Subsidies introduced for annual reservist training sessions

Subsidies introduced for annual reservist training sessions

2023-01-17

Reservists in Taiwan can now voluntarily register for additional training, and will earn NT$24,700 for each two-week training session they register for. Employers will also be required to grant employees hoping to do the training two weeks of paid leave to do so. The defense ministry hopes the new policy will encourage more people to sign up, thereby better preparing the country’s defenses for any contingency.

In the past, reservists hoping to undergo additional training had to wait to be called up by the defense ministry. Starting this year, under a new ministry policy, reservists can register for training on their own after four initial training sessions.

Yu Wen-cheng
Ministry of National Defense
Starting with the fifth training session, each time a reservist goes for training we give them a NT$5,000 bonus. Each year, a reservist can go for a single training session for five to 10 days, or a 14-day training session calculated as two sessions.

Those going for 14 days of training are awarded NT$10,000, and there is an additional daily stipend as well. Altogether that means a reservist will be given NT$24,700 for the two weeks of training. Those with regular jobs are also permitted to request government-mandated paid leave from their employer for the two-week training session.

Yu Wen-cheng
Ministry of National Defense
Each reservist can register only once per year. Those who finished mandatory conscription less than 12 years ago would be the main target of this training, and we hope they register within this period. We estimate roughly 400 to 500 men, and roughly 200 women will register annually. We will implement rolling amendments for the policy.

As part of continuing revisions to Taiwan’s defense policies, the defense ministry now hopes to attract more reservists and volunteer recruits with greater subsidies and training flexibility.

祭獎金! 國防部鼓勵男性"志願"教召.首次開放女性教召

2023-01-17

為強化我國後備戰力，從今年開始，國防部開放民眾"報名"參加教召，只要是第五次參加教召者，每次能領召集獎金5千元，若參加14天新式教召，則能領1萬元，也就是說若一名退役士兵，參加第五次教召，半個月就能領走2萬4700元。

過去要參加教召，都得等國防部寄出的教召令，從今年開始，國防部增列新的做法，役男退伍完成四次義務教召後，就能毛遂自薦參加第五次。

[[國防部全動署處長俞文鎮]]
“自第五次(教召)起，每一次我們完成訓練之後，我們都會發給召集獎金5千元。年度接受教育召集，5到7天的我們是以一次來計算，那14日我們是以兩次來計算。”

若接受14天新式教召，不僅能領召集獎金1萬元，還能額外領取每日津貼，像是士兵一天1050元，教召14天，再加上召集獎金，一次能領走2萬4700元。上班族還能請公假、公司薪水照領。

[[國防部全動署處長俞文鎮]]
“基本上一年就只能報名一次，退伍後的未滿12年，我們希望主要的對象，是在這個年限之內來參加，我們大概(開放)男生400、500位左右，然後女生可能會有200多位，但是這個都會做滾動式的一個修正。”

台灣全民國防意識提升，國防部除了鼓勵男性"志願"教召，這次也開放女性後備軍人報名，全面強化我國後備戰力。

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The Taiwan Statebuilding Party on Tuesday held a ceremony to inaugurate its new chair, Wang Hsing-huan. It is the first change in leadership for the party, which is a strong advocate for Taiwanese independence from the R.O.C. and is seen as a close ally of the ruling DPP. The event was attended by former Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an, who did not elaborate on reports that he could take over as minister of the interior soon.

Former chair Chen Yi-chi hands over a ceremonial brick representing the foundation of the party to Wang Hsing-huan. It’s the first change in leadership in the party since its establishment more than 10 years ago. Wang was asked whether the party would cooperate with the DPP.

Wang Hsing-huan
Taiwan Statebuilding Party chair
On some political issues, the general direction of our nation and our rejection of China to protect Taiwan, we are definitely cooperating. When it comes to elections, our relationship is one based on competition between political parties. Of course we will take part in the legislative elections, both for directly-elected lawmakers and legislators-at-large. We will make plans for the election.

The event had a high turnout. Among the people in attendance was former Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an, who caught much attention from media.

