Yilan honors model fathersBy Tsai Yun-jung / Staff reporterThe Yilan County Government yesterday honored 13 model fathers ahead of Father’s Day today. Blind masseur Huang Wen-han, center right in mauve shirt, and his family hold bouquets and gifts in Yilan County yesterday after Huang was honored as a model father on the eve of Father’s Day. Widowed father Yu Huo-sheng on Friday wears a “model father” sash awarded to him by Yilan County’s Dongshan Township before being honored by the Yilan County Government yesterday. His son, Huang Ching-en (黃慶恩), described his father as his role model, saying that he is keen to offer help and seldom blames others for his own suffering. Yu Huo-sheng’s daughter Yu Wen-chueh (游文雀) said many neighbors told her to study at a vocational school and work at a garment factory after graduation.

Pingtung County’s Wutai Township (霧台) recorded 693mm of rain between midnight Friday and 3:30pm yesterday, the highest accumulated rainfall in Taiwan, the CWB said. People stand in floodwater in Cijia Village in Changhua County’s Shengang Township yesterday. Photo: Tang Shih-ming, Taipei TimesAffected by flooding and landslides, 600 residents in Wutai and Majia had been evacuated, the CWB added. People clutch umbrellas as they run across a pedestrian crossing in Taipei yesterday. Watermelons lie partly submerged in a flooded field in Yunlin County yesterday.

New Kestrel rocket to be tested on Pratas: reportDEFENDING TERRITORY: The shoulder-launched weapon, designed to penetrate armor or concrete, would be tested amid increasing Chinese presence in the South China SeaStaff writer, with CNAThe Coast Guard Administration is to hold two live-fire exercises to test an indigenous anti-armor rocket on the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea next month. A member of the Marine Corps simulates firing a Kestrel anti-armor rocket on March 4, 2016. However, the Central News Agency reported that locally developed Kestrel anti-armor rockets would be launched on both dates. The Pratas Islands, which are almost 450km southwest of Kaohsiung, are one of two territories controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea. Taiwan, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all claim part of the South China Sea as their territory.

Storm is expected to return to TaiwanStaff writer, with CNATropical Storm Lupit has been downgraded to a tropical depression and is expected to approach Taiwan a second time with a southwesterly system primarily affecting the nation’s west, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday. Lupit is expected to pass through the Taiwan Strait today and affect northern Taiwan later today and early tomorrow before moving away, it said. Two men stand in floodwaters in a coastal village in Yunlin County yesterday. Photo: Lin Kuo-hsien, Taipei TimesHeavy rain is forecast for western areas of Taiwan today and tomorrow morning, the CWB said. As of press time, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Pingtung County, Chiayi City and Chiayi County have canceled work and classes today.

COVID-19: Legislators urge expanding voucher schemeBy Chien Hui-ju and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe next round of government COVID-19 stimulus vouchers should include childcare centers and cram schools, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday. These enterprises should be included as payable to parties in the new voucher program, as many are going out of business and some have already been forced to close, she said. “We hope the Executive Yuan’s new voucher program would include our industry and give it the boost it needs to recover from COVID-19,” he said. Chang Hao-jan (張浩然), director of the Taipei Supplementary Education Association, said that COVID-19 restrictions have led to serious losses for cram schools. Huang Yueh-ying (黃月盈), an official at the National Development Council, said the voucher program is a work in progress and that the lawmakers’ suggestion would be considered.

Olympic program extended to Paris Games in 2024By Lee Hsin-fang and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerA program that supported Taiwan’s athletes in the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics would continue after an initiative launched in 2018 for the Tokyo Games achieved record-breaking results, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said on Thursday. The nation’s athletes have won 12 medals in Tokyo, more than doubling the previous record of five in 2000 and 2004. To achieve this in the run-up to the Tokyo Games, the Sports Administration launched an initiative to prepare the nation’s athletes to “go for gold,” Su said. The Sports Administration program is also to cover early preparation for the 2024 Games, with a continuing annual budget of NT$300 million to total NT$2.1 billion after seven years, it said. From 2016 to this year, the Sports Administration’s annual budget rose from NT$8 billion to NT$13.4 billion, Su said.

COVID-19: Issue vouchers in smaller denominations: legislatorsBy Chien Hui-ju and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerDemocratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) and independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) yesterday urged the Executive Yuan to issue vouchers in smaller denomination as part of its stimulus plan to benefit small businesses. Chung said that the voucher program should issue 20 vouchers in NT$100 denominations, five in NT$200 denominations, two NT$500 denominations and one NT$1,000 voucher. A woman holds up Triple Stimulus Vouchers on Jan. 7. Photo: Wu Chi-lun , Taipei TimesChung added that the program should be limited to small sums, as vouchers of smaller denominations would be easier for stores that sell daily necessities to accept. Only designated small stores should be allowed to accept the vouchers, Chung said, adding that the vouchers’ use should be limited to retail stores, restaurants, hotels and art exhibitions.

COVID-19: Taipei considers securing its own supply of shotsPRIVATE RESERVE: The city would pay at least NT$6 billion to acquire COVID-19 vaccines to provide booster shots against possible variantsBy Yang Hsin-hui and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taipei City Government is considering buying COVID-19 vaccines and is to meet within a week to discuss the issue, it said yesterday. Although the central government has nominally obtained 75 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, either through purchase agreements or donations, only 9.5 million doses have arrived in Taiwan, Taipei Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun (蔡炳坤) said. Medical workers administer COVID-19 vaccinations at the Taipei Expo Park yesterday. If the Taipei City Government decides to buy vaccines, it — and subsequent matters such as the number of doses needed — would be deliberated and ratified by the city council, he added. The Taipei City Government would meet within a week and invite experts to assess the situation, he said, adding that the assessment would be used to make a final decision.

