Famous for his hit song, Chu Chu, Richie Saeni more commonly known by his stage name, Sean Rii, was nominated for the International Artist of the Year - in association with the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) for the 2022. The young vibrant music artist from Solomon Islands certainly made a name for himself in the music industry in the country and internationally as well and now has earned himself a nomination for the YUMI FM PNG Musik Awards 2023 which will be live tomorrow night Saturday the 17th of June at the Lamana Gold Club Arena. The YFMPNGMA night will highlight and recognize the efforts of local music artists over the last two years; 2021-2022. Sean Rii who was speechless, told PNG HAUSBUNG how ecstatic he was when he got the call informing him that he was one of the nominees of the Category, International Artist of the Year - in association with APRA category 2022. Sean Rii is among two other music artists nominated for the year 2022. Sean Rii shared with PNGHAUSBUNG some of his major highlights in the previous two years of 2021 and 2022 and stated that his song Chu Chu was definitely one of them. “When the song Chu Chu was released, I didn’t know that it would be a hit but now I know because this song would be one of my biggest hits right now.” Making a name for yourself and trying to be successful in what you do can be quite a challenge as Sean Rii shared some of his challenges especially during the COVID19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, it was hard." "Because being a music artist is my bread and butter." "This is our money, this is what we earn and so we did struggle financially." "Doing gigs and doing shows is what we do in order to make money." "But I’m happy that everything is back to normal.” In addition, Sean Rii has shared how he creates his music and as a producer as well, described the process of music and choosing the right melody for it. This he says is having the passion towards making music and having the talent is a gift he is happy to have. Meanwhile, the singer, songwriter and music producer is currently working on a new song alongside Tonton Malele and J Liko. He will announce soon once it is near its completion. “I love what I do because it’s my passion.” Furthermore, Sean Rii thanked all his fans for the support. "Because of them, (my fans) my music career has grown and is still growing." "So thank you all." Meanwhile, tickets for the YUMI FM PNG MUSIK AWARDS are still on sale now at the PNGFM Office and Lamana Hotel reception but they're running out. The Yumi FM PNG Musik Awards 2023 comes to you with the support of Platinum sponsor COCA-COLA, and Gold sponsor VODAFONE, NAU FM, Legend FM, PNG HAUSBUNG, Magic Factory and is managed by the Total Events Company.

Communities from Brem also known as Murukunam, in the Sumgilbar LLG of Madang Province, reached a milestone by signing the Conservation Deed (CD) for their community. Over the years, the community developed their community-based Natural Resource Management (CbNRM) Plan through a participatory land-use management planning process. A total of 7,400 hectares of their customary land is now a part of an environment protection management area. About 1,700 ha of Conservation Deed Area from the total of 5,700 ha under the land use plan will be used purely for biodiversity conservation. The signing saw over two hundred participants attended the official signing of the Conservation Deed. The event was witnessed by representatives from USAID, Lukautim Graun Program (LGP), church groups, women’s groups, students, community leaders, provincial and local level government staff comprising of key sector representatives from the forestry, fisheries, lands, village courts, community development and commerce division. The Guest speaker who is the Program Specialist (Biodiversity, Energy and Gender) with USAID, Julie Hulama, officiated over the ribbon cutting to unveil the signage for the new CD area. She stated that the event clearly demonstrates the commitment of the community to protect their land and natural resources for the future generations of Papua New Guinea. This is aligned with USAID’s regional priorities under environment protection and climate adaption and mitigation. Over the last two to three years, LGP has worked closely with its key partners to assist different communities through awareness and training on Conservation based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) planning within priority sites. The Brem community is one of the communities that has now reached another milestone to have a CD Area. The CD will help conserve biodiversity for now and future generation to enjoy while at the same time being able to utilize their land sustainably.

