News

The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of Survey on Participation of Residents in Cultural Activities conducted, for the first time, in the second quarter of 2013. This Survey aims to collect data on residents aged 16 and above, regarding their participation in cultural activities such as going to cinema, visiting museum or World Heritage site, going to library, attending performance and art exhibition, six months prior to the date of interview. Excluding those participate due to working or learning. In the second quarter of 2013, a total of 285,000 participated in cultural activities and the cultural activity participation rate (percentage of those participate in cultural activities to the population aged 16 and above) stood at 56.7%, up by 1.8 percentage points in comparison with 54.9% in the second quarter of 2012. Analysed by type of cultural activity, there were 163,000 going to cinema, up by 10.8% year-on-year; in addition, this type of activity was more popular among youngsters, with the participation rate of those aged 16-24 reaching 63.1% when the participation rate of those aged 55 and above was merely 10.0%. Those visiting museums or World Heritage sites totalled 137,000, an increase of 12.4% year-on-year. The majority were the middle-aged and the elderly; the participation rate for the residents aged 35-44 was 34.5% and those aged 45-54 was 23.3%. The average visit per participant was 3.1 and 67.9% of the participants visited at least twice. There were 116,000 going to the library, up by 4.8% year-on-year. Among the participants, the participation rate of students reached 68.4%, higher than the rate of non-students (18.4%) by 50.0 percentage points. Those attending performances totalled 104,000, down by 3.1% year-on-year. Analysed by age group, the participation rate of those aged 16-24 had the highest rate of 30.0%, with an average attendance of 1.9 performances per participant. Moreover, the participation rate of those aged 45-54 was 16.3%, and 16.4% for those aged 55 and above; the average attendance per participant was 2.6 and 2.7 performances respectively. There were 42,000 attending art exhibitions, up by 2.1% year-on-year. It is noteworthy that 94.7% of those attending art exhibitions also took part in other types of cultural activities.
…