Pan Men-an
Former Pingtung County commissioner
Taiwan does not belong to a single party or a single person. It belongs to everyone. And it’s not a matter of just me or just you. We should all come together to think about the future of Taiwan. Over the past few years we have had a common appeal, and we have goals that take us in the same direction.

In the 2020 general elections, the party gained more than 3% of the vote in the party list vote, making it eligible for political party subsidies. In the 2022 local election, it had its best showing to date, winning one councilor seat each in Tainan and Kaohsiung. Pan says he attended the ceremony in a personal capacity, to celebrate with friends. Reporters asked him whether he was planning to join the Executive Yuan as minister of the interior and whether he was attending the event to pave the way for a possible presidential bid by Lai Ching-te in 2024.

Pan Men-an
Former Pingtung County commissioner
I don’t have any plans right now. I don’t know. I don’t really have an opinion to give you. For now I am staying in Pingtung. Whether there is a government restructuring or not depends on President Tsai.

Pan did not elaborate on his plans for the future, leaving much room for speculation.

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Fire fighters promote fire safety concepts through music video

A new music video produced by a Miaoli fire department is bringing safety concepts to life through art. Fire fighter Kuo Li-yuan wrote the original song based on the true story of a fire rescue. It features a happy ending: a mother and son escape safely, after taking the right steps to protect themselves in an emergency. Let’s take a look at the video.

“Dawn” is based on the true story of a fire rescue operation from 2016. Houlong fire fighter Kuo Li-yuan wrote the song and lyrics based on a call-out the team received in the early hours one morning.

The alarm report said a mother and son were trapped in a fire. The woman judged that they couldn’t escape by themselves, so she shut the bedroom door to wait for fire fighters to arrive. Shutting the door was the action that kept the fire’s smoke and heat out of the room. It resulted in both mother and son getting safely rescued.

Hsiao Jen-fu
Houlong Fire Department
We started with the mother and son as the center of the song. It’s about our state of mind after we, the fire department, arrived, and there was a mother and son and we could contact them and get them out.

The true story inspired Kuo, fire fighter and amateur musician. He asked his colleague Hsiao Jen-fu to direct a music video and found actors to take part.

Kuo had been a keen guitar player as a student, and whenever he had a moment to spare, he’d be found in the dormitory strumming and singing to himself. During the making of the MV, Kuo and Hsiao thought hard about how to make a promo video that would avoid the cliches of the normal instruction clips.

Kuo Li-yuan
Houlong Fire Department
Once we had fixed the tune, we kept on improving it. We had already started filming by that point. When we had worked out the basic length of time, we kept on improving it. After editing the lyrics and the tune I would ask him to check it. All in all, we must have gone through 50 different versions.

The lyrics smuggle in some important concepts about how to deal with a fire, which Kuo hopes will serve listeners who get into trouble. They include key points like, “Shut the door and wait for rescue,” “Don’t hide in the bathroom”, “Don’t cover your mouth with a wet cloth,” and “Don’t run upstairs if there’s smoke.”

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Cold weather can cause bulging or cracks in poorly laid ceramic tiles

Cold weather is battering Taiwan, and for some people, that means problems in their homes. Shoddy building can make ceramic tiles vulnerable to changes in temperature. A tile that wasn’t laid properly can end up bulging from the floor or wall, after temperature changes pull it out of place. But there’s a way to check the solidity of your tiles at home – before they crack.

Take out a metal stick and give the floor tiles a tap. The solid tiles sound one way, but at a certain tile, there’s a different sound. That hollow noise indicates there’s probably a problem.

Yen Yu-hung
Building repair industry
It’s already hollow inside. Generally people don’t know about the problem. If it’s hollow, when the cold comes and temperature drops suddenly, the tile expands and contracts and starts to bulge out.

When the weather’s cold, some people find bulges or cracks like this in their floor tiles. Once perfectly even tiling starts to bulge and crack, and the concrete underneath can start to show. Sometimes cracks appear in bathroom walls, which can be a risk to residents. So then it’s time to call a tile setter urgently. One repair specialist says profits have soared more than 50% recently.

Mr. Tseng
Affected homeowner
I went past it and wondered “Why is that sticking out there?” Or sometimes I would stub my toe on something, and realize it seemed to be poking out. So I asked the tile installer to fix it as soon as possible.