Moresby South Electorate in Port Moresby continues to focus on its service delivery. This saw over 300 Small to Medium Entrepreneur (SME) empowered women groups from Moresby South gathered to submit their acquittals to their local MP, Justin Tkatchenko. Tkatchenko who received the acquittal, said it was the first time for this initiative to be undertaken in the electorate, especially monitoring and evaluation involving women's groups and associations. He stated that it was important to acquit because what members are given are public duties so they must ensure that the funds are used properly. He said they also support individuals from different wards to help with their businesses by sponsoring training programs for women. "We can’t just give you the money alone. We made sure you received financial knowledge and literacy, so you all knew how to look after your income and to spend the money properly.” “You need to know how to account for your money and bank your funds." He acknowledged the team who had set up the training courses for financial literacy, which had enabled the women to understand what the business is all about. Tkatchenko said that they received a good number of success stories and testimonies from the women that showed how committed the women were. "From the South side, I'm proud of you all, of what you have done and what we will continue to do.” “The overwhelming majority in the last election showed that you want to continue the good work that we have been doing together." "We are going to continue to do that over the next four years no matter what anybody says, we are here together.” “We are going to keep on empowering you, making you economically viable and strong." Moresby South though the smallest electorate, has the most markets in this city, so this enables women and youths from the electorate to sell their products in a safe and healthy environment. "Over the last two years, we have spent from the Government, NCDC, and Moresby South a total of K5 million, which has all been acquitted." He further stated that the acquittal would be put together and submitted to the Department of Implementation Rural Development. Meanwhile, Molly Rau O'Rourke from Vabukori Women's Development Association, acknowledged the assistance of the Member and the District Development Authority with building the Resource Centre. "The building has been set up to better equip the women so they can be able to work and look after themselves and their families.” “We would like to empower our women to work their way out of poverty, create opportunities, care for their families, upskill their talents and work towards strengthening their communities." Also thankful for the support was Pastor Ruth Moses from the Watch Women Prayer team who expressed her gratitude to the member for the support through the SME program. She said Tkatchenko assisted with the capital money worth K10, 000 which they used to generate and raise more funds and with the help of the NCD Governor as well, they were able to purchase a truck.

With the Ward Focus Policy now rolled out in East New Britain Province, all divisions are now aligning their programs going back to the wards reviving some of the services as well as providing accessible government services. The new division under the ENBPA Village Court and Land Mediation have visited all the wards in the province carrying out inspections, supervisions, monitoring, gathering and collection of data for the division to be up and running. The Provincial Village Court and Land Mediation officer leading the team, Neville Kunai said since the division broke away from the LLG and Ward affairs division, there was no proper concentration done on village courts and land mediations, therefore are revisiting the wards to establish the necessary information. Kunai said from their survey, there were results of data not properly kept so they must come down to each ward level and revise this system in starting to collect data again. “We are collecting such information such as village courts officer’s names, appointment, revocation of appointment we are identifying this information.” “We are trying to get back the work of the village court on track so that it complies according to the acts.” “We are dealing with two act the Land mediation act and village court act”. He said that this is so that everything is according to the law such as the appointment, demarcations of appointments, the selection of the village courts, mediations, and land sittings. The division also reminded the law-and-order committees in the ward to know their roles and not to create their own margin of court fines and compensation at the wards. After inspections are done, they will then proceed to trainings for the officers in the district. Kunai added that this exercise is important because peace and harmony depends entirely on what the law-and-order committee is doing at the Ward Level.

