Filipinos abroad must register as absentees to vote
The Commission on Elections in Manila announced that all Philippine citizens abroad not otherwise disqualified by law, who are at least 18 years old on election day and who wish to vote in presidential, vice presidential, senatorial and party-list representative elections on the May, 10, 2010, national elections, must file applications from overseas as absentee voters between Dec. 1 and Aug. 31 next year. The voting period will be from April 10, 2010, until 3pm on May 10, 2010. Further details are available at the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in the following cities: Taipei (02) 2508-2224, attention Aquino; Taichung (04) 2229-5901, attention Elvena; and Kaohsiung (07) 398-5935 ext. 36, attention Tangco. Additional information is also available at the following Web sites: Department of Foreign Affairs (www.dfa.gov.ph) and Commission on Elections (www.comelec.gov.ph).
BTCO announces scholarship winners
The British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) on Aug. 21 announced the seven winners of this year’s BTCO award. The scholarship recipients will all start master’s courses in the UK this fall in subjects ranging from law and environmental policy to finance and fashion industry management. The one-year scholarships will provide up to £12,000 (US$22,000) for tuition. This year, the BTCO will offer a joint scholarship with the Delta Electronic Foundation specifically targeted at those who plan to make a contribution to tackling climate change and other environmental issues. The BTCO scholarship is awarded annually and is unique in that it looks for potential future leaders who can use their influence and standing to benefit Taiwan. Applicants are selected on both their academic strength and their commitment and ambition to make a difference upon their return. The scholarship is operated by the BTCO and administered by the British Council. A scheme for academics starting in the fall this year will be launched this month. More information is available on the BTCO Web site at ukintaiwan.fco.gov.uk/en/ or the British Council’s Web site at www.britishcouncil.org.tw.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
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