The 2013 "Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System" (MORS) Gold Pin Competition Award Presentation Ceremony was held today at the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, Ms. Teng Nga Kan, Deputy Director of Labour Affairs Bureau, Mr. Lei Pou Loi, President of Macao Hotelier Association, Mr. William Wong, President of Macau Retail Management Association, Mr. Samuel Yeung, Chairman of Macau Hotel Association, and Mr. Johnson Chan, General Manager of Grand Lisboa Hotel presented awards to the winners. This year, there are 11 sessions of competitions altogether, including Assistant Cook (Western Kitchen), Bartender, Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Intermediate level), Chinese Cook - Dim Sum (Intermediate Level), Concierge and Bell Attendant, Front Desk Agent/Customer Relations Officer, Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry, Retail Sales Officer, Room Attendant, Waiter/Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service) and Waiter/Waitress (Western Restaurant Service). The final round of the competitions was held on 19, 20 and 25 November at IFT and Grand Lisboa Hotel respectively. The competition adapted a process of elimination, with 3 rounds of contests for each competition. The first 2 rounds of contests were held in forms of written examination and skill evaluation according to the fundamental knowledge covered in the MORS training manuals. Participants without MORS certificates needed to go through the first round. In order to be admitted to the second round, the contestants must reach a minimum score of 75%, and compete with those who possess the certificate. Contestants with excellent performances in the second round from each competition will be invited to join the final and given the certificates. Contestants aimed at the 2 winning positions in each competition. Juries formed by over 30 respectful executives from the industry observed closely and assessed the contestants for the final winners. Winners would receive a MORS Gold Pin, MOP6,000 cash award and a scholarship of MOP2,000 for THS training courses. Launched in 2001, Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System (MORS) is a joint effort of the Tourism Industry of Macao and IFT with the main objective to upgrade human resources in the industry through the introduction of a certification scheme for a number of professions. At this moment, skills standards are introduced for the following occupations:  Assistant Cook (Western Kitchen)
 Bartender
 Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Elementary)
 Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Intermediate)
 Chinese Cook – Cantonese Dim Sum (Elementary)
 Chinese Cook – Cantonese Dim Sum (Intermediate)
 Concierge and Bell Attendant
 Customer Relations Officer
 Front Desk Agent
 Retail Sales Officer
 Room Attendant
 Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry
 Travel Consultant
 Waiter / Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service)
 Waiter / Waitress (Western Restaurant Service) To reward and demonstrate outstanding MORS recognised professionals, IFT has been organising the Gold Pin Competition since 2002. Participants can be Entry-level Professionals sent by each training centre or they can be entering by themselves. There are 30 organisations, 404 participants taking part in the competitions this year. Gold Pin Competition final round contests examine contestants on their practical skills and details are as follows: Assistant Cook (Western Kitchen) Contestants are to be given a 1.5 kg whole chicken (on the bone), 1 chicken supreme off the bone and a 'black box' of assorted ingredients and other general ingredients during the competition. Contestants will have 2 hours to produce one main course dish with the given ingredients. Contestants will have access to the black box half an hour before the start of the competition. During this half hour, NO cooking or preparation will take place – the half hour is solely for the purpose of 'idea generation'. A final recipe of the contestants chosen dish will also be required to submit. Jury team assessed the contestants on various criteria from kitchen management skills, hygiene and safety practices, workflows, technical skills, creativity, dish presentation and flavour. Bartender Within a time frame, contestants had to create a cocktail for 2 persons with the theme of Christmas. The jury team assessed the contestants on technical skills, creativity, presentation, flavour, speed and consistency of the drink. Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Intermediate level)
Contestants brought in their own ingredients to prepare 2 dishes (one assigned by IFT with the main ingredients of pigeons and another one was secret dish designed by IFT), the time frame for preparation was 90 minutes. Jury team assessed the contestants on technical skills, creativity, organisational skills, hygiene, taste, presentation and consistency. Chinese Cook – Dim Sum (Intermediate level)
Contestants brought in their own ingredients to prepare two types of dumpings and created a dim sum designed by IFT. The time frame for preparation was 2 hours. Jury team assessed the contestants on technical skills, creativity, organisational skills, hygiene, taste, presentation and consistency. Concierge and Bell Attendant
A total of 3 rounds of quizzes and a final presentation were adopted in the final round. Contestants are requested to prepare a power point file (without any animation) to sell one of your hotel's restaurants. 2 minutes will be given to each contestant. Questions were designed to test the contestants' job knowledge, information about Macao, tourist attractions, current events, language competence, etc. Front Desk Agent/Customer Relations Officer
A total of 3 rounds of quizzes including the language proficiency test and presentation were adopted in the final round. Questions were designed to test the overall knowledge of a Front Desk Agent or a Customer Relations Officer. Jurors assessed them through their group management skill, language skill, presentation skill, level of difficulty, etc. Retail Sales Officer
Finalists were asked to do a product presentation/demonstration. Their skills to handle complain were also been assessed. Room Attendant
The participants were tested about their techniques of making up beds. The jury team assessed the contestants on their knowledge, speed and quality of work. Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry
Quiz Bee and a fire control technical skills competition was adopted in the final round. Questions were designed to test the contestants' job knowledge, skill, guest relations, language and listening competence, etc. In the fire control technical skills competition, contestants will be asked to do one of the tasks assigned by IFT and judges will base on skills, speed, procedure, Occupation Safety and Health to score the contestants. Waiter / Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service)
Contestants were asked to share/spilt a special dish of food equally on trolley and to serve afterwards in 20 minutes. Assessment was based on technical skills, knowledge, speed and service quality. Waiter / Waitress (Western Restaurant Service)
Contestants were requested to perform a western restaurant table set-up with Christmas theme within a certain time frame. Juries based on performance related to the evaluation standard of the candidates' grooming and their western restaurant table set-up skills. IFT is a public institution of higher education that offers tourism, hospitality, heritage and events management degree programmes, as well as professional training courses. The main objective of MORS is to upgrade human resources in the Macao tourism industry through the introduction of a certification scheme for a number of professions, to the general public, so as to benefit Macao in a more competitive future. MORS Gold Pin Competition 2013 – Gold Pin Winners
(* please find attached file)
…