Coca-Cola PNG together with PNGFM Limited, have announced the continuation of their partnership in nurturing local music artists through the successful Coke Studio music platform and the esteemed YUMI FM PNG Musik Awards which resumed after four years since performing LIVE due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the much-anticipated event, PNGFM will provide two years' worth of awards for 2021-2022, recognizing music artists, producers, and musicians. Coca-Cola PNG Marketing Manager, Rachel Nainggolan, expressed through the renewed partnership, that music possesses a unique power to inspire and unite people, making it resonate with Coca-Cola’s target audience's growing engagement in music and digital audio. “Prioritizing consumer relevance has always been crucial for Coca-Cola PNG, and music is an essential aspect of Papua New Guinea's culture.” Launched in 2016, Coke Studio has served as a signature music platform, providing opportunities for legendary, seasoned, and emerging artists alike to showcase their distinctive musical styles. Initially introduced as a TV music platform, Coke Studio expanded in 2018 to include higher production quality and integrated collaboration between TV, radio, and digital media through its first joint venture with the YUMI FM PNGMUSIK AWARDS; a prestigious event honouring PNG musicians and artists. Nainggolan added that music remains at the heart of Coca-Cola’s Real Magic philosophy and Coca-Cola PNG has a long-standing commitment to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of PNG artists, not only on the radio but across the music industry. “Many of this year's nominees are Coke Studio artists who have gained exposure and delivered outstanding performances in recent seasons.” Meanwhile, General Manager of PNGFM Limited, Rosemarie ‘Shaz’ Botong, expressed how exciting it is about the enhanced partnership. She said with Coca-Cola PNG as their official partner, they are now looking forward to providing fans with even better experiences, making both Coke Studio and the YUMI FM PNG MUSIK AWARDS 2023 essential platforms for spotlighting and appreciating local music and artists in PNG. Head of Brand and Channel Coca-Cola Europacific Partner PNG, Gabriel Manoi, also shared same sentiments as they are thrilled to be collaborating with PNGFM once again in recognizing Papua New Guinea's local artists and reigniting excitement at the YUMI FM PNG Musik Awards 2023 with Coca-Cola. “This partnership combines our iconic brand with a high-calibre team dedicated to spreading happiness through music to the people of PNG. Through this collaboration, Coca-Cola continues to create moments of happiness for its consumers and the broader PNG community.” In addition to the partnership, Coca-Cola ran the successful Coke Studio PEEL & WIN promotion from February to mid-May 2023, 2023. The promotion featured peel-the-label mechanics on Coca-Cola PET 500ml and 300ml packs, which were available across Papua New Guinea. Coca-Cola offered a prize pool valued at PGK2 million. Prizes included over 400,000 Digicel credit rewards, more than 70,000 Digicel internet data packages, 100 JBL portable speakers, and 200 JBL wireless headphones. The promotion's success reflects the growing enthusiasm among consumers, which received a total of 4.87 million entries, resulting in 498,000 winners. The top tier prize for ten lucky winners is Music Award experiences valued at approximately PGK7, 000, allowing them and a guest to attend the YUMI FM PNG Musik Awards 2023, enjoy a 3-day, 2-night stay at Hilton Hotel, Port Moresby, and meet and greet selected Coke Studio artists. Coca-Cola Peel & Win Promo has further strengthened Coca-Cola's partnership with PNGFM through its platform, Coke Studio. The company acknowledges music as a major passion point for PNG consumers, which is the reason they designed a rewarding experience centred around the music industry.

The NGCB made a timely donation of a brand new 10-seater Landcruiser to the PNG Eye Care to support the transportation needs of the ophthalmologist and healthcare workers at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The new vehicle was handed over to Dr. Jambi Garap, an Ophthalmologist and President of the PNG Eye Care by the NGCB’s Chief Operating Officer Mr. Paul Ketombing. Dr Garap while receiving the keys of the new vehicle, wholeheartedly thanked the NGCB for the donation, which she said will greatly boost the administration and medical services and maximize eye care services to the people of PNG. “I am truly humble to receive this brand-new vehicle that will be used by my team to carry out a wide range of eye-care services and awareness programs to the communities in NCD and neighboring provinces – which has been a great challenge for us for many years.” “One of our primary roles is to carry out awareness on vision impairment in rural communities, conduct research, update our data through effective execution of surveys and reach the unreached to provide eye care services.” “Unfortunately, these very important operational programs have been a huge setback due to transportation – and we are grateful to NGCB for understanding the importance of eye care services in the country and recognizing our transport plight by donating this new vehicle.” “This donation has truly encouraged us to continue to give our best and serve our people with the best of our abilities in order to minimize and prevent widespread vision impairment in our societies”, Dr Garap added. Meanwhile, Mr Ketombing, spoke on behalf of NGCB CEO Imelda Agon, said NGCB was pleased to support PNG Eye Care by purchasing a new vehicle worth over K180, 000.00. “We will continue to support health projects and programs through the ‘give back program’ to ensure the wellbeing of our community is safe, healthy, wealthy and in line with our government vision.” PNG Eye Care was established in 2008 and its mission is to support eye care development and delivery of services across the nation including provision of spectacles. The mandate is to work together with key partners to eliminate avoidable blindness and uncorrected vision impairment, develop sustainable solutions for communities in need, and therefore improve education and quality of life.

The PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Meriba Tulo as its Communications and Public Relations Manager. President of the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Mr. Anthony Smaré, said the Chamber is delighted to welcome Mr. Tulo as part of its leadership team. “Mr Tulo is well known in the media space with a national profile from his background as a business journalist, and he is well known in the business sector through his recent history as a Papua New Guinean communications leader in the business sector.” “We are pleased that he is joining the team, particularly to help craft, design and implement the communications strategy of the Chamber to achieve the objectives of the Chamber to ensure sustainability of PNG’s the energy and minerals industry for the benefit of all stakeholders in PNG.” “Mr. Tulo joins the Chamber team currently led by Chief Operating Officer Mrs. Pansy Taueni-Sialis and Policy & Research Manager Gretel Orake.” “His addition to the team is part of the ongoing restructuring and resourcing of the Chamber team to better achieve its strategic objectives and helping ensure the sustainability of the industry, with a particular focus on attracting high quality Papua New Guinean leaders in key functions into the organisation.” “After Mr Tulo’s hire, the lone vacancy is the key role of the Executive Director of the Chamber, which will be filled imminently” Prior to his appointment at the Chamber, Mr Tulo was Team Leader Communications with the National Superannuation Fund Ltd (Nasfund) from 2020, overseeing media engagement and advertising on both mainstream and social media platforms for the country’s leading Superannuation provider. During his time at Nasfund, Mr Tulo played a key leadership role in Nasfund’s rebranding, one of the most successful rebranding exercises in PNG’s recent history. The Chamber is a representative shareholder of Nasfund. Mr Tulo is a seasoned Media Practitioner with experience across all channels of media & communication in Papua New Guinea. He began his career as a business reporter for Kalang Advertising Ltd (FM100) in 2009 and rose through the ranks, and eventually moved to PNGFM as Senior Reporter/Editor of the then newly established Legend FM in 2011. In 2013, he joined Bank South Pacific as Media and Communications Officer, responsible for the bank’s mainstream media engagement, as well as BSP’s growing social media presence. In a return to mainstream media at the end of 2014, Mr. Tulo joined Media Niugini Limited (EMTV) as a Senior Presenter, Producer & News Anchor, headlining National EMTV News, and steering coverage of the 2015 Pacific Games, as well as the 2017 National General Elections. A recipient of the Media Council of PNG Rookie Reporter of the Year Award (2009), Mr. Tulo is a supporter of the PNG Media Council, the International Federation of Journalists, a member of the PNG-USA Alumni Association, and an alumnus of Divine Word University. He holds a Diploma in Management from the Divine Word University. “Please join us in welcoming Mr Tulo to the Chamber.”

