Elevala lass is 50th Hiri Hanenamo queen

 The story of the famous Hiri trade on the southern coast of Papua New Guinea is more than 50 years old.

But commemoration of this significant cultural trade is this year 2024 reached 50.

Congratulations. 

Part of the event is crowning of the Hiri Hanenamo queen and this year is a beautiful lass from Ele Vala ( a hamlet in the big Hanuabada village) just near Port Moresby Technical College. 

She is Henao Heni.

Steamship Trading Company who had been in Papua New Guinea doing business before the country's birth in 1975 is the major financial supporter.

A home on the Sepik River collapses

 

This is an account by Emmanuel Peni who lost his home due to floods in the Sepik region.

I lost my house this morning due to the floods amd the earthquake.  At 9.30am, standing at this fancy hotel lobby, wearing H&M jeans and a shoe bought in Sydney  's QBV, and seeing people in png struggling gives me perspectives. 

 I just saw a disabled child walking by the hotel, at the gate, dressed in rags looking into the hotel with wonder and realised:  the issue of my house falling over and collapse,  due to flooding amd the earthquake last night,  is by measure of human suffering,  nothing.  I long for peace.   

This I know we can not attain, but this perspective keeps me going on and balances my loss and pain.  ❤️❤️🙂❤️😎

The East Sepik Provincial government is responding to the disaster. 

Read here what Governor Allan Bird said.

Sandis Tsaka re-elected PNGRFL Chairman

Sandis Tsaka was re-elected as the Chairman of the PNG Rugby Football League following the Annual General Meeting held at the Lae International Hotel yesterday. 

Sandis Tsaka was voted in for the fourth time as the Chairman of Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League. 

He received 32 votes while his opposing candidate Tony Sipa received 13 votes. 

NBC Sports is awaiting an official statement with details from the PNG Rugby Football League however many supporters of Tsaka have already posted on social media about the successful re-election of Sandis Tsaka.  

In other outcomes of the PNGRFL AGM, Jacob Ivaroa is said to be the new Chairman of the PNGRFL Southern Confederate, ousting former Chairman Gwaibo Mairi who held that post for a long time. 

Sources who attended the AGM stated that Ivaroa won the race with 10 votes while Gwaibo Mairi got 3 votes. 

PNG Law Society protests against break down in respect for laws

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To researchers, broadcasters, commentators, lawyers, journalists, police officers, correctional service officers etc in Papua New Guinea and overseas.

If you're interested to hear what the PNG Law Society President Hubert Namani  said during the protest against the PNG government to restore law and order in March

2024,  here it is.

Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific has made bad headliners in 2024.

A terrible public unrest in the capital Port Moresby with shops looted and burnt on January 10, 2024.

Then there was massacre in the upper highlands region of the country.

The Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika condemned the looting and unrest during the legal year opening which has the theme "Adherance to the rule of law".

Now the law society in PNG protests that the government should immediately look into addressing the law and order concerns.

The law society also called on the James Marape led government to address many other development concerns.

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Beng Beng: Vanimo identity

 Walk into the Port Moresby's Jackson Airport and you see someone arriving from Vanimo.

A known person would call out "oi sampela Beng Beng kam".

It's this Indonesian made sweet chocolate many in Vanimo buy at Batas (PNG Indonesia border).

Most say the taste the Batas ones have is different from ones bought in Port Moresby.

We need food experts to comment about this.

Indonesian products cheap near Batas, Wutung

 The last time I visited Indonesian Batas near Wutung in Sandaun was in 2012.

I was a reporter for the National Newspaper and was covering elections in Vanimo.

Since my last visit, I was told today the place has transformed so much that it's like "downtown Port Moresby."

I was gifted this beautiful victory collection "T" shirt. It costs an amazing K10.

The price wowed me.

In Port Moresby it would cost around K30.

Makes me think people who live in West Sepik are able to import this merchandise at reasonable amount paying fair import tax and retail. 

The selling price could be less than K30 in Port Moresby.

Let's do it Sandaun.

Flood inundated villages along Sepik River

 Governor  Allan  Bird issues statement about the provinces responses to Sepik River flood 

On Thursday, we did a tour of parts of the river basin to gauge the extent of the flooding affecting our people.

Continuous rain up in the highlands and along the Sepik basin has resulted in higher than normal flooding. Our river people build homes on high posts to account for annual flooding, unfortunately this current flooding is quite rare. If my memory is correct, we had similar floods in 1982 and 1996.

The district and LLG managers are making assessments of the worst hit areas. Meanwhile the LLG presidents, public servants, MP Wewak and I had a meeting to urgently agree on assistance to be delivered where most needed.

So far we have had two casualties as the result of a land slip in Balam, Dagua LLG, Wewak.

All LLGs are authorised to use K200,000 each to provide relief in those LLGs affected by flooding. DDAs and the ESPG will step in where needed. All assistance will be coordinated on the ground by the respective Ward Members.

Our most affected LLGs are Tunap Hunstein, Ambunti, Gawi, Karawari, Yuat, Keram, Angoram and Marienberg. All food gardens, water sources and many homes are now under water in the worst hit areas.

The immediate need is for canvas, clean drinking water and food (carbohydrates). The people still have plenty of fish and wild protein.

For clean water, we will be talking to our partners to quickly deploy filter buckets for every affected family or water containers that they can refill. We have a current program that distributes filter buckets from the USA. We intend to expand that programme rapidly.

For food, LLGs not affected by flood are urged to supply fresh sago, taro or other crops as necessary through a coordination mechanism set up by the provincial administration.

The PHA is ready to respond to the outbreak of water borne diseases as they arise and medicines and teams are on standby. Emergency medical response is also on standby to respond to any critical emergency requests.

We thank our partners, Samaritan Aviation, our business community, our Churches, our Chamber of Commerce and our people for their support and resilience.

We expect help to be delivered within the 10 days and we expect this crisis to continue for at least 6 weeks.

We urge the business community not to entertain any individual requests for help. If any donations are required from the business community, the Provincial Administrator, Mr Samson Torovi will be writing officially.

We hope this clarifies the situation and should anyone have any issues, please consult our Provincial Disaster Office managed by Mr Warakai.

This message has been disseminated by NBC Wewak as well.