THE NEW ERA KONE – ICONIC ELA BEACH GRAND OPENING

PORT MORESBY: Following the extensive redevelopment since last year, the National Government, together with National Capital District Commission and contractor China Harbor Engineering Company, is pleased to announce the grand opening of the new Era Kone (popularly known as Ela Beach).

ICONIC ELA BEACH, PORT MORESBY

With its enviable settings, scenery and location, the beach will serve as Port Moresby’s major destination for recreation, entertainment and pleasure, serving both city residents and international visitors.

Governor Parkop said: “This is a great achievement setting a bench mark for the city and our country. It represents our vision to transform our city. A city that we can be proud of and a city that will inspire the entire nation to lift and secure a greater future.”

“This is a place where families and everyone can come and enjoy the beach, so I am calling on everyone to take care and respect our beach. Make this place safe, clean and to show that we can be greater and take pride of our beach and not litter, spit or graffiti everywhere,” he further added.

Thoughtfully planned with ample outdoor space for recreation and relaxation, this new beach will have spectacular arenas containing three new basketball and volleyball sporting courts, a car park capacity of 400 spaces, and proposed spaces that will be a host to a new 2000 seat amphitheater, food courts and specialty shops including public toilets.

The beach also contains 70 totem poles as path lights, creating a magnificent night view of the beach which will surely put Port Moresby among the list of amazing beaches with recreational amenities.

The beach will have a scenic view of another landmark for Port Moresby and the APEC Haus, which will serve as the official meeting arena for the APEC Meetings in November.

Although the beach is now opened and handed over from China Harbor Engineering Company to NCDC, it is not completely opened for public use. The shoreline towards Koki will have continued land reclamation and further development from the Fish Market all the way around the Paga Hill Ring Road, with the construction of specialty shops, the amphitheater, and other amenities. 

NCD City Manager Bernard Kipit said; “Era Kone remains the only recreational reserve and the only difference is, this is a beach that is secured with safety rules and regulations, with proper management and not an open space or a market place.”

He welcomed city residents to enjoy the facilities and reminded everyone to look after the beach.

“Everyone must embrace these unique features and take responsibility to look after our beach so it can be sustained for the future generations.”

City Manager, Mr. Kipit further urged everyone to abstain from selling food items or marketing any type of products, spitting betel nut and damaging the beach facilities reminding everyone all offenders will be strictly dealt with.

Port Moresby has achieved yet another milestone event in 2018, with the beach opening and hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit. The general public are urged to take ownership and responsibility to keep the beach clean and of high standards.

The progress in development of Era Kone has surely transformed Port Moresby to a level suiting for an amazing Capital City.

PNG PREPARES TO CELEBRATE ITS 43RD YEAR OF NATIONHOOD: CAPITAL CITY LEADS THE CHANGE

 PORT MORESBY: As the country prepares to celebrate 43-year journey of nationhood, the capital city is leading the way yet again this year with massive celebrations in various locations.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop is renewing his call on city residents to be in their national colour, especially PNG flag and outfits on September 16, signifying unity in diversity as one people in one city and one nation.

He said during this month there were provincial day celebrations in the city to reinforce their ethnic groupings, cultural norms and traditions.

Mr Parkop, however, said on the National Day everyone should converge in a sea of red, black and gold lifting nationalism and patriotism to a new height.

“When we value and honour our nation, we learn to value and appreciate, and make all effort to take care of it, and make it a greater nation for our benefit and that of many generations to come,” he said.

He said the theme of the celebrations in the city; ‘Let us celebrate, PNG! Lead the change, NCD!’

Governor Parkop said the capital city will become yet another hive of activities to mark the day.

He gave an overview of the activities in the lead up to and on the Independence Day:

1. On September 12 the grand opening of Ela beach will take place, featuring Acrobatic performance, circus show, B boys’ dancers, traditional dancers, kite surfers, life band and fireworks in the evening;

2. On September 15 and 16, Paga Hill street festival led by battle of band finals and performances by Justice crew and Ansolam;

3.Jack Pidik and Unagi Oval will host massive performances of both traditional and contemporary and sky shows;

4.Pacific Adventist University and UPNG will also become a hub of celebrations and;

5.On Sunday 16th of September is the national day when the massive unity walk from Murray Barracks to join school children and brass band, and onto Paga Hill.

The Independence Day celebration in the city was dedicated to prisoners, persons living with disabilities, the sick, and those who passed away, according to Mr Parkop.

POOR VALUE SYSTEM IS THE BIGGEST IMPEDIMENT TO A GREATER CITY

National Capital District Governor Hon. Powes Parkop's opening remarks in the 8th issue of the City Sivarai (Newsletter).

In the last two or three weeks we have seen the ugly side of our country come to the fore again here in our Capital City.

Ethnic conflict in Morata resulted in at least one death. A week later a senseless killing too at Hohola as a result of what appears to be an accident caused by driving under influence of liquor. A retaliatory attack resulted in 10 houses being burnt down and more life shattered and traumatized forever.

The most sacred gift of life has no value in our country. We can take away this most valuable gift by the flimsiest excuse or reasons and show no remorse or regret.

We torture women and burn them on stakes without any guilt or hesitation as if they mere pigs or animals. We can burn a plane and public assets like court houses, class rooms and other state or public buildings without regard for its value and consequence on the community and the nation as a whole.

In Port Moresby too despite our effort and all the public funds we have spent, betel nut spitting, litter or rubbish, graffiti and violence, fear or harassment continues to be a big challenge in our City and indeed the rest of the country.