Yen Yu-hung
Building repair industry
It’s a construction problem, because the concrete wasn’t set properly. Lots of people just want a quick job. The tiles should be glued down on the back, but they don’t do that. Another thing is they didn’t wipe the dust off the backs of the tiles like they should have.

This expert says that cold snaps always lead to an increase in profits for him, and sometimes more work than he can accept. You can also check your own tiles at home before they crack. Use a NT$10 coin or a stick to tap the tiles, and if you hear a noise that’s more brittle or hollow sounding, you know it will need fixing soon.

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Taoyuan banh mi restaurant serves up an authentic Vietnamese taste

Now, to all our Vietnamese viewers, here’s one for you. A banh mi restaurant in Taoyuan is gaining rave reviews. The chef, Gandan, started the restaurant in Guishan District, so locals could enjoy the classic Vietnamese dish properly. Despite the pandemic, he’s carved out a niche, with solid ingredients and commitment to the traditional recipe. Vietnamese residents of Taoyuan say his banh mi is pretty close to the real deal. What greater compliment could they give? Let’s head to Taoyuan now.

Baguettes go into the oven, to be re-baked until crispy outside and soft inside. They’re cut open and filled with pork pate, authentic Vietnamese ham, cucumber, and coriander.

Even the eggs are fried in a special way. They go into the pan with cold oil, which is heated up slowly to fry the egg. These banh mi are a solid 7 centimeters thick! Lots of Vietnamese people come here to enjoy an authentic flavor from their homeland.

Customer
It’s quite authentic. The ingredients are good quality. You can leave them for hours and the baguette is still crispy.

Customer
They’re very similar to the ones in Vietnam.

And inside the restaurant, we spot these photos of Vietnam’s beautiful scenery on the walls. They were taken by the restaurant owner on his travels. Gandan, born in 1974, often travels with his family in Vietnam, and writes an independent travel blog.

Gandan
Vietnamese roll restaurant owner
I think Vietnam feels a bit like Taiwan did when I was born. When I go to the Vietnamese countryside, I see lots of things that give me deja vu. I also see the ways in which it is developing really fast. It’s an enormous contrast. It has a very good side. The people are also very good-hearted.

After leaving his career as a police officer, Gandan had his heart set on starting his own business. He didn’t think too much about leaving himself a get-out route, he says. He just wanted to give fellow lovers of Vietnam a place to enjoy the real culinary deal, but in Taiwan. Not long after he started the business, COVID-19 hit. Prices for ingredients like eggs and coriander went flying sky-high. But through word of mouth and the patronage of the Vietnamese community in Taiwan, he’s maintained a stable business.

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Migrant workers have it very tough, and so do foreign women who move here to marry a Taiwanese man. They may have to adapt to a lot of different national cultural habits and language habits. It’s all very hard work. I try to treat them with extra kindness, like, chatting with them as much as I can. I think we do have the Vietnamese atmosphere here, maybe. Perhaps they feel like I kind of understand Vietnam.

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Chen chen’s mom
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He would keep crying in the middle of the night and not be able to sleep. Foundation staff would come to the house to help with putting on his nose molds, and help us with his special feeding bottles and pacifiers. Since starting speech therapy, he can now pronounce the sounds for “b,"“p”and "m.” He can also now say “good,” “no” and “mom” in Mandarin.

The Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation was founded by Dr. Samuel Noordhoff in 1989, in hopes of helping congenital craniofacial patients receive holistic care and medical treatment as well as educate the public about the condition. The Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation provides training for family members and respite caregivers. In addition, the foundation also arranges summer camps, scholarships, and grants for affected children.

Chen I-ling
Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation
Since the establishment of the foundation in 1989, there have been more than 15,000 children with craniofacial conditions that have registered with us. We serve about 1,500 children and adults who have been with us for many years. Our services are split into different stages, and we provide services both during pregnancy, and shortly after birth. As the child grows older, we will arrange a follow-up plan.

There are more than 300 children born with congenital craniofacial anomalies in Taiwan every year, including cleft lips and palates, microtia, and other congenital craniofacial conditions. The foundation hopes to continue to support these children and their families. They also call on more people to donate to help support the families.

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