Mayor's remarks:
I. Achievements of the US inspection tour
1. On June 17, I set out on the seven-day US inspection tour to destinations including New York, Washington, and Los Angeles. The aim of this tour is to investigate local urban administration, and there were three other objectives: (1) learn the US success experience for the reference of implementing major construction projects in Tainan City; (2) express gratitude to overseas compatriots for their aid, up to NT$100 million, and care for Tainan City during the 2016 Taiwan earthquake and report on the post-disaster reconstruction progress, and overseas compatriots also recognized the government’s concerted efforts to help affected citizens; and (3) deliver three speeches at the request of overseas compatriots to introduce in detail to Taiwanese compatriots in the USA the current status and development visions of Taiwan, hoping to strengthen their faith in Taiwan and thereby encourage them to continuously care for and support Taiwan.
II. Grand Opening of the “2017 Tainan International Mango Festival”
1. The opening ceremony of the fifth-time “Tainan International Mango Festival” was held at Tsou-Ma-Lai Farm last Saturday (June 24th). The organizer also invited foreign guests to the event to explore Tainan’s unique mango vacation together with local visitors.
2. In addition to the highest output in Taiwan, mangoes in Tainan have the best quality. Thanks to the stable weather over time and appropriate precipitation, temperature, and sunshine, the estimated total yield this year is about 105,000 m.t., the second highest over the past decade. This year, with the assistance of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) in contacting 7 countries, 17 important buyers from seven regions and countries, including Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, visited Tainan to purchase mangoes. I would like to express my gratitude to TAITRA for helping Tainan cultivate channels and business opportunities for mango export with outstanding achievements. Although the 2017 output is the second highest over the past decade, the price does not fall as the output rises. I am grateful to Agriculture Bureau Director-General Shu and his team for taking care of farmers in every aspect.I would like to encourage local citizens to consume more in-season fruit in Tainan and citizens across Taiwan to visit Tainan to taste the best mangoes in Taiwan.
III. Measures to Prevent Dengue Fever
1. The weather condition this year is similar to that of 2015 when a widespread of dengue fever broke out across Taiwan. It all started with a drought when citizens began to store water for household uses. As the temperature rose and downpour came, those containers became the hotbed for vector mosquito growth when citizens failed to “check, clear, wash, brush” them.
2. High temperature and abundant rainfall are ones of the conditions favoring dengue prevalence. Based on the data of monitoring weeks 22 and 23 vector mosquitoes with ovitraps, the Center for Dengue Prevention and Control of the Tainan City Government found 91 high-risk villages in eight hot zones, commanding at half of all villages under surveillance.
3. Hence, the Public Health Bureau invited Director-General Yi-Ren Su of the National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center to convene a joint press conference last week in order to urge citizens to raise the awareness of dengue fever prevention. In addition, based on the experience in fighting the dengue epidemic last year, the Public Health Bureau and National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center reminded citizens to reinforce the cleaning of indoor breeding sources and disease prevention for elderly people. The Public Health Bureau also announced a notice on the penalties for found breeding sources taking effect as of June 26. The Public Health Bureau and the Environmental Protection Bureau should faithfully enforce this law. The Bureau of Civil Affairs, the Department of Information and International Relations, and district offices should reinforce awareness education and implement disease controls in order to prevent dengue from prevalence with all efforts.