Innolux cautious about prospects in second halfBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterLCD panel maker Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday said it was cautiously optimistic about second-half prospects as an imminent glass substrate supply constraint and an ongoing chip shortage would curb supply and avert a glut. The supply of glass substrates might start declining this month at the earliest, as some manufacturers commence annual factory maintenance, the Miaoli-based company said. Innolux Corp chairman Jim Hung, right, and president James Yang talk to investors during an online conference yesterday. Because of reduced glass substrate supply, “we are cautiously optimistic about the second-half market situation,” Yang said. Innolux expects the strategic partnership to lift its profit margin, as G10.5 has a cost advantage over Innolux’s G6 and G8.5 factories in producing large TV panels, Hung said.

Ending pandemic exceptionalismBy Chris van LaakIt is astonishing how differently the COVID-19 pandemic has transpired in Taiwan than in other countries with equal, or what should have been equal, disease prevention capabilities. When Taiwan largely kept the virus at its borders for most of the pandemic, it was a laudable success, but it eventually proved elusive and a few days in May brought a persistent domestic outbreak, plunging Taiwan into the “normal” of the international pandemic. However, it is more likely that some trends the world has seen in the past 18 months are to continue. Now might not be the time for that, not when only about 35 percent of Taiwanese have partial protection through vaccines. The nation needs to have a conversation about the possibility of a post-pandemic world in which COVID-19 is still around.

Formal ties with US would lift Taiwan’s status: YouNORMALIZATION: The legislative speaker said he has never been shy to admit that he is a Taiwanese independence advocate and would continue to fight for Taiwan’s statusBy Chung Li-hua and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan’s status would be normalized if the US resumed diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) said yesterday, adding that the issue of Taiwan’s identity has been gaining attention worldwide. Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, right, talks during an online interview with media personality Frances Huang in Taipei yesterday. Asked about possible constitutional amendments, You expressed reservation and highlighted the difficulties such proposals must overcome. Lawmakers have sent 56 proposed amendments to the Legislative Yuan Constitutional Amendment Committee and they are expected to file more, he said. Given this constraint, lawmakers will have to pass the floor vote on the constitutional amendments before March 29 next year, he said.

New US arms sale to boost combat capability: expertsSHOW OF STRENGTH: The new sale signals that US President Joe Biden’s administration is following that of his predecessor in supporting Taiwan’s securityStaff writer, with CNALocal security experts yesterday lauded the US’ announcement of a new arms sale package to Taiwan, saying it had been long delayed from last year and can help the Taiwanese army modernize its combat capabilities. Instead, they were replaced by M1156 precision guidance kits for turning existing 155mm shells into guided weapons, he wrote. The new sale shows that the Biden administration is following former US president Donald Trump’s administration on arms sale; that is, it can discuss the sale of single weapons with Taiwan, instead of selling many weapons in a large package as in earlier times, Shu said. Trump ramped up big-ticket arms sales to Taiwan during his time in office, as he feuded with Beijing on a host of issues from trade to national security. The Taiwan Strait is international waters, and any country should have freedom of navigation there, he added.

As the fab would serve as a site for research and development, Hon Hai would manufacture SiC chips at other production facilities, he said. The 6-inch fab would be suitable for making SiC chips, as most manufacturers are migrating production from 4-inch to 6-inch fabs, but the 6-inch fab could no longer manufacture memory chips competitively, he said. The deal paves the way for Hon Hai to deepen its partnership with Macronix, as they explore additional opportunities in the electric-vehicle business, Liu said. Macronix chairman Miin Wu (吳敏求) said that he was relieved after feeling pressured over the past one-and-a-half months to strike a deal. Hon Hai employs 5,000 to 6,000 workers in semiconductor-related jobs, he said.

Chip shortage to extend into next year: WinbondBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterWinbond Electronics Corp (華邦電子) expects supply constraints on memory chips to extend into next year, suggesting a further upside to chip prices, company president James Chen (陳沛銘) said yesterday. “The supply of specialty DRAM will continue to be tight next year.”“Based on what we know, the world’s top three memorychip makers do not plan to add new capacity for specialty DRAM next year,” he said. Winbond Electronics Corp’s logo is pictured outside its office building in Hsinchu County’s Jhubei City on Nov. 12, 2019. The company plans to make specialty DRAM chips using advanced 20-nanometer technology, which can boost output by more than 30 to 40 percent over the 25-nanometer technology that it currently uses. Specialty DRAM is one of Winbond’s major revenue contributors, accounting for about 46 percent of total memory chip revenue last quarter, while NOR and NAND flash memory chips made up the remaining 54 percent.

The consumer price index rose by 1.95 percent year-on-year last month, partially due to higher vegetable prices amid unfavorable weather, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said yesterday. Photo: Clare Cheng, Taipei Times“A significant increase in food prices accounted for the acceleration in consumer prices, and food prices increased because bad weather disrupted vegetable supply,” DGBAS official Tsao Chih-hung (曹志弘) told an online news conference in Taipei. Food costs rose 2.45 percent, as vegetable prices increased 19.91 percent, egg prices rose 10.17 percent and meat prices rose 5.11 percent amid unfavorable weather, the DGBAS said. The core CPI — a more reliable tracker of long-term prices as it excludes items with volatile prices, such as vegetables and oil products — edged up 1.29 percent from last year, the agency said. In the first seven months of the year, the CPI increased 1.54 percent, while the WPI rose 6.72 percent, the DGBAS said.