Day: June 20, 2023

The Vietnamese and Lao Governments’ special working committees on search, collection and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who sacrificed in Laos during wartime convened their 28th meeting in Vientiane, Laos on June 19.

The Vietnamese side was led by permanent member of the Central Military Commission and Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Vo Minh Luong while the Lao side was headed by Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chairman of the General Department of Politics under the Lao People’s Army Sen. Lieut. Gen Thongloi Silivong.

They said during 2022-2023 dry season, Vietnam’s search teams found and repatriated 194 sets of remains of fallen soldiers, including 10 who have been identified by name and hometown.

During 2023-2024 dry season, the Vietnamese side will continue maintaining eight search and recovery teams in Lao cities and provinces. Additionally, both sides will urge the public to provide information on fallen soldiers and the burial sites of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during various periods of war.

In conclusion, they signed the minutes of the 28th meeting and agreed to jointly organise a ceremony to honour collectives and individuals in Laos who made outstanding contributions to the effort during 2013-2020.

In the afternoon the same day, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath hosted a reception for Luong and his entourage.

Luong informed the host about the outcomes of the 28th meeting to the Lao leader and wished that in the near future, the Lao Party, State, people and particularly the Deputy PM would continue offering support to the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts.

Agreeing with Luong’s proposals, Chanyalath expressed his profound gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, State and people for standing side by side with the Lao counterparts during both wartime and peacetime.

Source: Lao News Agency

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will continue to prevail across the country, the weather bureau said Tuesday.
“There will be chances of isolated rain showers, especially in the afternoon or evening,” Grace Castañeda of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
Castañeda added that the isolated rain showers would mostly affect Mindanao due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) affecting the island.
Localized thunderstorms will also cause isolated rain showers, she said.
Castañeda said no weather disturbance was seen to affect any part of the county.
Light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas will continue to prevail across the archipelago.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The city government of Meycauayan has unveiled the monument of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and has launched the Tanghalang Meycaueño at its new city hall on the commemoration of the 162nd birthday of the national hero on Monday.
The city’s inauguration of the seven-foot Rizal monument was led by Meycauayan City Mayor Henry Villarica, Meycauayan City Vice Mayor Josefina Violago, Bulacan 4th District Rep. Linabelle Villarica, Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando, and Bulacan Vice Gov. Alex Castro.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, who is from this city, also graced the event.
Rep. Villarica said the new Rizal figure, erected outside the new city hall grounds and can be seen when passing through the McArthur Highway, is a pride of Meycauayan as this is the first sculpture of Frederic ‘Fred’ Caedo in this city.
Fred Caedo is the grandson of sculptor Anastacio Caedo, whose famous works include the MacArthur Landing site in Leyte, the monument of Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. in Makati City, the Bonifacio Monument in Balintawak, and a number of bust figures and monuments of Rizal including those in the Philippine embassies in Belgium and Germany, among others.
‘The family of Rizal is a good family of ours since my grandfather’s time. In 1978, the German government commissioned our family, with my dad and lolo (grandfather) to make a Rizal that will be known in the world… They saw the works of my grandfather and they liked their works,’ Caedo shared to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on the sidelines of the unveiling.
He added that a seven- to eight-footer statues are being completed in seven to eight months, but the seven-foot bronze monument of Rizal in Meycauayan City was delivered in three months.
‘We are more detailed, especially the eyes because it should show emotion. And then the movement, they do action and not just straight. We’re moving not in a traditional, we’re now doing more (figures) with emotion and motion,’ Caedo said.
In his speech, Mayor Villarica said Rizal’s monument in the city aimed to inspire Meycaueños that anyone can contribute to the nation using one’s abilities.
Boosting city’s culture and arts
On the commemoration of Rizal’s birth anniversary, the city government also launched the Tanghalang Meycaueño, a venue for performing arts to promote the talents of the city.
Senator Loren Legarda was the guest of honor during the inauguration of the Tanghalang Meycaueño.
The Philippine Madrigal Singers was also the first to perform in the newly launched theater hall.
‘We want the Tanghalang Meycaueño to be the venue for recitals of dancers, singers, musicians, concerts, stage plays, musicals, balagtasan (poetic competition), and other cultural events. Through this hall, we also dream to discover new talents, especially the youth,’ Rep. Villarica said in Filipino.

Source: Philippines News Agency