The Macao Government would allocate five millions patacas to support the relief and reconstruction works in disaster areas affected by super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, met today with the Philippines Consul General in Macao, Mr Danilo T. Ibayan, at the Government Headquarters, to learn more about the subsequent rescue works after the typhoon, which had swept the central part of the country in the earlier this month. He said the money would help reconstruction and at the same time, on behalf of the people of Macao, Mr Chui sent his condolences to the victims and wished the disaster areas would resume normal operation shortly. Mr Ibayan thanked Mr Chui for his condolence letter, as well as his concern and support and that of the people of Macao. He said that the super typhoon had caused heavy casualties and economic losses. He also updated Mr Chui on the relief works in the affected areas. Also presented at the meeting was the Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Tam Chon Weng. Mr Chui had on 11 November wrote to the Philippines Consul General in Macao to send his condolences to the victims of the super typhoon.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that there were 1,119 establishments operating in the Construction Sector in 2012, down by 201 year-on-year; number of persons engaged increased by 1,261 to 21,309. With the Government accelerating public housing construction, total Value of Construction and Other Receipts increased by 24.2% year-on-year to MOP30.84 billion in 2012. Intermediate Consumption that represents operating costs increased by 22.1% to MOP24.40 billion; Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy totalled MOP6.44 billion, up by 33.0%. Value of private construction projects (MOP18.81 billion) decreased by 1.9% year-on-year, of which Value of Construction of hotels, and tourism and gaming facilities (MOP11.67 billion) registered a decline of 10.6%; meanwhile, Value of Construction of private residential buildings (MOP5.01 billion) increased by 19.1%. As regards public works, Value of Construction (MOP11.71 billion) rose significantly by 116.3% on account of a 287.6% surge in that of public housing (MOP7.57 billion). Value of Construction of infrastructures (MOP2.53 billion) increased by 14.5%, with that of Light Rapid Transit & roads (MOP1.10 billion) and slope protection & landscaping (MOP270 million) soaring by 156.5% and 1,250.0% respectively; meanwhile, Value of Construction of ferry terminal (MOP541 million) declined by 29.3%. Analysed by location of construction, Value of Construction in the Macao Peninsula increased by 23.7% year-on-year to MOP6.54 billion, of which Value of Construction in the Parish of Sé amounted to MOP3.24 billion due to the expansion project of Centro Hospitalar Conde de S. Januário and renovation work of some hotels. Value of Construction in the Islands increased by 24.2% year-on-year to MOP23.99 billion, of which Value of Construction in Coloane reached MOP8.59 billion on account of the construction of the Shek Pai Wan public housing complex. Analysed by industry, attributable to an increase in Value of Construction of private residential buildings and public housing, value of construction of buildings and civil engineering (MOP17.90 billion) rose notably by 40.0% year-on-year; value of completion of buildings (MOP6.49 billion) and specialized installation (MOP5.21 billion) increased by 2.4% and 6.2% respectively. Gross Value Added of construction of buildings and civil engineering (MOP3.46 billion) rose substantially by 61.4% year-on-year, and that of completion of buildings (MOP1.50 billion) and specialized installation (MOP1.28 billion) increased by 15.6% and 1.5% respectively. Gross Fixed Capital Formation soared by 91.4% year-on-year to MOP354 million, due to a 488.9% surge in acquisition of buildings (MOP159 million); acquisition of construction machinery and equipment (MOP134 million) also rose by 16.5%. Construction Survey covers establishments engaging in construction in 2012, including completion of buildings, specialized installation, construction of buildings and civil engineering.
…

Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) co-organized a promotion session together with Zhongshan Municipal Tourism Bureau and Zhuhai Culture Sports and Tourism Bureau to promote the "Fragrant Hill Tour Route across Three Cities on Pearl River's Western Bank" and multi-destination tours in Hefei, Anhui yesterday (26 November). With the country's booming development of High-speed Rail, an increasing number of Anhui residents have chosen to travel to Guangdong Province via high-speed railway in recent years. The tourism offices of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau thus joined hands with each other to promote three-in-one tour routes among local trade partners in order to encourage visitations to the three destinations and promote multi-destination tours. During the promotion session, the three tourism departments each presented their destination's tourism resources and latest development, followed by their hosted banquet for the attendees. The tourism offices of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau signed the "Cooperation Memorandum in Tourism among Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau" in 2006 and since then made concerted efforts to develop and promote multi-destination tours across the Mainland, various countries and regions in order to further expand their tourism market together.
…

In view of the recent safety situation in Thailand, the Department of Consular Affairs and the Embassy of P.R.C. in Thailand remind mainland Chinese citizens in Bangkok and those who intend to visit Bangkok to remain vigilant and keep abreast of local security advice. Following is the translated version of the full text: "Since November, numerous protest rallies took place in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, mostly in the vicinity of Bangkok Democracy Monument Square and various locations of government departments. Anti-government protesters continue to occupy the Finance Ministry building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various government departments. The authority in Thailand had increased security measures and implemented the Internal Security Act in Bangkok and proximities to strengthen local security. The Department of Consular Affairs and the Embassy of P.R.C. in Thailand remind mainland Chinese citizens in Bangkok or those who intend to travel there to avoid areas of large gatherings and demonstrations, raise awareness of security and remain cautious. If necessary, please contact The Embassy of P.R.C. in Thailand, Tel: 00 66 854 833 327 (call in Thailand: 0854833327)." The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will keep monitoring the latest development of situation in Thailand and also remind Macao residents who are currently in Bangkok or intend to travel to Thailand in the near future to pay close attention to the situation development, avoid gatherings and demonstrations, be aware of security precautions and ensure personal safety. According to the Macao tourism industry, there are 6 Macao tour groups, approximately 95 pax, currently travelling in Thailand. GGCT so far has received 3 telephone inquiries but no requests for assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call the tourism hotline (853) 2833 3000 or the Embassy of P.R.C. in Thailand for assistance.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for August-October 2013 held stable at 1.9% in comparison with July-September; the underemployment rate declined further to 0.4%, down by 0.2 percentage points. Total labour force was 374,000 and the labour force participation rate increased by 0.1 percentage point from July-September, at 73.2%. Total employment reached 367,000, an increase of 2,400 from July-September. Employment in the Construction sector and Retail increased by 4.9% and 4.0% respectively. Number of the unemployed was similar to the previous period, at 6,900; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 13.0% of the total unemployed, down by 2.0 percentage points. In comparison with August-October 2012, the labour force participation rate increased by 0.9 percentage points; the unemployment rate stayed unchanged, while the underemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points.
…

