Filipino Catholics Celebrate Simbang Gabi, Keeping Tradition Alive
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JAPAN POTENTIALLY A DRONE SEIZURE LATEST SIGN OF STRONG COMPETITOR EVENTS MARK TOUGHER TIMES Japan has just legalized gambling REGION’S Experts say China seized the in integrated resorts in a move 17TH glider last week to send a warning seen as challenging to the local ANNIVERSARY to Trump not to test Beijing’s economy resolve over the issue of Taiwan P4 P8 P11 TUE.20 Dec 2016 T. 18º/ 23º C H. 70/ 95% facebook.com/mdtimes + 11,000 MOP 7.50 2708 N.º HKD 9.50 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” WORLD BRIEFS AP PHOTO Ho stands ground P6 CHINA Engulfed in choking smog, some denying accusations northern Chinese cities limited the number of cars on roads and temporarily shut down factories yesterday to cut down pollution during a national “red alert.” More than 700 companies stopped production BARBOSA PAULO in Beijing and dozens of other cities closed schools and took other emergency measures. VIETNAM A court in northern Vietnam sentenced two activists to more than 10 years in prison each for attempted subversion. The two were convicted during the one- day trial of attempting to overthrow the communist government. AP PHOTO INDONESIA Police detained several hundred people at protests around the country demanding independence for remote West Papua. Arrests were made in cities in Sulawesi, Java and Papua but demonstrations went ahead in at least 15 places. MYANMAR Malaysia, the most outspoken of Myanmar’s neighbors over its treatment of its Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority, told a meeting of regional foreign ministers of its “grave concern” over the violence allegedly carried out by Myanmar’s military. SOUTH KOREA The jailed confidante of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye denied on the first day of her trial yesterday that she Filipino Catholics celebrate Simbang used her ties to Park to extort money from big companies. More on p20 Gabi, keeping tradition alive P6 MDT REPORT More on backpage 20.12.2016 tue th Anniversary 2 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO HERITAGE tion of the 52.5-meter height limit imposed in the area sur- rounding the Guia Fortress. When the decree was imple- ANM threaten ‘consequences’ mented, the residential project already exceeded 81 meters in height. The project was subsequently if regulation is ignored delayed for eight years whi- le developers and authorities tried to settle the matter. In Daniel Beitler recent months, various gover- nment officials, including the EW Macau Association director for the Land, Public N(ANM) leaders returned Works and Transport Bureau, from a meeting with UNESCO Li Cangfeng, have asserted officials in Paris last week with that the developers will be per- a stern warning for the gover- mitted to resume construction nment: Halt the construction work on the unit. of a controversial residential While the government says project in the Historic Center developers will not be required of Macau or face “consequen- to demolish the almost 30 me- ces” from the international ters of construction currently community. exceeding the height cap, they Last week, ANM president will also not be permitted to Scott Chiang and vice presi- complete the building’s initial dents Jason Chao and Sulu plan of 126 meters above street Sou met with the director of level. the UNESCO World Herita- Local authorities have also ge Center, Mechtild Rössler, appealed to the State Admi- to express concern over what nistration of Cultural Heritage they consider to be a violation in Beijing for further “instruc- of the heritage regulations de- tions” on the matter, the presi- signed to protect Macau’s his- dent of the Cultural Affairs Bu- toric center. reau, Ung Vai Meng, informed During a press conference ANM president, Scott Chiang (center left) and vice president Jason Chao (center right) reporters last week. held on Saturday, ANM lea- ders said that Rössler had evaluated the case as clear- in the UNESCO World Herita- cut. They claim that the leader ge Site of the Historic Centre Group rallies behind heritage from the United Nation’s he- of Macau, contains a 17th-cen- ritage division said that if the tury military fort, chapel and NM appears to have taken a firmer stance The incident was staged to confront a deci- plans for the unfinished buil- lighthouse, located in the cen- Aon culture and heritage issues since Sco- sion taken by the government and the Cultural ding can be still be amended ter of the peninsula. tt Chiang assumed presidency of the group in Heritage Council to demolish the hotel, after then they ought to be. With the construction of September 2015. they determined it held no historical or cultu- Moreover, Jason Chao threa- the residential project halted Last year, ANM submitted a report to UNES- ral worth. tened that “if the Macau go- since 2008, the unfinished CO claiming that the local government had Upon Chiang’s re-election as president earlier vernment