Mayor’s remarks
1. In support of the New Energy Conservation Movement of the central government next year, Tainan is targeting at saving 70 million kWh every year by 2020.
(1) Statistics from Taipower show that power consumption in Tainan was the lowest among all six municipalities last year and the energy efficiency was the second highest. In the New Energy Conservation Movement to be launched by the Executive Yuan next year, we have the confidence to achieve the one-percent conservation target (70 million kWh) in three years. In addition to conserving energy, we will continue to promote the Solar City Program and activate the two-year Photovoltaic System Program by reinforcing the construction of photovoltaic (PV) zones on the salt industry land, building PV systems in detention basins, erecting green energy facilities on farmlands unfavorable for agriculture, and installing PV systems in landfills. By doing so, we hope to achieve the capacity target of 440MW in 2018. In the future, we will combine the low-carbon and energy diversity development measures, such as the Shalun Green Energy Science City, to transform Tainan into a demo city of energy conservation and green energy in Taiwan. I want to thank Deputy Secretary-general Fang and Director-general Yin and related colleagues of the Bureau of Economic Development for their efforts.
(2) To enforce energy conservation, this July the Executive Yuan approved the New Energy Conservation Movement with a total budget amounting to NT$15.9 billion proposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Residential and Business Areas Energy Conservation Program co-promoted by counties and cities is expected to be implemented next year with a budget amounting to NT$ 7.5 billion. The program includes three main sections: construction of energy conservation infrastructure, equipment replacement and locale-specific projects. The program will be operated through central-local collaboration. We will propose a project with a budget amounting to NT$550 million to strive for subsidies from the central government. In support of the central government policies, we have planned to allocate NT$24 million to form a task force, train volunteers and survey electricity consumption data for the reference of subsequent energy policy analysis. We will also form an audit team to take charge of the education and publication of energy conservation measures.
(3) Tainan City will invest NT$390 million in replacing the old ductless air-conditioners and energy-consuming lighting fixtures in areas including schools, business venues, and carparks. It is estimated that 20,000 set of ductless air-conditioners, 200,000 office lighting fixtures, and 50,000 carpark lighting fixtures will be replaced. In addition, we will assist service industries and colleges and universities to implement the energy management system to effectively enhance energy efficiency.
(4) Furthermore, based on the local energy conservation features, we plan to submit the Green Roof Re-engineering Program of the Environmental Protection Bureau for energy conservation and temperature reduction the Energy for the Vulnerable Program of the Department of Social Affairs, the Service Industries Energy Conservation Technology Publicization Program and the Alliance for Energy Conservation big data management platform for energy management of the Bureau of Economic Development. I would like the Bureau of Economic Development to continuously strive for funds from the central government in the assistance of the Environmental Protection Bureau, Bureau of Social Affairs, and related bureaus and departments under the supervision of Deputy Secretar-general Fang.
2. The 6th Tainan City Siraya Culture Festival: Misalamavok begins on December 2
(1) In addition to being the old cultural capital of Taiwan, Tainan is also a heterogeneous society and Taiwan’s earliest international city. Siraya was the earliest ethnic group settling in Tainan recorded in the written history of Taiwan. The earliest Sirayan record can be dated back to the Dutch rule. Over time, the Siraya has been living and growing in this place and is inseparable from the shaping and development of the history and culture of Greater Tainan. To date, there are nearly 20,000 Sirayans living in Tainan City. Tainan City recognizes its indigenous ethnicity. In addition to establishing a Siraya Affairs Promotion Committee, we built the Tainan Siraya Cultural Hall in 2014 as the platform for culture promotion and ethnic group exchange.
(2) The Tainan City Siraya Culture Festival is the most important event for the Siraya people in Tainan. The year 2017 marks the sixth time of the event which will be organized in three themes: Siraya Folksongs, Siraya Foods, and Siraya Ethnicity. Festival events will be held on December 2 at the Holiday Plaza of the Tainan Cultural Center and December 9 at the Toushe Pinpu Cultural Park and Tainan Siraya Cultural Hall. Diversity and attractiveness are the two distinct features of Siraya culture, as shown in the aspects of food, folksongs, and living. Therefore, Siraya culture is worthy of publicization for more people to discover it.
(3) In Siraya language, Misalamavok means let’s dine together. The forthcoming festival is also the first time to integrate the specialty foods of different Siraya communities in Taiwan into Siraya feast dishes. Therefore, gourmet food is a theme of the festival featuring jiato (outdoor party) for citizens to experience the outdoor party of Toushe Community. Short guided tours are also arranged in the community for people to understand more about Siraya culture through continuous promotion events.
(4) In addition, Tainan City has long been accompanying the Siraya tribe to strive for ethnicity recognition and revitalize its culture. At the forthcoming festival, we will initiate the ethnicity recognition movement of the tribe under the theme of Siraya Ethnicity. Welcome to explore Siraya at the festival.
Report
1. Report on the 2017 Project for Clear Sky presented by the Environmental Protection Bureau. (please refer to written sources for details)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing
Mayor's comments:
(1) Particulate matter (PM2.5) is a health risk factor that can cause cardiovascular diseases and other disorders. On December 1, 2016, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) combined the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) and the Daily Air Quality Index into the Air Quality Index, and added new pollutant items and allergy forecast by grade. AQI has been divided into six grades from good to hazardous for citizens to take precautionary actions in response.
