PhilStar Global
Date: January 27, 2019 
By: Lai S. Reyes (The Philippine Star) 

Discovering interesting sites where history, nature, art and technology are combined in a way that makes each city unique and gives tourists every reason to visit.
When it comes to food and shopping, everything they say about Taiwan is true. Here, every night market is a food mecca, and shopping for clothes is made more interesting if you’re ready to do some digging. Because for every good find, you’ll have to rummage through about 100 pieces of crap.

But there’s one interesting thing I discovered during my recent visit to Taiwan: Souvenir stamping.

It’s a thing here. Every landmark has its own souvenir stamp. The stamp stations are really low-key — good old wood-mounted rubber stamp and an inkpad on a table or podium — so you have to keep an eye out for them.

And just like Pokemon Go addicts, we, a boisterous mix of lifestyle journalists and bloggers from Manila, had to allow extra time to find stamps everywhere we went in Taiwan during our six-day “Panahon sa Taiwan” familiarization trip hosted by the Taiwan Tourism Board.   [FULL  STORY]

A survey by Xiamen University finds young Taiwanese people face many difficulties in Chinese society, most view their stay as only temporary

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/26
By Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Recent survey data published by the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, reveals that, despite many policies aimed to attract and benefit Taiwanese citizens, a majority feel unwelcome and view their stays in China as only temporary.

In a survey that reportedly received 213 “valid responses” from Taiwanese participants, results found that, in general, young Taiwanese people do not integrate well to life in China.

An Assistant Professor, Chen Chao, and two scholars of Taiwan studies, Cai Yicun and Zhang Suixin, carried out surveys of young Taiwanese people in China to ask about their experiences living in the communist country.

The survey asked questions about how well the Taiwanese students felt they were integrating into Chinese society. The four sections of the survey were “professional or academic integration, life integration, cultural integration, and psychological integration,” reports the Sixth Tone website.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/26
By: Wang Cheng-chung and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, Jan. 26 (CNA) Legislative by-elections in Taipei and Taichung to fill two seats vacated after local elections last November will take place on Sunday.

According to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC), the polling booths will be closed at 4 p.m., and the results are expected to be known by 7 p.m.

A total of nine candidates have registered to compete in the legislative by-elections for the two seats.

In Taipei, five candidates will compete for the seat representing Taipei’s 2nd electoral district, left vacant by the DPP’s Yao Wen-chih (姚文智), who gave up his seat as a legislator while making an unsuccessful run for Taipei mayor last November.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2019
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Way Home (絕處逢生-讓瀕絕植物回家), a Taiwanese documentary on endangered

species, grabbed three awards of excellence at the Accolade Global Film Competition, the Endemic Species Research Institute said yesterday.

The documentary, which took eight years to plan and two years to make, was given awards of excellence in the Nature/Environment/Wildlife, Cinematography, and Public Service Programming categories, ESRI director Yang Jia-dong (楊嘉棟) said.

Filmed in 4K, The Way Home features beautiful time-lapse photography of nearly extinct flowers blooming, the institute said separately in a statement.

The film also captures the recovery of the endangered Spathoglottis plicata on Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), which is known as the species’ home, as well as on Green Island (綠島), the institute said.    [FULL  STORY]

The prize was won via a receipt from a $NT60 purchase of own-brand potstickers

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/25
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan) — A FamilyMart customer has become the lucky recipient of the November-December uniform-invoice (receipt) lottery special prize.

Apple Daily reports the winning ticket came from a NT$60 purchase of own-brand potstickers made at a FamilyMart store in Taipei’s Beitou District (台北北投區). The lucky recipient will be able to claim their NT$10 million (US$325,000) from Feb. 5.

In addition to this, a secondary prize of NT$2 million was won after a purchase at a FamilyMart store in Kaohsiung.

Three more prizes of NT$200,000 have been won at other outlets around the country, including two individual purchases of ice-cream and a NT$3 photocopy, the report states.  [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/25
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, Jan. 25 (CNA) Taiwan’s national health insurance program could cover three new immunotherapy drugs as soon as the end of June 2019 if pricing can be worked out, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said Thursday.

The three drugs, Keytruda, Opdivo and Tecentriq, can treat at least eight types of cancers and would benefit 800 cancer patients who currently do not have access to drugs that could treat their conditions, the NHIA said.

The medications would cost an estimated NT$800 million (US$25.9 million) a year to provide, according to the NHIA.

Tai Hsueh-yung (戴雪詠), director of the NHIA’s Medical Review and Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, said Thursday the agency will negotiate the prices of the three drugs with their suppliers and will cover them once pricing is agreed upon.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 24 January, 2019
By: Jake Chen

A new slide has opened to the public in Taichung, central Taiwan, allowing children and parents to have fun together. The construction of the slide was complete last October. Some remodeling had to be done due to safety concerns.

Adults and children are having a good time as they glide down this new stone slide in Taiping District, Taichung City. After getting to the bottom, many said that the ride was fast and exhilarating and they couldn’t wait to get on it again.

The new slide, which opened to public on Wednesday, is measured at 23.4 meters long and stands at 7 meters tall, making it the longest slide in the city. The construction wrapped last October. However, many at the time felt the slope was too steep and deemed it unsafe. The local government then ordered the slide to be remodeled in order to ensure it fit all safety standards.

The slide is located in the 921 Memorial Park. The park was built in memory of the most deadly earthquake in Taiwan’s history, which took place on September 21, 1999. It killed 2,415 and injured more than 11,000.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Metro takes pride in its efficiency, cleanness, easy navigation, and more

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/24
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A New York resident recently shared her experience riding the Taipei Metro, describing the service as “one of the best mass transit systems in the world.”

Martha Sorren, who has lived in New York for seven years, wrote an article published by Insider about how she was impressed with the MRT, a major public transportation system in the capital of Taiwan.

According to her, Taipei Metro has lots to boast about, including its cleanness, inexpensive fares, efficiency, and clear signs. The relatively late start of the Taipei Metro service, which commenced in the 1990s, could be the reason that it has avoided many drawbacks of lousy subway systems, she believes.

Sorren provided a detailed account of the multiple merits of the Taipei Metro in the article, suggesting that it is something that other countries can learn from.
[FULL  STORY]