Mayor’s Remarks:
1. Concentrating all efforts on helping citizens restore their normal lives
(1) Tainan City has the largest flood-prone area in Taiwan. To protect the safety of citizens and their property, and to provide a stable living and investment environment, water treatment was listed as one of the key policy objectives when Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality. Every year, a substantial amount of funds is allocated to gradually improve the water facilities in flood-prone areas. Furthermore, flood-prevention standards in densely populated areas have also been steadily enhanced. Pao An Industrial Zone, Yongkang Industrial Zone, and Sishu and Wanli are all areas that used to be prone to flooding; however, none of these areas became flooded during this round of extreme weather, proving the effectiveness of Tainan’s water treatment efforts over the past several years.
(2) However, in the face of extreme weather, even the most stringent standards for flood-prevention cannot guarantee that flooding will not occur. The torrential rain that fell on Tainan on August 22 caused floods in Tainan. In two days, the daily accumulated rainfall in Tainan reached 800 mm, which exceeded the amount that any water facilities were designed to handle. In certain areas, the amount of rainfall surpassed that of Typhoon Morakot. As a result, water could not be drained fast enough in many areas, which then became flooded. As the Tainan City Government hastens recovery efforts, we would also like to express our empathy and our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience that this round of flooding has caused for Tainan's citizens. In the future, we will continue to reinforce our organization and methods for disaster prevention and shape Tainan into a resilient city that is not vulnerable to flooding.
(3) The scope of this flood was extensive, and the Tainan City Government’s resources are limited. Thankfully, the Armed Forces joined us in disaster relief efforts. On behalf of Tainan’s citizenry, I would like to thank the Central Government and all servicepeople involved in disaster relief work for their help and support. President Tsai and Premier Lai visited Tainan and oversaw the damage caused by the flood and the recovery efforts. In addition, the Executive Yuan has issued NT $20,000 to every flooded household. Regarding agricultural loss, the Tainan City Government has asked the Council of Agriculture to activate the Implementation Rules of Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief and provide subsidies to farmers as soon as possible, thereby minimizing loss.
(4) As a response to this series of torrential rains, the Disaster Emergency Operation Center was opened for more than 100 hours, the longest record since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality. All fire-fighting, police, civil affairs, agricultural, social, public works, environmental, and hydraulic units were involved in disaster relief. I would like to thank all staff members in these departments for their hard work and for working together to safeguard Tainan’s citizens and their property.
(5) The most urgent task at hand is to fully assist citizens in cleaning up and restoring their homes. I would like to ask the Environmental Protection Bureau, Bureau of Civil Affairs, and Public Works Bureau to continue to assist in cleaning up houses, removing sludge, refilling potholes, straightening trees, and repairing street lamps. Please expedite relevant work and help citizens return to their daily routines as soon as possible.
2. Enhancing measures for preventing Dengue vector growth after the flood
(1) After the torrential rain on August 22, many containers are now full of rainwater, and many natural water deposits have formed, which increases the risk of Dengue fever outbreaks in communities. Thus, I would like to remind citizens to pay special attention while cleaning up their homes and remove any containers that contain rainwater, especially water buckets, vases, Styrofoam boxes, disposable cups, tires, and form boards. To prevent Dengue vectors from breeding, be sure to patrol, empty, clean, and scrub.
(2) Heat and rain are two major factors that lead to Dengue vector growth. According to the vector density survey produced by the Environmental Protection Bureau, ten villages had a Breteau index of over three during the 32nd week of this year. For two consecutive weeks, the baiting buckets in Dengue fever hot zones have exhibited positive results exceeding 60% in 113 villages. These numbers are likely to exacerbate after the flood; thus, we must remain vigilant in disease prevention work.
(3) Cases of Dengue fever have been spreading in Taiwan, as many have been reported in counties/cities all across the island. I would like to ask the Environmental Protection Bureau, Public Health Bureau, and the district offices to remain alert. Please continue to employ disease prevention work and eliminate vectors in communities, as well as enhance awareness of disease prevention.
Announcements
1. The Disaster Prevention and Relief Office’s report on the status quo of the promotion of disaster prevention and relief work since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Deputy Mayor Wu’s Remarks:
(1) In the face of extreme weather and various compound disasters, the Tainan city Government became the first of the five special municipalities to establish a Disaster Prevention and Relief Office. The Office, established on March 18, 2011, is chaired by the Secretariat-General. Concerned departments are stationed in the Office and are responsible for disaster prevention and relief. Since the Office was established, it has served as a coordinating institution for the February 6 earthquake and numerous floods and typhoons. The Office is in charge of consolidating various units and teams to analyze and forecast relevant information. The Office has exhibited excellent performance since it was established. I would like to thank Counselor Ho and the members of the various units for their hard work over the years.
(2) The Disaster Prevention and Relief Office is a task force that promotes disaster prevention and relief work based on the responsibilities of different units. These promotional acts include the district offices’ annual disaster prevention and relief evaluation, military simulations or hands-on drills, additions or amendments to regional disaster prevention and relief plans, expert advisory committees, three-in-one conferences and disaster prevention and relief evaluations and air raid drills organized by the Executive Yuan, and National Disaster Prevention Day. All of these innovative practices have been integrated under the scope of the Office and effectively promoted. The Office has received awards of excellence every year during evaluations by the Central Government. In particular, the Office was awarded the first place among all similar institutions in the six special municipalities in 2017.
(3) With increasingly extreme weather, we must always stay alert and be prepared to launch disaster prevention and relief work. In particular, heavy rainfall in a short amount of time has become the norm. I urge all teams and units to perceive such threats with great caution and to continue to reinforce disaster prevention and relief work. Do not let your guard down. Be sure to keep up to date with pre-disaster mitigation preparations, emergency responses during disasters, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Safeguarding citizens’ safety and the soundness of their property is our priority. Together, let us improve Tainan’s safety and livability.
2. The Culture Affairs Bureau’s report on the key metrics for promoting Tainan as the Cultural Capital for the past eight years (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Deputy Mayor Wu’s Remarks:
(1) In consideration of Tainan’s cultural significance, Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality in 2010. In addition to signifying Tainan’s history and heritage while expressing its visions for future development, having culture as our city’s foundation also indicates that we must all work hand in hand at present to maintain Tainan’s cultural significance.
(2) Although we have faced certain challenges and obstacles over the past eight years, the Culture Affairs Bureau, led by Director-General Yeh, has spared no effort in maintaining outstanding administrative quality. Furthermore, the Culture Affairs Bureau has continuously proposed new ideas that have increased the Taiwanese’ recognition of Tainan’s cultural brand, thereby maintaining the public’s interest in Tainan. Moreover, the Culture Affairs Bureau has not forsaken the preservation of Taiwan’s local culture. Taiwan Culture University and two very important publications, The Daily Registers of Fort Zeelandia and Taiwan Terroir, which were not mentioned in the report, highlight Tainan's vital mission as Taiwan's Cultural Capital.
(3) When Premier Lai served as mayor of Tainan, he would often state that “the leader of every department must think in the shoes of the Director-General of the Culture Affairs Bureau.” Over the past few years, we have seen many departments closely collaborating with the Culture Affairs Bureau. I would like to thank the Culture Affairs Bureau for playing the part of Tainan’s cultural engine. I would also like to encourage the staff members of the Culture Affairs Bureau to keep true to their original goals and to keep up the good work. Our ultimate goal is to maintain citizens’ pride for Tainan as a cultural capital, while also making the Taiwanese proud of Taiwan’s unique culture.