Consumer Council conducted its 'Supermarket price survey' for November on 25th November for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Surveyed locations included 12 supermarkets in Sé Parish. The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM's Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. With reference to the local six parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
…

The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of the Survey on Manpower Needs and Wages for the third quarter of 2013. Survey coverage comprises Manufacturing; Hotels & Restaurants; Insurance; Financial Intermediation Activities; Electricity, Gas & Water Supply; Child-care and Elderly Care. This survey excludes the self-employed, as well as insurance agents and brokers not directly employed by insurance companies. At the end of the third quarter of 2013, Manufacturing had 10,779 persons engaged, down by 4.6% year-on-year, of which those working in Manufacture of Food Products (3,627) increased by 454 while those in Manufacture of Wearing Apparel (2,834) decreased by 926. Average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) of full-time employees in September rose by 9.8% year-on-year to MOP8,510; sewing machine operators earned an average of MOP4,100. Hotels & Restaurants had 70,928 persons engaged, up by 4.1% year-on-year, with those working in Hotels increasing by 1.7% year-on-year to 45,360. Average earnings of full-time employees in September rose by 6.4% year-on-year to MOP12,240, with waiters/waitresses of Hotels earning MOP8,710 and Housekeeping staff earning MOP7,910; waiters/waitresses of Restaurants earned an average of MOP6,820. Electricity, Gas & Water Supply had 1,104 persons engaged, up by 1.2% year-on-year. Average earnings of full-time employees in September increased by 5.1% year-on-year to MOP25,790. Insurance had 482 persons engaged, up by 5.2% year-on-year. Average earnings of full-time employees in September rose by 5.2% year-on-year to MOP21,760. Financial Intermediation Activities had 396 persons engaged, down by 5.9% year-on-year. Average earnings of full-time employees in September increased by 6.5% year-on-year to MOP13,350. Child-care and Elderly Care had 894 and 643 persons engaged respectively. Average earnings of full-time employees in September amounted to MOP10,700 and MOP10,590 respectively. At the end of the third quarter of 2013, vacancies in Restaurants increased by 369 year-on-year, while those in Hotels and Manufacturing decreased by 467 and 316 respectively. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, all vacant posts in Insurance required working experience. As regards educational attainment, 73.3% of the vacancies in Restaurants required junior secondary education or lower, while 90.0% of those in Insurance required tertiary education. Besides Cantonese, all vacant posts in Insurance and Financial Intermediation Activities required knowledge of Mandarin, while 90.0% of those in Insurance required English. Meanwhile, 79.3% and 63.0% of the vacancies in Hotels required knowledge of Mandarin and English respectively. In the third quarter of 2013, Restaurants had the highest vacancy rate (10.6%), while the employee turnover rate (7.0%) edged up by 0.2 percentage points year-on-year; the vacancy rate in Manufacturing reached 9.3% and the employee turnover rate rose notably by 8.5 percentage points to 16.1%, indicating that most of the vacancies are not filled and that the turnover of employee has not improved in these industries.
…

In response to the boom of Macau travel industry and diverse customer demand, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) regularly organizes professional training for specific fields in the industry to upgrade service quality and efficiency across the sector in order to promote quality tourism. As a result, over 90 courses and seminars were held from January to November this year. This year MGTO is dedicated to optimizing industry management and training as well as actively promoting quality tourism as one of its main working goals. The Office has also explored the industry's specific needs for training together with related trade associations and from January to November organized a total of 93 training courses and seminars in different style, which won active participation and support among industry partners. 4,584 attendees seized the training opportunities. The profession categories under training include travel agency supervisors, tour guides, employees in the retail and catering industry as well as tourism department personnel of Portuguese-speaking countries, etc. MGTO works closely with industry partners and training institutes to organize different kinds of training activities to meet specific training demand in the sector. Through such measure, the Office strives to promote and coordinate professional and technical training opportunities for the tourism industry so as to enhance overall service quality and efficiency in the industry. Furthermore, the Office continues to help build Macau into a quality tourist city in accord with the destination's development strategy as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. MGTO organizes the four-day "Effective Travel Agency Supervisory Management Workshop" on 25, 29 November and 2, 6 December as well as two sessions of the two-day workshop named "Technique in Handling Dissatisfied Customer for Tour Guides" on 28 – 29 November. Instructors of the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), a lecturer of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators (HARTCO) are invited to supervise the aforementioned workshops. Other training activities and seminars for the catering industry will also be held in December.
…