fails to give a satis- structure towers more than 81 been inadequate in its efforts to protect the ci- this year, the ANM leader called for a concen- factory response [to UNESCO meters over the street level of ty’s cultural heritage in the face of rapid urban tration of the group’s resources on “a few key enquiries], there will be con- Calçada do Gaio, far surpas- development. issues,” as they had previously “spent a lot of sequences.” sing the area’s height cap of Chiang was then arrested in August, 2016 on time chasing a lot of different issues relating to The concern stems from a 52.5 meters, which seeks to suspicion of being behind the hoisting of a ban- society.” controversial residential pro- protect the area’s heritage. ner on the derelict Hotel Estoril, which accused It remains to be seen whether heritage will ject near the Guia Fortress. Construction on the building Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis feature prominently on ANM’s ticket for the The fortress, which is included began prior to the introduc- Tam of being a “heritage killer”. Legislative Assembly election next year. SURVEY Most retailers and restaurateurs report declining revenue lar Establishments and percent of the inter- decrease in sales. lers (accounting for 70 Retail Trade released viewed retailers repor- The survey participan- percent of the industry’s by the Statistics and ted a year-on-year de- ts were selected based revenue). The survey re- VER half of the in- of the interviewed res- Census Service (DSEC), crease in sales. Retailers on the revenues of the sults reflect only the bu- Oterviewed restau- taurants have reported most owners of food were still cautious about establishments, compri- siness performance and rants and similar esta- a year-on-year increase and beverage establish- their business prospec- sing 167 restaurants and the expectations of the blishments in an Oc- in revenue in October. ments expected no sig- ts for November, with similar establishments sample restaurants and tober survey reported a According to the Busi- nificant change in their 45 percent of the inter- (accounting for 53 per- retailers, and no extra- year-on-year decline in ness Climate Survey on business. viewed retailers antici- cent of the industry’s polation of results has revenue. Only a quarter Restaurants and Simi- Regarding trade, 58 pating a year-on-year revenue) and 135 retai- been conducted. www.macaudailytimes.com.mo DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF_Paulo Coutinho [email protected] A MACAU TIMES PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLICATION MANAGING EDITOR_Paulo Barbosa [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS_Eric Sautedé, Leanda Lee, Severo Portela ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER + 4 Million page views Kowie Geldenhuys [email protected] DESIGN EDITOR_João Jorge Magalhães [email protected] | NEWSROOM AND CONTRIBUTORS_ SECRETARY Denise Lo [email protected] PER MONTH Albano Martins, Annabel Jackson, Daniel Beitler, Emilie Tran, Grace Yu, Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, Jacky I.F. Cheong, ADDRESS Av. da Praia Grande, 599, Edif. Comercial Rodrigues, 12 Floor C, Jenny Lao-Phillips, João Palla Martins, Joseph Cheung, Julie Zhu, Juliet Risdon, Lynzy Valles, Renato Marques, Richard MACAU SAR Telephones: +853 287 160 81/2 Fax: +853 287 160 84 Whitfield, Rodrigo de Matos (cartoonist), Sandra Norte (designer), Viviana Seguí | ASSOCIATE CONTRIBUTORS_ Advertisement [email protected] Thank You! JML Property, MdME Lawyers, PokerStars, Ruan Du Toit Bester | NEWS AGENCIES_ Associated Press, Bloomberg, For subscription and general issues: [email protected] | Printed at Welfare Printing Ltd +11,000 like us on facebook.com/mdtimes Finantial Times, MacauHub, MacauNews, Xinhua | SECRETARY_Yang Dongxiao [email protected] SEND NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION AND PRESS RELEASES TO: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO tue 20.12.2016 th Anniversary MACAU’S LEADING NEWSPAPER 廣告 ADVERTISEMENT 3 20.12.2016 tue th Anniversary 4 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO Japan potentially a strong competitor against Macau, says expert Lynzy Valles* tion,” she said. Library’s 24/7 In response to the competition, Cheang n industry expert has said that Ja- believes that Macau could provide high operation under Apan’s legalization of gambling in in- quality services and diversified gaming assessment tegrated Resorts could potentially cause offerings to the region’s expanded tou- a threat to the MSAR’s economy, which rists. The Red Market library is running 24 still relies on gaming. “We have to be ready to offer different hours per day on a trial basis until March. Hester Cheang, director of the Gaming services to tourists and all these services The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) issued Teaching and Research Center at Macau have to be of a high quality,” said the di- a statement yesterday indicating that the Polytechnic Institute told the Times that rector.