Uniting our voices and taking action' was the theme for Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation’s Corporate Gala Networking Event held at the Royal Papua Yacht Club in Port Moresby on Saturday evening. This is the second year that the cancer foundation has put together to show its commitment towards creating and improving its awareness activities throughout the country. Speaking at the event was Executive Manager of Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation Inc, Priscilla Napoleon, who highlighted and made mention of challenges they face when trying to break barriers in order to carry out their awareness programs effectively. She stated that as part of their commitment, it is important to understand and realize how cancer can be identified and how it can be addressed and dealt with. “In carrying out awareness campaigns, we must understand, have an open-mind, change mindsets and challenge the assumptions of cultural barriers that can prevent us from carrying out our programs in and around the country.” The Cancer Foundation has been carrying out awareness activities such as outreach programs in schools and communities, to better inform people about the aspects of cancer and how it can be dealt with at an early stage. Therefore, all funds raised for this year’s second event will go towards supporting the foundation’s mission of improving the coordination of cancer awareness activities in Papua New Guinea. According to Napoleon, over K70, 000 was raised on the night through the purchasing of tickets and support from sponsors. She added that the foundation has over sixty stakeholders who have been supporting them in carrying out their awareness programs. Healthy Teens School Program, Community Outreach and prevention Education Program and Cervical Cancer School Program are some of the programs that the foundation has been carrying out in their awareness activities and are hopeful that they reach more areas throughout the country. Meanwhile, Oncology-Pediatrician for Port Moresby General Hospital, Dr. Gwenda Anga, also spoke on the matters surrounding cancer especially for children living with cancer. Dr. Gwenda shared with PNGHAUSBUNG that the average number of cancer patients is sixty per year. However, at the beginning of the year, they have already reached sixty patients and have seen an increase in children cases for this year alone. “One biggest factor about treating the children is that most of them present late and so by the time we treat them, they already have other underlying issues such as malnutrition or are already very sick or are short of blood. These are the things that make it difficult for us to treat them quickly, especially for those who come from other provinces and are trying to get treatment at POM GEN.” A main hurdle that Dr. Gwenda stated was getting the right diagnosis on time. Another is the difficulty of having a consistent supply of chemotherapy for supportive care and this is something that is greatly needed when treating cancer. Most cancers curable, but when there is not enough medical supplies provided, it can lead to the delay of treatment and growth of one’s cancer. “We do offer treatment for certain cancers that we can support in our country and those are the most common cancers we see in children, as long as they come early and when we have consistent supply of drugs, then it is easy to treat the patient." The most common cancers for women is cervical cancer, whilst for both men and women its mouth cancer and in Children is leukemia. Apart from this, the foundation thanked all existing partners for their continuous support, not only for the night but for supporting the foundation’s different awareness activities. Its partners include Ela Motors PNG, FinCorp PNG, The WeighInn Hotel, BSP Life, Digicel PNG, the Government House, Royal Papua Yacht Club, Paradise Private Hospital, Moore Printing and many more.

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Tournament’s Manager, Chris Kemp has expressed great delight over the span of the inaugural Women's Championships in Port Moresby, stating the level of competition has been top notch since it began 10 days ago. “We are delighted with the way it finished," a satisfied Kemp said. He said that the atmosphere, along with the reception and the venues, added to the whole experience of a true international club competition. “We’ve been really encouraged by the overall level of competitiveness between the teams. It’s been a fantastic tournament, we are happy with the way it was delivered here. The Venue here has been ideal, it’s a beautiful pitch.” Kemp explained that although there was some unfavorable weather prior to the competition, everything went well considering the amount of rainfall the capital city received. “So, as OFC, we are really delighted to the way everything has been played, the quality of football, the safety and security here in POM. All of the Women had fun out and amongst the communities.” With 16 major events occurring next year, Kemp stated that there is a strong chance that the country will play host to one of these events.

Communities in the Pomio District of East New Britain (ENB) have been reminded again to protect their surrounding environment for the future generation to use and enjoy when marking World Environment Day on Monday 05th of June. For the first time in history the District celebrated the World Environment Day 2023 at Palmalmal. The celebration was facilitated by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), PNG Red Cross and the East New Britain Provincial Government. The Natural Resource Management and Development Division (NRMD) Coordinator, Florence Paisparea, with the team were in Palmalmal to celebrate the day with the District Administration staffs, the schools and the surrounding communities. The celebration began with a float in the Palmalmal area then proceeded to the administration block for speeches and presentation of items from the primary schools. Pomio Acting District Administrator, John Liskia, said this is the first of its kind for the district to celebrate the day in a big way and commended the partners for making the day a successful. He said that the day reminds the communities to look after the environment because Pomio has many beautiful beaches, beautiful untouched forests and flowing rivers that needs to be protected. “We need to be reminded about the importance of looking after our environment so that these environments will be here for our future generation.” Liskia stated that there must be reforestation and challenged the people to be proud of their environment and stop throwing rubbish into the sea. Paisparea also shared the same sentiments, saying that it is important that people need to look after the environment as in other places today, people are destroying their environment. Therefore, everyone need to start working together to find solutions to keep the environment safe and clean. The theme for the celebration is ‘Solution to plastic solution’ and this awareness encourages and raise action for the protection of the environment. In addition to this, Paisparea said that this is the 50th anniversary of the World Environment Day and has developed as a platform to raise awareness on the problems facing the environment such as air pollution, plastic pollution, illegal wild life trade, sustainable consumption, and sea level rise and food security.

