OCTOBER 2008

The Barrio Seguro Plan started again in Santiago

Additional patrols in various sectors of the city

SANTIAGO.- The secretariat of Interior and Police, the public ministry of Santiago, the Police force and other governmental and civil organizations, started again downtown the program Barrio Seguro.

The revival of the program was carried out in the sector of Hato del Yaque located in the southern part of Santiago, in the presence of various authorities, as well as representatives of Community and districts organizations.

During this activity, a medical operation was also carried out, residences, schools and streets were repaired and a sporting exchange between the clubs of the sector was organized.

The under-secretary of Interior and Police, Yadira Peña, declared that during the next days, they will reinforce the patrols in the sectors of Yapur Dumit, Cienfuegos, Gurabo, Bella Vista and Reparto Peralta.

The civil servant explained that they will give the priority to the social programs which will be developed in these sectors to improve quality of life of their inhabitants.

Diario Libre, by Cornelio Batista, 01.10.09

Santiago prepares its development plan

2010-2020 period

The Association for the Development of Santiago (Apedi) prepares the second development plan of this province for the 2010-2020 period.

More than 160 people are working for the project, which includes matters relating to the public ways, the environment, the safety of the citizens, the governorship and the development, those being integrated in five committees.

Each commission is composed by technicians of the Town council and of the central government, by contractors and municipal agents.

Moreover, the organization made the assessment of the first strategic plan (2000-2010), and determined that despite they obtained numerous works of the 158 which had been planned, none of the three priority works could be carried out because of economic limitations.

Priority work was: the Circunvalación Norte Avenue, the sanitary embankment and the Parque Central.

These works are related as well as with the competitiveness of the city as with the urban order and the aptitude to support sustainable environmental operations.

The Apedi holds a plan of these projects and hopes to develop them with the support of the new authorities.

El Día, by German Marte, 02.10.08

A zoological garden in Gurabo, Santiago

Hacienda María Caridad Zoological park

SANTIAGO.- Santiago has a space to help the population to become aware of the need for saving and for preserving the natural resources, as well as to enjoy a healthy entertainment: the Hacienda María Caridad Zoological garden, located in the locality of Gurabo, just at the kilometer seven along the tourist road of Luperón.

The deputy and contractor, Radhamés Fermín, assumed the project which allowed the installation of this zoological garden, under the administration of Leonardo Estrella, in the context of a program aiming at promoting the ecological education, love for the richness and natural beauties, healthy entertainment and the values which contribute to nature protection.

In a large park, approximately 200 species of animals and birds, living in a pleasant habitat, receive the daily visit of hundreds persons.

One can discover a combination of exotic and endemic species, because the central idea is to inform on the flora and the fauna which belong to the world; Radhamés Fermín affirmed.

He explained that the educational objective was a key factor in the program which supports the zoological garden, because it is necessary that the population is aware of the destruction of the natural resources, the climate change, the global warming, the disparition of the ozone layer, and of other threats against the natural wealth.

He stressed that the zoological garden is opened to the public in a free way for 10:00 a.m to 06:00 p.m. as it acts of a service for the community.

This zoological garden is a source for the education, entertainment and a gigantic wall for nature protection; Fermín ensured.

La Información Digital, by Ignacio Guerrero, 06.10.08

« The Bizz Awards » prize delivered in Santiago

MIRSA, the rewarded company

SANTIAGO.- The Price of the Companies « The Bizz Awards 2008 » ; was delivered to the Medio Ambiente & Industria (Environment and Industry), S.A, (MIRSA) company for its important task in the service in the environmental sector in Dominican Republic.

The reward was delivered by the Businesses World Confederation to the president of MIRSA, Engineer Arnulfo Rodriguez.

The MIRSA Company is located at kilometer 8 of La Ciénega road in the Community of Palmar, where it is working for several years in services for various companies and institutions.

This company has the mission to collaborate with the industry to face the environmental and normative big challenges, like promoting the rational use of the natural resources and their safeguarding.

It currently offers services on the management of solid and liquid dangerous and no dangerous waste and on the international waste transport.

Diario Libre, by Cornelio Batista, 07.10.08

Sectur gives their diplomas to 40 tourist guides

“Guides of Nature”

SANTIAGO. - Forty tourist guides of the Corredor Diego de Ocampo received on behalf of the Tourism Ministry (Sectur) their accreditations of « Guides of Nature » at the time of a ceremony which took place at the city Government building.

