Madang Province

On Tuesday, 12^th March 2024, a tragic incident resulted in the disappearance of nine individuals, including seven passengers along with the skipper and crew onboard a boat that capsized in the rough seas. The missing persons are believed to be drifting somewhere along the coastlines or islands of Morobe, Manus, West New Britain, East Sepik and Sandaun provinces.

The development plans for wards 10, 19 and 24 were presented to Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa on Saturday.

The theme of their plans ‘Going Rural, Go Long Ples’ is a development strategy that captures the community’s aspirations for the next five years. Sumgilbar and Karkar LLG [residents were there to witness the three-ward members present and sign their rolling development plans to the Governor.

“The news of the sudden death is a sad tragedy,” said Ramu Nico Chairman, Wang Zhou.

The Chairman said it shocked, like it did people around the country, the company’s employees at Kurumbukari mine in the Usino Bundi District and the refinery at Basamuk.

Mr. Zhou stated that the late Jimmy Uguro committed to his district, the ministry and was always vocal about Kurumbukari landowners putting their mining royalty to good use.

Dr. Bowman said that over the years the bilum industry has remarkably transformed. Bilums have been seen on magazine covers, on the runway and even on the red carpet in Hollywood.

She encouraged the women to use social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to market their products and as reference for new fashion and colors, to suit every season.

It was a historic moment for the Kimadi Community Based Organisation (CBO) in Dibor village when they launched their Natural Resource Management Area and Land Usage Plan on Wednesday, 7th of February.

This also coincided with the signing of their Conservation Deed.

Dibor is known for warding off prospectors of logging and sand mining in their area as the beaches there are nesting grounds for the endangered Leatherback turtles.

Cultivation has been promoted as a sustainable agroforestry option, particularly in the coastal lowlands.

The government and various organizations have supported initiatives to establish balsa plantations as a means of economic development and forest conservation.

Over the weekend, women in Madang Province have been invited to participate in a Balsa workshop hosted by Chakriya Bowman, a private consultant and Omega SME Consultants on their Madang Balsa Project initiative.

The MOU was signed between the Middle Ramu District Development Authority (MRDDA), Melanesian Evangelical Church of Christ in PNG Inc., Transform the Nations Ltd and Madang Provincial Government yesterday at the Madang Lodge.

The Gandep Project is captured in MRDDA’s five-year development plan 2023-2027 and is a strategic partnership with the international churches to implement not only the project but work together to roll out the 5-year development  plan in compliance with the laws of PNG.

Pariwa stressed this during a draft budget presentation in Madang on Monday.

He told all sector heads how important it was to ensure that the money being allocated translates to the implementation of outstanding services needed by the people of Madang.

He emphasised to all provincial administration staff including the administrator Frank Lau that as the government of the day, he will be in charge of decision-making whilst they play their part as implementers. 

Holy Spirit Primary in Ward 3 of Madang district, will now be able to store water for use, after receiving two new 9500L water tanks.

The water tanks were purchased by the Office of the Madang Town Mayor recently. Town mayor Peter Yalsy Masia donated the tanks after the school faced water disruptions in 2023 affecting the learning of the students.

Holy Spirit Primary School headmaster Arigini thanked Mr Masia and highlighted how water disruptions affected classes in 2023.

According to the Madang Provincial Health Authority (MaPHA) staff, there is so much more needed to be done in order to have the hospital operate as the province’s main hospital.

An ambulance is one of the vital resources any hospital should have for emergency responses and operations, Modilon General Hospital has not had an ambulance for several years and this had hindered so many lifesaving operations. It had taken three months for necessary processes to be met before the ambulance was finally donated by Madang Governor, Ramsy Pariwa in December 2023.