While it continues to experience a net loss of residents, Hualien County’s population of Aborigines has risen, the latest information from the Ministry of the Interior shows.
As a result, Aboriginal Hualien County councilors are demanding that the county government increase its budget and programs for Aboriginal welfare and social services.
Hualien County Civil Affairs Department Deputy Director Hsiao Ming-chia (蕭明甲) said ministry statistics show the county’s population of 323,897 as of December last year had declined from a high of of 358,981 in 1995. Due to emigration and other factors, the county’s population has decreased by 25,084 over the past 18 years, an average reduction of 1,393 people per year, he said.
The county has seen its population of Aborigines rising to 91,143, the highest ever for the county, the statistics show.
The latest data from the ministry indicated that of the 91,143 Aborigines, 35,172 are residents of mountain townships, while 55,971 are residents of lowland townships.
Aborigines now make up more than one-quarter, or 28.13 percent, of the county’s population.
“Our overall population decline is due to many reasons. These include people migrating to other cities and regions of Taiwan to seek better job opportunities and the low birth rate of our young married couples,” Hsiao said.
“The Hualien County Government is taking action to mitigate the population decline by introducing several incentive programs,” he added.
Among the programs are two mass weddings each year are sponsored by the county government, a NT$10,000 subsidy for each newborn child, free tuition for children aged four and over at public kindergartens, tuition vouchers for children attending private kindergartens, free tuition for elementary school and junior-high school and subsidies for students’ school lunches, Hsiao said.
“We hope these programs can boost the birth rate of Hualien County residents and halt the negative population growth trend,” he said.
Hualien County Councilor Tibus Yilay, an Amis Aborigine, said the increase in the Aborigine population was welcome.
“It enhances the proportion and total number of Aborigine residents in our county. However, the current government policies for Aborigines’ welfare and social services remain insufficient,” she said.
“Many Aborigines cannot find jobs, or have low incomes. They are an underprivileged group in society that needs support,” she said, adding that she will cooperate with other Hualien County councilors to improve rights protection and social welfare services for Aboriginal residents of the county to improve their living conditions in accordance with the rise in population.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
RSS