As well as Sectur as the Department of Natural Resource and Environment (Semarn) intervened in the handing-over of the diplomas which was also supported by the Dominican Organization of Sustainable Tourism (ODTS), the Dominican Red Cross and the collective of Campesinos por la Loma Diego de Ocampo.

The courses were based on subjects such as the interpretation of nature, the service to the tourists, the introduction to tourism and the first aid cares and they will be given in the municipalities and the eco-toursit corridors of the Cordilleras Septentrional, Central and in the Sierra of Samaná.

The Under-secretary of Sectur, Pérez Iris, gave the accreditations to the group of the « Guides of Nature », formed by residents of Santiago, Navarrete, Altamira, Imbert, Villa González, Guananico, among other localities, whose municipalities also cooperated to the training program.

At the time of the central speech of the graduation ceremony, the civil servant exhorted the guides to benefit from their permanent contact with the tourists to enrich their cultural knowledge and to continue to learn and to attend other training courses to enrich the career which they chose.

She recalled that the tourist guides were to be exemplary citizens and to provide correct and true information to the national and foreign visitors.

She informed that the next training course for the Guides of Nature will be given to the cocoa farmers as from October 8, in Hato Mayor.

Diario Digital, 08.10.08

A cooperation agreement is signed

To promote the Financial Administrative Career

SANTIAGO. - Ramón Ventura Camejo, of the Administrative Career; the manager of the European Funds for the Development, Domingo Jiménez; ambassadors of France, Roland Dubertrand and of Spain, Diego Bermejo and Alicia Escuin, of Euroepan Union Businesses, signed a convention for the co-operation in favor of the Financial Administrative Career, with a contribution of 14 million 930 thousand pesos.

The European Union gave the sum of 14.9 million to the SEAP (Secretariat of Public administration) to promote the Financial Administrative Career.

Ventura Camejo received this sum of the European Union through the Institutional Support Program of the Public Finances Management (PAIGFP) in order to start to develop work of the Administrative Career and to continue the efforts to improve the public administration.

During the event, Ventura Camejo underlined the commitment with President Leonel Fernández so that during these four years, the 50 percent of the qualified public employees is incorporated in the Administrative Career in order to belong to this important system.

The civil servant indicated that one continues working to revolutionize the public administration, to improve the Sate services and to increase the professionalism and qualification level of the official employees.

The president of the Latin-American Administration Center for Development (CLAD), explained that this entity is working with other international agencies to the improvement of the public administrations and other sectors of the area, with regard to the quality models applied.

The French ambassador informed that the European Union will continue to support the SEAP and other official organizations, especially in this time of international financial crisis.

Domingo Jiménez declared that the government of Leonel Fernández, with the support of the European Union, seeks to strengthen and raise the quality of the financial administrative staff of the institutions and the control committees to ensure an effective management of public finances in Dominican Republic.

El Nuevo Diario, 10.10.08

« Fly In » in Cibao Airport

25 private aircrafts

SANTIAGO. - Twenty-five private planes with two to three passengers coming from the United States and Puerto Rico landed to the Cibao Airpoirt during the celebration of the day called « Fly In ».

Among the visitors there was James Parker, president of Caribean Flying Adventures and considered as the largest tourism promoter of the world.

The pilots and the passengers will stay 4 days in Santiago and in the Cibao.

« Fly In » international is the second which is carried out in the country and the first that takes place in the Cibao Airport, located at Uveral, commune of Licey al Medio.

With this activity, the authorities would like that the Dominican Republic transforms itself into Mecca of this type of tourism.

Al Momento, 13.10.08

New technology and data processing center

90 computers in local network and connected to Internet

SANTIAGO. - Thanks to Cáritas of the Archdiocese of the city, to the National Foundation of Integral Development (FUNDI) and to the Funds of Inheritance for the Reformed Companies (FONPER), the Nuestra Señora de la Luz school of Cien Fuegos is now equipped with a Technology and Data Processing Sector.

The National Foundation of Integral Development (FUNDI) set up the technology and data processing sector of the mentioned school where it installed 90 computers working in network and connected to Internet, so that this establishment can offer modern tools for education, which are needed by the young students who reside in all this zone of the city.

The repair of the premises was carried out thanks to Caritas of the Archdiocese of Santiago, represented by His Excellency Monsignor Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio and to the National Foundation of Development, represented by its president at the national level, Felix Bautista.

Consequently, computerized English courses could be performed as well as computer courses.

A room dedicated to the school and university homeworks was also repaired. This refection includes furniture, air conditioning and other reorganizations.

