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Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 10) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony scheduled to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (June 10) was cancelled.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (June 10). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Sowers Action; in Kowloon, Hong Kong Single Parents Association; and in the New Territories, Society for Abandoned Animals Limited, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people to distinguish among the three flag-selling activities.    

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on June 10 is as follows:
 

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     The Advisory Committee on Mental Health (ACMH), chaired by Mr Wong Yan-lung, SC, held an urgent meeting this evening (June 9) to explore ways to address mental health issues in a more integral, safe and comprehensive approach and to make recommendations to the Government in the light of the tragic incident on June 2. The Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, also attended the meeting and announced ten enhanced support measures proposed by the Government after the meeting.
      
     Mr Wong Yan-lung, SC, stressed that only an extreme minority of patients with mental illnesses are violence-prone and may injure others due to relapse. Symptoms of mental disorders can be effectively managed through treatment and intervention. Many persons in mental recovery can therefore live a healthy and fulfilling life. Attributing such tragic incidents over simply to mental disorders will only keep the society further away from truth. It will not help resolve the problem but aggravate the stigmatisation against persons with mental health needs, deterring those in need from seeking assistance.
      
     At the meeting, the Hospital Authority (HA) briefed members on the cross-sectoral mechanism currently in place to offer treatment and social support to persons with mental health needs. Under the mechanism which has been operating smoothly, visits and timely consultations are arranged by case managers and medical social workers to keep a close watch on the rehabilitation of patients, as well as to arrange prompt admission to hospital for treatment once a relapse is noted. At this stage, there is no sign of inadequacy in follow-up or oversight on symptoms due to resource or manpower constraints.
      
     Nevertheless, the ACMH considered that the overall mental health services should be reviewed. The ACMH pointed out that the enhancement of overall mental health in the community involves not only healthcare but also support from other areas such as social welfare and education, and is highly related to the overall atmosphere of the society. As such, the society should overcome the stigma and discrimination against persons with mental disorders, continue to care for and support those with mental health needs, and to encourage them to seek help. The ACMH appealed to members of the public not to be unnecessarily fearful of persons with mental health needs, and should avoid the widespread circulation of incorrect information in relation to mental health. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the community to eliminate various misunderstanding and stereotypes of mental disorders.
      
     Dr Libby Lee thanked members for actively expressing their views. She reiterated that the Government attaches great importance to the mental health of members of the public. Having considered the invaluable views from the ACMH, the Government proposed ten enhanced measures in a bid to offer more comprehensive support to persons in mental recovery who had a history of severe mental disorders and other persons with mental health needs.
 
Enhanced measures to support persons in mental recovery who had a history of severe mental disorders
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(1) The HA will enhance manpower with an aim to optimising the ratio of case manager under the Case Management Programme to patients with severe mental illness to no higher than 1:40 by the fourth quarter of this year
(2) The HA will explore the wider use of newer oral drugs or injections with fewer side effect for psychiatric patients in need to facilitate better medication compliance of patients
(3) The HA will set clearer targets for the median waiting time for new cases at psychiatric specialist outpatient clinics, with median waiting time for those triaged as Priority 1 (urgent) be kept within one week and that for Priority 2 (semi-urgent) be kept within four weeks
(4) Enhance the communication in case management between the HA and the Social Welfare Department (SWD), including exploring more frequent exchanges on cases jointly handled by the HA and the SWD, so as to provide a more holistic and continuous support with a more comprehensive assessment on medical, emotional and family conditions, etc. of the person concerned
(5) The HA will complete the review of the "Conditional Discharge" mechanism under the Mental Health Ordinance soon and will report the findings of the review to the ACMH next month. The Government will also invite the ACMH to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of the "Community Treatment Order", and make recommendations to the Government.
 