Governor Powes Parkop

As we approach 43 years of our journey to nationhood, we must acknowledge that our biggest impediment to advancement and success of our country is our lack of values or otherwise poor and shallow values and virtues.

Yes, corruption is a problem and a major impediment to national advancement but corruption is but a result of low and poor value system. It is a symptom and not a cause. Corruption has taken root in our country because we all practice it and do not see anything dramatically wrong with it.

With many high mountains, valleys, rivers, wetlands, islands and atolls, geography is a major challenge to the progress of our nation too.

Building infrastructure such as  roads and bridges for our people to access services and markets is indeed a major challenge in this type of topography. No doubt this will remain a major challenge but these are challenges we can easily overcome if we care and spend our financial resources efficiently.

We have shown in Port Moresby that we can build world class infrastructure but how we care and use these infrastructure too will make a big difference. Sadly however, we continue to destroy without appreciating the value of these infrastructures to our collective convenience and well being.

Our diversity as a nation of a thousand tribe with their own languages, customs, practices and norms, is also a challenge.

Blending everyone together as one people and one nation as we sing in our national anthem and recite our national pledge is not easy but we have survived 43 years so if we subscribe to higher values and virtues like respect for each other, choosing peaceful ways of solving disputes and loving each other as fellow human beings we can overcome this challenge.

Corruption, geography and diversity all have their challenges but the biggest problem or challenge we have and need to overcome as a people and a nation is our low value system.

We tend to think and act mainly from our survival instinct not from a higher value system. Many of our decisions and actions are based on what we can get now and not what we can do for the the greater good of all. Be it politics, resource development, allocation of funding, appointment of officials or employees and the list goes on.

Japan is hardly a resource rich country. In fact it is resource poor. The same can be said of Singapore and South Korea. Yet these three countries can provide quality life style, high standards of living and build a strong economy for their people.

The Japanese way is possible simply because they have a strong foundation that are based on strong work ethics, respect, appreciation, good value system and serving for the greater good of their people and their country.

We are a nation blessed with so much resource and therefore our potential should increase. We can be a greater city and a greater nation if we all lift our values and mindset and start to respect and take responsibility for our lives, our city and our country better.

Getting our people to develop and embrace high values and virtues is not easy. These impoverished mindset have been instilled generation after generations. So it is not easy to replace them with an alternative positive value system. Telling our people to take action is even harder! 

It is for this reason that we have programs like the Active City Development Program. A program that is simple but smart. It uses non-competitive sports and easily accessible physical activity to take our people on a journey of physical, mental and emotional change. Its is a program that gives our people real tools to develop self respect, respect for others and taking personal responsibility for their lives, well being.

When we improve physical fitness we also grow our mental and emotional capacities. When we change the people’s health, well being, behaviour and mindset, then we will have healthier more positive people in our city then they will change our city and our country.

The Active City Development Program is an investment in the human capital development without which the infrastructure and economic development we are witnessing in the city and around the country will not amount to much.

These and other programs we have like Urban Youth Employment Program, TVET, sports investment, improving markets space and setting up the Secretariat to support the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee and their work are all designed directly and indirectly to overcome this biggest impediment of our City and our country.

Change starts with each and everyone one of us being the change we want for our city and our country.

We can build a greater city and a greater nation. It’s not the world that we have to overcome. It’s ourselves that we have to overcome to arrive at that greatness. Let’s take that journey Port Moresby so that PNG can become greater than it is today.

Lead the change in your life, your family, your community, your city and your country!

NCD ACTIVE CITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OPENS DOOR FOR INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS

PORT MORESBY: If you ask why Active City Development program attracts overseas talents, it aspires to open the city as ‘a centre for volunteers’ from all over the world.

Program manageress Fazillah Bazari said the publicity of the Walk and Yoga For Life work on Facebook and other social media platforms have gripped international volunteers’ attention to visit PNG, leaving their legacy on residents-to work with the young people and to expose them to international standards, so their skills and training can be on par by international requirement and standards. 

Ms Bazari added that the program attracted CNN crew, creative movement trainers from the United Kingdom and drama trainer from Kenya. 

Today (Sunday, August 26) we have an Argentinean theatre group, Circus Mandragora.

Their elite performers Juan Cruz Bracamonte and Mariana Silva this morning mesmerised thousands at end the Walk and Yoga for Life in Port Moresby’s Paga Hill ring road, with its mimic and clown outfit.

With the aid of local Dennis Loftkia, Juan and Mariana forming acrobatic frame in their mimic and clown performance

With a loud hand of applause, they were delighted by their four-minute show.

They are in town following an invitation of the NCD Active City Development Program to train city residents, especially youths, to become circus performers, so they too can tour the world and earn a living like them.

Their show "Mandragora Circus" was premiered in their country in 2003 and performed in 18 nations overseas across four continents. 

Silva said their PNG tour will is the first in Oceania. 

She said their performance used gestures which allow the audience to imagine situations, conflicts and solutions. 

Introducing them, the program’s manageress Fazillah Bazari said they would be performing at the NCD Independence Arts and Street Festival Paga Hill ring road.

Next week and beyond, she said, they would be training the youths at the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Program to start performing as professional performers, adding we will have our own PNG circus troupe like them. 

These are the goals and aspirations of the program to make-some of our youths not inclined academically or vocationally, but are still marketable using their creative and performing arts to be self-sustaining. 

According to her, the duo will be training the youths with acrobatic and theatre arts skills for two months at the Taurama Aquatic Centre. 

NCD Governor Powes Parkop commended Ms Bazari and her management staff for being innovative with new initiatives creating opportunities and new pathways for the development of the city’s goals to leave no one idle and no one behind.