Diario 55, 14.10.08

The Dominican Republic, principal destination of the private aviation

For the United States

CIBAO AIRPORT, Santiago. - The Dominican Republic is becoming the principal destination of the private tourist aviation from the United States to the Caribbean, declared the director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) José Tomás Pérez.

He supported that since 1992, no private aircraft arrived in the country but that the situation changed following the fact that the Secretariat of Tourism, the Airport Department and IDAC proposed to start again this initial activity during the course of this year.

In order that the foreign tourists, members of aeroclubs of the United States and Puerto Rico choose the country as their principal destination, President Leonel Fernández emitted Decree 169-08 on last March, by which the small national and international private aircrafts, from a weight of less than thirty thousand pounds and of a maximum capacity of 12 passengers, are exonerated from airport taxes.

I believe that we are definitively prepared to start the development of the private aviation in the country, thanks to the fact that we are the most important tourist center in all the area, annually receiving almost five million tourists coming from Canada, United States, Europe and other countries in Latin America, he indicated.

Pérez made these statements at the time of the farewell ceremony for the private pilots of 25 planes who attended the second « Fly In » in Santiago.

The pilots arrived to the country on Friday October 10, and flew back to their respective countries yesterday Tuesday.

Al Momento, 15.10.08

A Medical College will be built in Santiago

Regional University Center

SANTIAGO. - A modern construction will be initiated next year on the land of Barranquita, to place the Medical College of the Regional University Center of Santiago - CURSA, so that the students of this vital profession can fully achieve the experiences required by the research of the career.

The information was given in Santiago by Engineer Felix Bautista, director of the Surveillance Office of State Works - OISOE -, in the sector of Cienfuegos, where they recently inaugurated a Technological Center, given by the National Foundation of Integral Development - FUNDI -, that he is chairing since years and which has its headquarters in the province of San Juan de la Maguana.

The Government of Leonel Fernández will bring the financial resources through the Budget of Law on the Public Expenses for year 2009, in order to build the premises required by a faculty as fundamental as that of medicine.

It will also have a modern laboratory with the height criteria universally established.

El Nuevo Diario, by Hilarion Isalguez, 16.10.08

A million dollars seized in Santiago

False money

SANTIAGO.- In a joint operation, the teams from Monetary Crimes and Police Intelligence seized a million dollars in counterfeit currency in a house in the Residencial Florencia apartments on the Matanza Highway.

During the operation carried out in Apartment 3-A of Building 70, police agents arrested Norberto Hipolito Gonzalez Polanco and they said that Erick Nicolas and one other person are running from the law.

The police recovered a gallon of ink, paper and machinery used to print the fake currency.

Colonel Cordero Paredes, the public relations officials of the National Police in Santiago, reported that the money was sent to the Prosecutor’s office, and he expressed his opinion that the paper currency had been made with the idea of spreading it out in December when there is much more commercial activity.

Diario Libre, 17.10.08

The old airport of Santiago transformed into ecological park

They will plant thousands of new trees

SANTIAGO. - Official organizations and independent organisms began work for the creation of the Big Ecological Park of Santiago, on the lands of the old Cibao Airport, so that this one is transformed into a gigantic lung planted of 100 thousand trees.

The project is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, of the Association for the Development of Santiago (APEDI), the Ecological Society of Cibao (SOECI) and a group nourished with public and private institutions.

It will be a park which will meet all the conditions so that the families come to enjoy the nature and it will be realized thanks to a joint effort of all the institutions of Santiago under the impulse of the Minister of Environment and the Natural resources, Doctor Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, explained the president of the Association for the Development of Santiago (APEDI), Eduardo Trueba.

The employers’ leader said that the Big Ecological Park of Santiago had the support of the Town hall, the Senatorial Office, APEDI, SOECI, the Provincial government and all the sectors of the province worried by the lack of green areas in the province.

We give also a great impulse to the Quisqueya Verde Plan, said the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, who moreover announced that soldiers will take care in a permanent way of the Ecological Park of Santiago, where every Sunday there will be a massive plantation of new trees.

Al Momento, 20.10.08

The public transport drivers of Santiago will lower their prices

Bus prices down

SANTIAGO. - The National Central of Transport Workers (CNTT) announced a significant decrease of the price of bus trips of the organizations which belong to the institution and which work with the subsidized gas oil because the price of fuel dropped, but the users of public cars will have to wait, because these last use gas.

The trade unionist Juan Marte indicated that the users of public transport deserve it because during the last years, they were obliged to pay expensive trips.