Enhanced measures to support other persons with mental health needs
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(1) Individual District Health Centres will explore the introduction of a pilot scheme to provide mental health assessment for members of the public in need, and collaborate with community organisations for providing follow-up, as well as early referral for high-risk cases
(2) The SWD will enhance the services of Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness to strengthen support for persons with mental health needs, including strengthening early identification of persons with mental health needs and early intervention.
(3) The SWD will explore enhancing the training of social workers in community mental health services units to improve their ability in handling complex cases
(4) The Health Bureau (HHB) will expedite the implementation of setting up a mental health support hotline within this year, so as to consolidate different mental health services and to provide immediate support and referral services for members of the public with mental health needs
(5) Strengthen the support for the mental health needs of specific groups (including low-income and ethnic minority families), so as to provide timely support as well as early identification and assistance for cases in need. The HHB is actively liaising with non-government organisations to set up a service centre to provide emotional support and counselling for ethnic minorities, which is expected to commence operation within this year. Moreover, the Government will explore the possibility of leveraging the district network and service experience of "Care Teams" to participate in assisting and supporting the relevant measures
 
     Dr Libby Lee pointed out that the Government will work with the ACMH closely in taking forward the aforementioned measures. She added that enhancement of mental health requires the joint effort and involvement of everyone on all fronts, and is an arduous task across bureaux and across different sectors. The Government will continue to provide multi-disciplinary services to persons with mental health needs and fully integrated and coherent mental health services to members of the public through collaboration and co-operation among the HHB, the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Department of Health, the SWD, the HA, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders in the community.

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Reception in Celebration of 125th Anniversary of Proclamation of Philippine Independence today (June 9):
 
Honourable Speaker Romualdez (Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Mr Ferdinand Martin Romualdez), Consul-General Mr Raly Tejada (Consul-General of the Philippines in Hong Kong), Deputy Commissioner Pan Yundong (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), members of the consular corps, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     It is my great pleasure to join you this evening in celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. On behalf of the Hong Kong SAR, I would like to start by extending my warmest congratulations to the people of the Philippines on this special occasion.
 
     As we celebrate the National Day of the Philippines, we also recognise the friendship between China and the Philippines.
 
     The relationship between our two countries was reaffirmed when His Excellency President Marcos Jr. of the Republic of the Philippines undertook a state visit to China in January this year. President Xi Jinping and President Marcos Jr. held a friendly and productive bilateral meeting in Beijing. The two sides issued a joint statement to further increase bilateral trade and co-operate in the key priority areas of agriculture, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people exchanges.
 
     Hong Kong and the Philippines share a long history of close ties in many areas, particularly in trade and investment. In 2022, the trade in goods between the two places amounted to 16.4 billion US Dollars, making the Philippines our eleventh-largest trading partner in the world. The average growth rate was 4.6 per cent in the last five years.
 
     Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong is bestowed with the unique advantage of having the strong support of national strategies, while maintaining unparalleled connectivity with the world. Our status as a conduit for trade between the Philippines and Mainland China remains as solid as ever.
 
     Last year, some 11 per cent of trade between the Philippines and Mainland China was routed through Hong Kong.
 
     The full entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between the ASEAN and Hong Kong, China, as well as the related Investment Agreement in 2021, represents a new chapter of our relations with the ASEAN economies, including the Philippines. I am confident that Hong Kong remains best-placed to serve the economic interests of the Philippines and ASEAN.
 
     ASEAN countries are part of the world’s largest free trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP. On this note, I congratulate the Philippines on the entry into force of the trade pact in your country last week. This will certainly provide a timely boost in driving the economic recovery of the region in the post-pandemic era. 
 
     On this note, Hong Kong’s bid to join the RCEP would certainly add further impetus to the region. We have submitted our formal accession request last year, and we are much encouraged by the positive responses of quite a number of RCEP Members.
 
     In particular, I am thankful to the Philippines for the support given to Hong Kong in the course of seeking accession to the RCEP as soon as possible.
 
     We stand ready to engage in exploratory discussions with RCEP members, including the Philippines, with a view to deepening mutual understanding.
    
     As the two places continue to strengthen our collaboration, I wish to express my gratitude to the Filipino community in Hong Kong, particularly the hundreds of thousands of Filipino domestic helpers here, for their great contribution to our society. Thank you sincerely.
 
     We are thankful for their significant economic and social contributions over the years to the many families around Hong Kong, particularly in enabling many local women in families with children or the elderly to join our labour force. You have helped to build our city into the thriving metropolis that it is today, and we are proud to have you in our vibrant community.
    
     Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to once again congratulate the people of the Philippines on the historic occasion of your 125th anniversary. Let us continue to work together to strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two places and build a brighter future for our peoples.
 
     Now, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast: To the People of the Republic of the Philippines. Cheers!