held at the Nam Van Lake Square from 3 to 12 June. In addition, the “Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Tap Siac Craft Market cum 1st Award Ceremony and Concert of the Subsidy Programme for the Production of Original Song Albums” will be held on Saturday, 28 May, at 6:00pm, at Tap Siac Square. The Fair is open to the public in general. The “Tap Siac Craft Market” held from 27 to 29 May and from 3 to 5 June (Friday to Sunday), from 5pm to 10 pm at Tap Siac Square, features 200 booths and presents concerts and handicraft workshops. In addition to local cultural and creative practitioners, IC will also invite participants from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea. In order to capture the synergy of the “Nam Van Lakeside Plaza Improvement Project” and of the “2016 Macao International Dragon Boat Races”, this year’s Craft Market will be extended to the Nam Van Lake Square on 3 June from 3pm to 10pm and from 4 to 12 June from 11am to 10pm, featuring booths, workshops and music performances. In addition, the eight beneficiaries of the 2014 Subsidy Programme for the Production of Original Song Albums will be honoured at the “1st Award Ceremony and Concert of the Subsidy Programme for the Production of Original Song Albums”. The beneficiaries of the subsidised albums, including Tuna Macaense, Queena Tam, Sean Pang, Bobby Lio (represented by Fall to Fly), Forget the G and Wong Eunice, will present live performance of songs selected from the subsidised albums. There will be a counter selling the albums on site. All residents and visitors are welcome to witness the brilliance of local music artists and producers and the development of original music. Inaugurated in 2008, the “Tap Siac Craft Market” is Macao’s first large-scale integrated platform for the display and sale of cultural and creative products, also featuring original music performances. Every year the event attracts participants from Macao and abroad and has been well-received by both residents and tourists since its inception. For more information about the Craft Market such as registration for the handicraft workshops, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo), the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com) or the “Tap Siac Craft Market” page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TapSeac.Artfair).
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that there were 28 banks in Macao; number of full-time employees increased by 258 year-on-year to 6,000 at the end of the first quarter of 2016. Analysed by occupation, there were 1,614 directors and managers, and 2,109 clerks (including 764 bank tellers). In March 2016, average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) of full-time employees amounted to MOP25,150, up by 5.2% year-on-year. Average earnings of bank tellers increased by 10.2% to MOP15,320. At the end of the first quarter of 2016, job vacancies stood at 238, down by 80 from a year ago; vacancies for clerks totalled 131, including 45 for bank tellers. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 55.9% of the vacancies required working experience, 96.2% required tertiary education, and requirement for knowledge of Mandarin and English accounted for 93.3% and 94.5% respectively. In the first quarter of 2016, number of new recruits (160) and employees leaving employment (173) in the Banking Sector were similar; the employee recruitment rate (2.7%) and the employee turnover rate (2.9%) fell by 1.6 and 0.8 percentage points respectively year-on-year, indicating that the manpower situation of the Banking Sector was relatively stable in this quarter. As regards vocational training, the Banking Sector had 4,940 employee participants attending training courses provided by the employer (including courses organized by the banks or in conjunction with other institutions, and those sponsored by the banks). The majority of the participants (80.8%) attended courses organized by the banks. Most of the participants (73.9%) attended Business & Administration courses, followed by Law courses (15.4%).
…

The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) will launch a new series of Certificate in Arts Administration in July with the joint effort of Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau (CAB), to nurture more professionals for Macao’s cultural industry. Interested parties can register for the course from now until 27 May. The aim of the course is to promote the development of the cultural and creative industries in Macao, to enhance operations within local arts associations and enterprises and to strengthen the human resource pool in the field of Arts and Culture Management, in order to prepare a greater number of arts management professionals for competent work in the cultural and creative industry, providing a foundation for the long term development of the cultural and creative industries in Macao. This new series of the course is strengthened by a strong team of teachers who will equip students with comprehensive and professional knowledge in the scope of arts management. Launched in 2011, the course has been provided to local residents for 6 consecutive years, and over a hundred of participants has taken the course to become part of the new work force for Macao’s arts and creative industry. The specialties of the course include: • Cover six key scopes of comprehensive knowledge in arts management; • The course is under the Arts and Culture Management Human Resources Training Programme of the Cultural Institute; • Students can use the amount under their personal account of DSEJ Continuing Education Development Plan to pay the course fee; • Teach by professional and experienced instructors from Chinese Taiwan; • Intensive class schedule with one enrollment per year. As Macao’s creative industry is developing, the demand for arts management professionals is increasing. IFT has always been promoting the cultural education of Macao, and to cope with Macao government policy of developing cultural and creative industry to offer diversified courses in this area in recent years. The programme is now opened for application until 27 May. Applicants can submit application documents to Technical and Academic Support Division of IFT, for enquiry, please browse the website of IFT’s Tourism and Hotel School (http://www.ift.edu.mo/EN/THS/Home/Index/73) or contact: 2856-1252. Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
…

Consumer Council invited Macao Customs Service and Economic Services Bureau (DSE) to give lecture to over 60 ‘Adherents’ and ‘Certified Shops’ on local copyright legislations and the application procedures for trademark registration. The Council will continue to hold more lectures on different topics to enhance the knowledge of ‘Adherents’ and ‘Certified Shops’ about intellectual property. The mentioned talk was held by the Council on 19 May, Vong Sok Wai, Senior Adviser from Intellectual Property Department of DSE, and Ian Chan Un, Superintendent and Head of Inspection Division from Intellectual Property Department of Macao Customs Service, were invited as keynote speakers. Ian Chan Un explained the three legislations about intellectual property in Macao, namely Decree-laws no. 43/99/M, no.51/99/ M, and no.97/99/M, and Vong Sok Wai gave an introduction to ‘Adherents’ and ‘Certified Shops’ on how to register trademark and reminded attendants about the importance of trademark registration. Ian Chan Un reminded businesses owners to pay attention to the sources of their products as well as product trademarks, and to avoid selling counterfeit products to safeguard consumers’ rights and safety. Ian pointed that any person who violates the legislations are subject to fines and penalties. Consumer Council states that various training programmes are offered to its ‘Adherents’ and ‘Certified Shops’, aiming to enhance their standard, and let them aware of their own rights and knowledge regarding local legislations and consumer rights. There are currently over 1,400 ‘Adherents’ and ‘Certified Shops’, covering over 40 industries. Over 60 shop representatives from different industries, such as drugstores, telecommunication supplies, and optical industry, etc. attended the mentioned talk, and attendants were eager to ask questions about the lecture contents.
…