He recalled that this fall is valid for the trade unions belonging to the CNTT in the Cibao.

He explained that the fall of the cost of other transport will depend on the responsibility of other organizations which receive subsidized gas oil at 110 pesos but which prefer to use it for their private vehicles because it is very profitable to receive a subsidy of the government while keeping an expensive trip price …

The trade unions which already officially lowered their prices are those of the drivers of Licey, two pesos, the trade union of Sabana Iglesia, Placeta, San Jose de Las Matas, Pinalito, El Rubio and Baitoa 10 pesos, whereas the trade union of Guagueros del Cibao dropped by 20%.

He also said that he will meet on Thursday with an assembly of 28 organizations of drivers in order to find an agreement to continue to lower the prices, including those of the collective taxis.

Hoy Digital, by Yamira Taveras, 21.10.08

The Town council and the AMET decide to work together

Urgent need to implement an educational policy

SANTIAGO. – The Metropolitan Authority of Transport - AMET - and the mayor decided to work in an interdependent way for the citizenship of Santiago.

The regional supervisor of the Northern AMET Area, colonel Orlando Pichardo Reynoso, and the mayor José Enrique Sued expressed the interest they had to obtain an effective development in the town of Santiago.

Pichardo and Sued agreed on the need for seeking a solution to the congestions of the city, because of the disproportionate growth of the last years and the urgent need to implement an educational policy as well as for the drivers as for the pedestrians.

The decision of a united work between the town hall and the AMET was taken at the time of a visit of courtesy of the leader of AMET to the municipal government of Santiago.

After the discussion it was decided that it was not possible that the town council, which is the entity charged to implement the laws and the local regulations, and the AMET which is responsible for taxing the non respect of the emitted rules, work in distant manner and without communication.

The mayor Sued Sem placed at the disposal of the AMET all the necessary tools for the execution of an effective task and designated Engineer Rosa Felix for working with the AMET technicians to the tasks which will lead to the improvement of transport in the town of Santiago.

El Nuevo Diario, 22.10.08

Santiago Rodríguez proposed as starting point of the Cibao- Sur road

Priority work

The senator Antonio Cruz considered that the important Cibao-Sur road, recently approved as having priority by the National congress, should have for starting point the province of Santiago Rodríguez, on the North-Western Line.

Cruz, who is senator of the Santiago Rodríguez province, emphasized several points beneficial for ecology, environment and for the economic resources if one takes into account this proposal.

He added that this part of the Cibao zone would be boosted in totality in its economy if the Cibao-Sur road is built between Santiago Rodriguez and San Juan de la Maguana.

This transportation route would be ideal in order that the villages reach great levels of development, with the producers who could transport their harvests at low price and more quickly, he supported.

He moreover specified that the important national parks like « J. Armando Bermúdez », would not be affected if the layout is made by taking Santiago Rodríguez as starting point in the Cibao province.

The senate of the Republic approved in priority the construction of the Cibao-Sur road, work which is claimed since many years by the « cibaeños » and the inhabitants of the South, who allot it an immense value.

Diario 55, by Griselda Bueno, 23.10.08

Application of the plan « Coexistence without violence »

From December

Santiago. - The director of the regional commando of the Police force of the Cibao Central informed that in order to reduce the levels of violence and criminality in this city, the program « Coexistence without violence » conceived by the secretariat of Interior and Police would be applied from next December.

Brigadier Eduardo Alberto Then indicated that he will give precise instructions to all the men and women working under his command in order that they are integrated into this program.

He said that the program set up by Interior and Police is a wise and careful decision, accompanied by the prohibition of the firearms possession in the public places.

General Then asked all the population to respect the administrative provisions of Interior and Police in order to avoid conflict situations or arguments without base, because the spirit of the measure wants to be beneficial for the society.

He expressed that just like the civilians, the policemen and the soldiers have to respect the decisions of Interior and Police. As for the police officers or the soldiers, the provision establishes that they will be allowed to carry their lawful firearms only when they are in service.

El Libelo, 24.10.08

More resources are required for the Province of Santiago

National Budget 2009

SANTIAGO. – The Association of the Storekeepers and Industrials of Santiago (ACIS) asked the authorities to include in the National budget 2009 a more participative and equitable budgetary program for this city, according to the 16% brought by the province to the GDP of the nation.

Luis Núñez, president of the ACIS, said that in regards with the possible repercussions which can have the international financial crisis on the local plan, it was imperative to concentrate all the efforts to revive the economy and to instigate the productive sectors of the country.

