Briefs | IC launches service to apply for filming permits

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) launched the Coordination Service for Filming Permit Application. The application is designed to simplify the procedure for local and foreign filmmakers to apply to film in Macau. It provides a unified service for the collection of applications in order to spare the applicants from having to visit a number of departments, as well as the ability for applicants to track the process of their application. The trial period was in place from last May until the end of 2017. During the period, the IC received 91 filming applications. The application process is coordinated by a total of ten public services.

Gongbei recorded 11,923 smuggling cases in 2017

The Gongbei Customs announced statistics on the department’s efforts to crack down on smuggling in 2017. The crackdown was in response to a dramatic increase in smuggling activities recorded at the Gongbei border gate. According to a report by Jornal Va Kio, Gongbei Customs strongly combatted smuggling activities last year, with the department registering a total of 11,923 smuggling cases. These cases involved a total of RMB2.637 billion, representing an increase of 34.8 percent year-on-year. Two smuggling cases, one involving wine, and the other ivory, were on the list of China’s top ten anti-smuggling cases of 2017.

‘Famílias Macaenses’ launches 2nd ed. in Lisbon

A book launch ceremony for the second edition of “Famílias Macaenses” was held in the the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon on January 30, with over 150 guests in attendance, a press statement from Albergue SCM informed. The ceremony was attended by a former governor of Macau, General Garcia Leandro, the president of the International Institute of Macau, Jorge Rangel and Albergue SCM president, Carlos Marreiros, among several professionals from the cultural, economy and tourism sectors. The author, professor Jorge Forjaz, shared the research background and some of the major findings of his work. The book centers on the origin and culture of numerous Macanese communities. Its second edition follows on from his earlier research some 20 years ago, and covers more than 300 families around the world including those in China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, the U.S., Australia and Portugal.

IACM to plant more trees in gardens

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) announced that it will plant approximately 200 trees in Macau’s gardens, in a statement released yesterday. The initiative aims to counteract the loss of trees caused by Typhoon Hato. The planting will start during the upcoming spring season. The trees will consist mainly of wind-resistant and flowering varieties. At present, IACM has planted more than 200 trees in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Municipal Park and Mount Fortress Park gardens, where severe damages during Hato were recorded. The trees are mainly strong, small ones and the shrubs are predominantly ornamental.