Prime Minister (PM) James Marape has confirmed that there is no bill before Parliament to legitimize Lesbian Gay Bi-Sexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) rights, and that the Parliament is not likely to pass any legislation on this matter any time soon. The Prime Minister said the existing laws of the country are sufficient to protect the rights of all PNG citizens and residents including those in the LGBTQ community. “There is no bill with our government to promote gays and lesbians in the country. Neither will there be any promotion of gays and lesbians under my watch. People’s sexual preferences are within their individual rights of choice but our government will not be promoting this matter or be seen to be legitimizing gay or lesbian rights in PNG.” “The current laws of our country are sufficient in giving respect to and protecting human rights. These laws protect our people against violence, abuse and these are sufficient." Marape stated that as far both the Melanesian and Christian worldviews are concerned, these practices are not allowed. He further asked that those who are invited residents of Papua New Guinea must respect the country’s national mindset and character. “There is no bill before us in Parliament and we don’t intend to go down this path. I want to ask people not to speculate or make up stories to mislead people.” To public comments about the United States Embassy in PNG flying the LGBTQ flag on its grounds, PM Marape said that it is their Embassy space and preference. "Like all activities in embassy grounds and offices, we have no direct control of what happens in mission areas, but I will be reminding them to maintain respect consistent to our culture, custom and religion.”

Performing one more time on their tour with famous PNG singer Anslom, the Barike Band are now preparing themselves to perform tonight at the Cosmopolitan Club in Port Moresby. PNG’s most popular band from Rabaul are known for their music dated back from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Anslom got on board with the legendary music band to perform alongside them to promote and bring back the legends whose music played a big part in our lives through peace, unity and independence. This tour was made possible through Bassline Entertainment; a newly established local music organization that purely focuses on managing and promoting artists locally and internationally as well. The Band was formed originally by five members, the Late John Wong, the late Glen Low, Donald Lessey, Matalau Naikikus and Fabian Tadoi who basically grew up together and to date with only three original band members still present, they now have on board five more new members including the son of Donald Lessey and the late Glen Low. The five members are Kabu Rita, Juan Low, Roy Lessey and Douglas Lamo. Anslom expressed how happy he was to be performing alongside the band tonight and shared how he felt inspired to bring them back to perform. “The night will all be about the band and singing their songs.” “There are so many good songs and I know the fans are out there and this will be their chance to watch them perform their hit songs who have been here for many decades now.” Matalau Nakikus who is also the uncle to Anslom, shared how surprised he was when he received a call from Anslom asking if they could perform again on a tour and said yes. “We are happy to perform though we are getting old but now that we have new members in the group who are also sons of our other fellow brothers, we are happy and looking forward to the night.” “Now that we are going old, our children are now taking over as they were brought up around the environment of music and will now keep the name Barike Band alive to carry on that legacy.” The original members of the group formed back when they decided to sing and make songs together. They were also part of school bands, and it was then that they decided to get together and sing. Each of the remaining members of the group shared how the togetherness and the team spirit kept them together to create songs that people loved and enjoyed listening to. Anslom further thanked the sponsors, Cosmopolitan, Niugini Ice, PNG Air and Hannah’s Beauty Box for supporting the event night as well as supporting Barike Band. Anslom has also thanked Bassline Management for the support. For those who have yet to purchase tickets, you can do so on the night at the Gate for K60.