(2) Due to the influence of high pressure circulation last Friday, pollutants accumulated easily and were difficult to disperse as wind speed was reduced. As a result, PM2.5 AQI reached 8, indicating that the pollutant level is high, as measured in Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. It was the first time since autumn this year PM2.5 AQI reached high level.. Although investigations show that 70% of the pollution was imported, Tainan City still activated the poor air quality response measures, established the air pollution response center, notified 82 manufacturers with the top 40% emissions to take actions to reduce pollutant emissions, such as voluntarily load reduction or treatment enhancement, requested large construction sites to avoid disturbing dust and mud and spray water once every three to four hours, and increased street washing vehicles to wash 130km of streets to reduce local dust pollution.
(3) I want to thank the Environmental Protection Bureau for proposing the Project for Clear Sky to fight air pollution. Apart from the periodical rolling review and analysis of current air quality status, the 2017 Project for Clear Sky was implemented by 18 bureaus and departments with 45 controls in nine aspects. I must thank Deputy Secretary-general Lee, Director-general Lin and the team of the Environmental Protection Bureau, and related bureaus and departments for your efforts. The presentation already shows the PM2.5 intensity has dropped significantly, with a 37% improvement over the past decade. Related bureaus and departments are advised to continuingly implement all controls to maintain citizen health.
(4) This June 9, the Executive Yuan also announced the Regulations for the Emergency Control of Severe Air Quality Deterioration to address various warnings and severe deterioration incidents. When the severity is level 1, schools of all levels, kindergartens, and laborers should stop all outdoor activities. Local governments are authorized to determine the need to suspend schools. If planning is imperfect, the chaos of day off for typhoons will repeat. When school is suspended and parents still need to work, children will be unattended. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Bureau, the Bureau of Education, and the Department of Personnel should voluntarily look into the matter. Deputy Secretary-general Lee should hold meetings with related bureaus and departments to draw up countermeasures.
(5) Deputy Secretary-general Lee and Deputy Secretary-general Fang should discuss together the division of labor to reduce the pollution caused by industrial boilers. The Department of Information and International Relation and Environmental Protection Bureau should publicize the PM2.5 status and improvements in Tainan.
2. Report on the Achievements of 2017 Guanziling Hot Spring Food Festival presented by Tourism Bureau. (please refer to written sources for details)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing
Mayor's comments:
(1) As one of the major tourism events in Tainan, the Guanziling Hot Spring Food Festival has entered its 13th anniversary since it was launched in 2003. As the high and low seasons of the hot spring area are apparent, the Tourism Bureau advanced the festival to September two years ago to help hot spring businesses promote their business in the low season and thereby attract more visitors to the hot spring area in warm winter. I want to thank Director-general Wang and the team of the Tourism Bureau for extending the high season of Guanziling hot spring area with the festival in collaboration with local business owners.
(2) Last year the Tourism Bureau combined the local folk belief activity Dazzling Wangyeh Tour with the festival and earned critical acclaim. The number of visitors this year was much higher than before, suggesting that the bureau has successfully shaped the features of the festival. In addition, by combining gourmet food and yukata culture with the festival in recent years, building the Night Light Environment in collaboration with the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, promoting the handmade soap made with local agricultural products in cooperation with the Agriculture Bureau, and launching the chicken tasting(urn roasted chicken) and accommodation package on weekdays, the Tourism Bureau has re-branded Guanziling into an attraction for spa, fine food, yukata, and night stroll with resources from different sources. In addition to its recognizable efforts, the Tourism Bureau has successfully promoted the event to younger generations for more young people to identify with Guanziling.
(3) Through integrated marketing, it is evident that the festival has successfully brought consumers and sales to local businesses. The 500 hot spring package tickets integrating food, clothing, accommodation, transport, entertainment, and shopping have also promoted the use of public transport, and all tickets were sold out within half an hour after their launch, which took much less time than the sale of the 300 tickets last year and suggests the package’s quality has earned word of mouth. I hope the Tourism Bureau can continue to integrate local business owners, provide them guidance, and collaborate with them based on the existing success to push the capacity growth of tourism in Guanziling every year.
(4) It is noteworthy that the festival is innovative every year. This year, the Tourism Bureau has launched for the first time the original animation characters Maple and Spring for Guanziling with clothing combining the elements of Dazzling Wangyeh, fire in water, and purple butterflies in Guanziling. These two characters have become the best endorsers of the Guanziling hot spring area. By applying the four-panel comical format attracted to young people, the Tourism Bureau has revolutionized the vintage stereotype of Guanziling in most people’s mind. The promotional image is lively and attractive. I hope that the Tourism bureau can continue to develop stories for the characters in the future to market Guanziling, attracting more young people to visit the hot spring area, and spreading the fame of century-old hot springs in Guanziling far and wide, now and forever. I also hope that bureaus and departments can help promote the Top Ten Taiwan Spas Poll for Taiwan’s one and only mud springs in Guanziling to stand out from the competitors.