More vibrant programmes as public arts festival ARTWALK Little India returns in 2021

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In spite of the pandemic, popular public arts festival ARTWALK Little India (ARTWALK) returns to celebrate the rich heritage of the precinct from 22 January to 6 February 2021, demonstrating how art continues to fuel and inspire even in challenging times. Held in conjunction with Singapore Art Week, this year’s festival will be presented in a hybrid format for the first time, featuring both digital and on-site programmes.

“As our country moves into a gradual reopening, the vibrant stories, sights and sounds of the festival will be uplifting for many after close to a year of isolation. We hope that through this shared experience of ARTWALK, people can find comfort, understanding and remain connected to one another as a community,” said Milenko Prvački, Senior Fellow, LASALLE College of the Arts. He was the impetus for the festival’s inaugural showing in 2015 and has seen the festival through many editions. Together with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the support of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, they guide a group of 12 BA(Hons) Arts Management students in organising the festival.

Ms Serene Tan, Director, Arts & Cultural Precincts, Singapore Tourism Board said: “We are pleased to welcome ARTWALK Little India for the seventh year running, this time with a new hybrid format. Aptly themed ‘In Spite Of’, this year’s festival will continue to enliven Little India through rich storytelling and vibrant artwork, and allow locals to rediscover Little India. There is something for everyone, and we encourage visitors to explore the festival’s diverse offerings.” 

Kicking things off for ARTWALK 2021 is pioneering Bhangra company Jigri Yaar Bhangra, which commemorates its 35th year in the industry with a special performance. Filmed around iconic spots in Little India, viewers will witness the powerful energy of this dance reverberating through their screens when they tune in via Facebook. Carrying this same vitality is Bollywood Zumba with Theeya, a live Zoom class that promises an intense workout to popular Bollywood tunes. For child-friendly fun, a workshop not to be missed is Spiced Up Motifs. Through an activity kit that includes stencils and cooking spices, families will create motifs used in Indian textiles in this sensory play.

Other online offerings include festival favourites such as master storyteller Kamini Ramachandran who will recount tales tied to the old cattle industry at Serangoon Road and the Thaipusam procession of Little India, and Monster Day Tours who will take audiences on a virtual walk to discover the many murals and places of interest in the precinct.

For those who prefer to stretch their legs, visitors can take a walk to view six new artworks in the heritage precinct, including a community wall along Upper Dickson Road. Artist Khairulddin Wahab weaves reflections submitted by residents and migrant workers who frequent the area into a large-scale mural. Also on display along Clive Street are several life-sized frames in the shape of human figures. This fixed installation by Milenko Prvački invites visitors to take photos while engaging with the socially distanced frames.

This year also sees ARTWALK’s first international collaboration between Indian artist Bhajju Shyam, a recipient of the Padma Shri (one of India’s highest civilian awards), and Singaporean urban artist Sam Lo. Brought together by the St+art India Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in India that works on public art projects, this fusion of traditional Indian art form Gond with contemporary lines stands boldly at seven storeys tall on the façade of Broadway Hotel (195 Serangoon Road).

Full details of programmes and on-site artworks can be found at http://artwalklittleindia.sg, which also includes a retrospective showcase of all past festivals, capturing the scale of which the festival has grown over the years since its first edition in 2015.

Tugade, Bello donate fiber glass fishing boats to Cagayan residents affected by ‘Ulysses’

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To fulfill the promise of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of a restored economy and livelihood for the people of typhoon-affected Cagayan, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade joined Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III in the awarding of fiber glass fishing boats to fishermen severely affected by the series of typhoons, especially Typhoon Ulysses.

At the awarding ceremony for the 100 fishing boats to beneficiaries in Claveria, Cagayan on Saturday, 16 January 2021, Secretaries Tugade and Bello emphasized the goal of the government to help the fishermen in the municipality in their recovery, and the rebuilding of their livelihood that was devasted by the floods due to typhoon Ulysses in November 2020, amid the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Immay (Pumunta) kami rito, kasi napangako ng ating Pangulo noon, ‘Bello, Tugade, tulungan n'yo 'yung Cagayan.’ Sabi ng ating Pangulo, ‘Ibangon n'yo ang ekonomiya ng Cagayan. Tulungan n'yo sila.’ Kaya nga ba’t nandidito kami ngayon, upang tuparin ang pangako ng ating Pangulo,” Secretary Tugade emphasized.

The DOTr Chief, however, highlighted the importance of taking care and using these government donations to the fullest.