He explained that the Budget and the Law on the Public expenses, in its quality of instrument of development, got an invaluable occasion to achieve these goals.

Concerning the declaration of the Minister of Finance, Vicente Bengoa, with regard to the fact that the draft budget will be subjected to the Congress in times as planned by the Constitution, the president of the ACIS pled for a greater resource allocation for Santiago while taking into account than this is a productive city, progressive and rich, which constitutes the regional center towards which all the productive sectors of the area converge.

Al Momento, 27.10.08

Convicted for drug will not be pardoned in Christmas

Indulgence committee

SANTIAGO.- The men and the women who achieve sentences in various prisons of the country for cases of drug traffic will not be part of the program of the Public Prosecutor of the Republic which pardons during the festive season those who demonstrated a good behavior.

This information was made public by the prosecutor of the Court of Appeal of Santiago, Vielka Calderón, who said that the committee formed at ends of indulgence is working on a list of prisoners of Rafey.

The magistrate specified that the prisoners who made serious offenses will not be either taken into account for indulgences which are practiced every end of year.

The Indulgence Commission is composed by the journalists Nuria Piera and Huchi Lora and by members of the churches.

Diario 55, by Griselda Bueno, 28.10.08

Recognition for company managers

The municipal council recognizes Félix M. García C. and Manuel Estrella

Santiago. - The Town council of Santiago recognized as Distinguished Son the company managers Félix M. García C. and Manuel Estrella, at the time of a ceremony during which one paid homage to them for their contributions, their good employers’ vision and the fact of having projected this city as industrial capital.

Among the points taken into account for this recognition, the accumulated merits, devotion and the effort in favor and for the benefit of the society of Santiago were quoted.

On the document they received it is written that they are people who believed in their province to realize their dreams and who tried to make that other people can reach their aspirations.

In his welcome speech, the mayor of Santiago, Jose Enrique Sued, said that the company managers García and Estrella with their vision, not only made investments for the development of the employers’ associations which support employment, but that they also brought technology in their respective sectors to allow this city to become a base of development and of national and international competitiveness.

El Caribe, 29.10.08

Jaime David proposes a preliminary draft of law

For the benefit of the catchment basins

The Minister of Environment and Natural resources, Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, proposed to implement that by Law, a minimum of 20% of the resources produced by the use of water in the production of electrical energy, the aqueducts and the irrigations, is transferred for the benefit of the Communities located in the catchment areas.

Fernández Mirabal formulated this proposal at the time of the inauguration of 16 infrastructures for tourist use, fit out in the Armando Bermúdez National Park, and recalled that the Map of Poverty of Dominican Republic establishes that the poorest people live in the catchment areas, zones where one produces most of the environmental benefits which help the development of the country.

The Communities would manage these funds trough a Council composed by churches, development associations and neighbors assemblies. The latter will be intended for the forestation and to improve the living conditions of people who reside in the basins; he said.

The Minister of Environment and Natural resources quoted the example of the mining funds, created for the benefit of the provinces from which these resources are extracted, like La Vega, Monseñor Nouel and Sánchez Ramirez.

The 16 inaugurated infrastructures in Mata Grande, in the Armando Bermúdez National Park, were built within the framework of the « Componente II » project of Procaryn, with the help of the German Cooperation Agency (GTZ), which the secretary of the Environment and Natural resources described as an example of solidarity between people .

The objective of these installations is to equip the Armando Bermúdez National Park with all the necessary surveillance infrastructures, within the protected sectors of the Central Cordillera.

La Información, 30.10.08

The Global Foundation announces its 2nd Cinema festival

From November 19 to 23

The Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) Foundation announced the realization of the second Global Dominicano 2008 cinema festival , which will take place at the CURSA - UASD.

This second festival will tackle general subjects and personal histories which will be then analyzed in movies forum after each representation.

The festival will take place from November 19 to 23 in the auditorium of the Regional University Center of Santiago (CURSA).

The tickets will cost 25 pesos for the students and 50 pesos for the public in general and a free transport will be ensured from the Gran Teatro del Cibao to the CURSA in La Barranquita.

For this second edition, 26 films were selected of which 16 are of the fiction type and 10 belong to the documentary category.

They were selected by taking account three fundamental aspects, the cultural one, the educational one and the aspect liked by the young people and the students in order to make them to appreciate the cinema.

All these films were rewarded in several world cinema festivals especially in the United States.

La Información, by Amable Grullón, 31.10.08