Mayor’s remarks
I. The plum rain front is coming. All units should take precautions to prevent disasters.
The previous plum rain front carried abundant moisture and brought disasters to many parts of Taiwan. Fortunately, the plum rain front did not hit Tainan City directly. According to the latest meteorological forecast, another plum rain front is coming later this week and will hover over Taiwan for a longer time than the previous one. The Water Resources, Public Works, and Environmental Protection Bureaus should “plan more for incidents and act cautiously in response” to respond carefully and make the early deployment. The Disaster Prevention and Response Office, Water Resources, Civil Affairs, Social Affairs, Fire, and Police Bureaus should reinforce citizens’ awareness of disaster prevention and provide them with the latest information, in order to ensure the safety of all citizens and minimize the impacts of heavy rain on the livelihood.
II. Appreciation to police officers and volunteers for their efforts and sacrifices on the day before Police Day.
1. It is Police Day tomorrow. I wish to express my appreciation to all police officers, volunteer police officers, volunteer traffic police officers, civil defense officers, volunteers, and the neighborhood watch volunteers on behalf of all Tainan citizens for their efforts and sacrifices to maintain social order and traffic safety.
2. The last social order satisfaction survey conducted by the National Police Agency of the Ministry of the Interior shows that Tainan City topped all six municipalities in the eight survey indicators: efforts to maintain social order, overall social order, neighborhood social order, overall service of police officers, duty performance of police officers, pursuit of traffic offences, assistance in problem-solving, and the ability to fight crime and maintain social order. These results show that all citizens have recognized the efforts and devotion of Commissioner Huang and all police officers of TNPD. Please accept my gratitude.
3. In addition, I would also like to express my wholehearted gratitude to the silent devotion of the families of all police officers. Your support has enabled our officers to maintain social order without worries and become a major power to promote social stability. Thank you so much.
III. Gratitude to the President and Premier’s visit to Tainan City to express concern for the Forward-looking Water Infrastructure Plan and long-term care plans.
1. As for the infrastructure on-site inspections, President Tsai selected Tainan City as her first stop. It is a place with the largest flood-prone area and where reservoirs have the most sludge. The President supported the Bahe Reservoir Sludge Removal Expansion and New Sludge Prevention Facility Construction Project and the subsequent flood prevention projects of Liukuailiao Drainage, Liucuo Drainage, Hutou River Drainage, Jingliao Drainage, and Guizigang Drainage.
2. President Tsai also showed her concerns about the status of implementation of the Long-Term Care Plan 2.0 in Tainan City. She was impressed by our collaboration with civilian facilities and care-focus and regional-need-based approach. The President also mentioned that, by combining the power of the medical circle and civilian groups, we can let more seniors suffering from senile dementia and their family enjoy more professional services.
3. I am grateful to the President for expressing the determination to implement Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program in real actions. Whether they are projects to resolve water resource shortages and flood problems or projects to address the long-term care for an aged society, they all aim to build a better future for future generations and for the long-lasting wellness of Taiwan. Here, I would like to urge all citizens in Tainan and in Taiwan to support the government’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and let related bills and budgets be passed smoothly.
4. I would like to thank Premier Chuan Lin for attending the Police Day celebration in Tainan City yesterday (June 13), giving his open recognition and commendation of all TNPD officers, and wishing them a Happy Police Day. I am also grateful to Premier Lin for expressing concerns about the desilting tunnel project of Zengwen Reservoir to ease all worries about the subsequent remediation work. Premier Lin specifically visited Taiwan’s first water regeneration project in Yongkang District. Besides recognizing our performance, the Premier supported our efforts and wished Tainan’s pilot project a success. In the future, our success can be promoted across the country and even exported as a turnkey project to enhance Taiwan’s international industrial competitiveness.
Reports
I. Report on the “Promoting Bilingual Education: The Case of Singapore” by the Bureau of Education. (refer to written sources for details)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s comments:
1. The lesson learned from visiting the promotion of bilingual education in Singapore of the Bureau of Education and the presentation of this report should be recognized. I hope that the Bureau of Education can implement what has been learned from Singapore and the suggestions of the deputy mayors, secretary-general, and deputy secretary-general.
2. In Taiwan’s current English education system, the assigned lecture hours, teacher training, teacher performance and responsibility, and student competency tests all follow the central government’s standards, and there are limitations as local governments try to promote English education. However, I still encourage staffs of the Bureau of Education and Office of English as the Second Official Language to work in collaboration to progressively review and improve all policies in order to make English as the city’s second official language and make Tainan citizens more competitive.
3. Promoting English as Tainan’s second official language is like penetrating a stone with dripping water because the outcomes cannot be seen in the short-term as construction projects. I hope that the Bureau of Education and Office of English as the Second Official Language can promote this project with the private sector. As long as we keep our perseverance, we will win generous supports from citizens. For English education in schools, the Bureau of Education should overcome all difficulties, such as those in the selection of teachers with TESL (or TEFL) qualifications and the promotion of the English curriculum, to truly implement the second official language policy.
II. Report on “Arcade Walkway Leveling Achievements and Prospects” by the Public Works Bureau. (refer to written sources for details)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s comments:
1. The Arcade Walkway Accessibility Project aims to ensure “pedestrian safety” and “shop profitability”. Although the project is tough, through the leadership of the former and current director-generals and the support of relevant bureaus and departments, the Public Works Bureau has successfully leveled 256 spots with a total area of 7,120m2 and smoothened 70 arcade walkways with a total length of 29km. I appreciate the teamwork of the Public Works Bureau, Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, Bureau of Civil Affairs, district offices, and village chiefs.
2. In the report session of this municipal administrative meeting, although the first report on “Promoting Bilingual Education: The Case of Singapore” and the second report on “Arcade Walkway Leveling Achievements and Prospects” are definitely unrelated, their contributions to Tainan’s development are the same in spiritual terms. If we can successfully make English the city’s second official language, we can significantly enhance Tainan’s ability in connecting with the world and increasing city competitiveness. Likewise, if all arcade walkways are flat and smooth, such achievement can help improve the city’s landscape, business development, tourism development, and the building of a downshifting city lifestyle. Therefore, both the English as the Second Official Language Project and the Arcade Walkway Accessibility Project are important policies to elevate Tainan City to another level. I hope relevant bureaus and departments can keep promoting them.
3. The Arcade Walkway Accessibility Project is a bottom-up project. As effectiveness has gradually emerged in recent years, it has won citizens’ recognition. However, the Public Works Bureau should proactively select the most complained sections for future improvement in order to optimize policy performance. In terms of the “Arcade Walkway Levelling Project” of Taipei City, the ambition of the Taipei City Government coincides with that of mine. As it is a matter of city development, we should proactively implement the project. If there are obstacles, we can resolve them through the promulgation of self-governance articles. Based on the past success, I am sure the second phase of the “Arcade Walkway Accessibility Project” will gain citizen support.