“Tinupad ng ating Pangulo ang kanyang pangako na tulungan ang Cagayan. 'Yung munting tulong na binibigay sa inyo ngayong araw na ito. Hingi at dalangin ng ating Pangulo na inyong alagaan lang. Gamitin sa tamang pamamaraan upang ang inyong personal na pamumuhay ay umunlad. Upang ‘yung pamumuhay ng inyong pamilya at sambayanan ay umunlad. In that case, when you take care of the blessings which this government is giving to you, it will never get tired of giving you more and more blessings and support,” he stressed.

For his part, Secretary Bello also announced that aside from the fiber glass fishing boats, DOLE will soon award ‘Nego-Kart’ franchises to provide additional livelihood to deserving recipients identified by the provincial and local governments.

“Ananusan niyo ti maintid me. Basta’t importante, agtitinullong tayo” (“Pagpasensyahan n'yo na 'yung maibibigay namin. Ang importante ay nagtutulungan tayo”), Secretary Bello said.

During the event, Secretary Tugade encouraged Secretary Bello to award ‘Nego-Karts’ to deserving recipients in all municipalities of Cagayan, and to increase the number of recipients to help boost economic activities in the province. Inspired by this, Secretary Bello agreed to donate 15 ‘Nego-Karts’ per municipality of Cagayan.

DOLE’s ‘Nego-Kart ‘ (Negosyo sa Kariton) is a project for ambulant vendors in major cities of the country. It enables beneficiaries to increase, upgrade, and/or diversity their products or services, and market these to a greater number of buyers or customers. Through the project, the vendors’ existing livelihood undertaking will be able to grow into a profitable and sustainable business.

Before the awarding ceremonies, Secretary Tugade saw the rehabilitation being made at the Claveria Port. The Transportation Chief ordered the immediate repair of the Claveria Port to continue and enhance its service to the people of Cagayan. To build back a better port, one of the recommendations of PPA is the construction of a breakwater starting this March, to serve as additional protection of the port during strong typhoons.

“Uumpisahan namin ‘yung pagtatayo ng breakwater. ‘Pag tinayo namin ‘yung breakwater sa Marso, maski anong bagyo ang dumaan dito, hindi na masisira ang puerto ninyo ‘pagkat lalagyan ng breakwater,” Secretary Tugade revealed.

Secretary Tugade added that the DOTr, through the PPA, will start the massive rehabilitation and repair of Aparri Port before the third quarter of 2021, as it was one of the identified needs of Cagayan as expressed by Governor Manuel Mamba.

In the aviation sector, Secretary Tugade mentioned that last week, the CAAP and the LGU of Tuguegarao signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA ), wherein the Tuguegarao Airport will be made wider and longer, and will operate 24/7.

Also present in the Cagayan event were DOTr Chief-of-Staff and Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Santiago, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Captain Jim Sydiongco.

To recall, on 15 November 2020, Secretary Tugade joined President Duterte and other Cabinet members in a situation briefing during their visit in Tuguegarao City, and discussed the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses in the Cagayan Valley. During the visit, Secretary Tugade was tasked by the President to personally manage and monitor the rehabilitation of Cagayan.

Emirates Group rolls out COVID-19 vaccination program

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The Emirates Group rolled out a COVID-19 vaccination program for its substantial UAE based workforce in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The inoculation drive began this morning, with priority being placed on its frontline aviation workforce, including Cabin Crew, Flight Deck, and other operationally focused roles.

The airline, along with dnata, are among the first transport and air services organizations in the world to offer employees the option to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Over the course of the pandemic, Emirates and dnata have implemented multiple layers of safety measures, to ensure the health and safety of customers, employees and the communities served. The rollout of its vaccination program is another step forward, helping to safeguard the health and well-being of aviation employees who serve the travelling public and help move essential goods around the world. 

The Emirates Group is making both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm vaccines, which have been approved by the UAE health authorities, conveniently accessible to its employees at various company locations across the UAE. Inoculation appointments will run 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure as many essential aviation workers as possible can get the vaccine. Like all citizens and residents, Emirates Group employees in the UAE can also opt to get vaccinated at government designated medical centers and clinics, as the UAE’s leadership and health authorities have spared no effort to make vaccines free and accessible to the population.

According to the data compiled by Our World In Data, a research website based at Oxford University, the UAE is ranked second highest in the world for vaccination rates, with over 19.04 doses administrated for every 100 people, and close to 1.9 million vaccinations have been given to citizens and residents since their rollout in December 2020. The UAE is also on track to inoculate over 50% of its population by the end of March.