Archive for October, 2018
The Airports Agency (Departamento Aeroportuario) has begun an investigation into an increase of 17% in the charge in dollars for passenger services imposed by Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), according to Marino Collante, director of the agency. The increase was applied to cargo coming through the airport that now costs US$38.20 per passenger, which is US$5.60 more than the previous US$32.60.
Several airline executives said that they were concerned as the increase would have to be passed onto the passengers and the Dominican Republic already was one of the most expensive countries in terms of airport charges on the continent.
Source: DR1, Eldia
Oct 30, 2018
The Cibao region was affected on Monday, 29 October 2018, by a regional strike, that the Police say was marked by vandalism at its start to intimidate businesses and people. The methods used resulted in the call to strike being a failure, as observed by Diario Libre in an editorial on 30 October.
The Police announced there was one person dead and more than 40 arrests. The 24-hour strike was called by several organizations headed by the Collective of Popular Organizations, Social, Union, Transport, Community and Professional Organizations (Falpo) supposedly to protest against the high cost of fuel and basic products, electricity cuts, lack of water, poor state of the roads and other issues.
Members of the military and police were placed in strategic points in the 14 provinces making up the Cibao including throughout Santiago to ensure safety. Nevertheless, one person was killed in the early hours of the morning, a Haitian citizen, who was shot by the police while he was burning tires in Los Tocones. The media reported that in Santiago there were few vehicles on the road and many businesses were closed due to the 24-hour strike.
Some shops and banks remained open but there were few clients as most workers and students could not get to work or school due to the scarce public transport. Omsa bus service was running throughout the strike with 50 units in service. The minibus terminal for transport connecting Santiago to the Northwest, La Vega, San Francisco de Macoris and beyond in the Cibao were all closed.
The media reported there were demonstrations and garbage thrown into the streets in Alto de Yaguita de Pastor, Alto de Elías, Loma de la Tayota in the southwest of Santiago and also in Ciruelitos, in the north of the city. In Monseñor Nouel province transport was blocked from entering the municipality of Maimon with burning tires on the roads.
In Puerto Plata, due to the 24-hour strike, there was no public transport at all and the roads were empty. Dozens of workers were stranded waiting for their transport to work but there were only private vehicles on the road, in addition to a large quantity of military with rifles and police officers with shotguns in strategic locations. The schools were however open although many parents opted not to send their children to school. Tires were burning on the Montellano-Sosua road in Los Charamicos but they were taken away by police agents.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
Oct 30, 2018
Using parameters of the World Health Organization, the Dominican Republic has more physicians that it needs. The WHO established in 2013 that there should be 25 physicians per 10,000, or 25,000 for the population of 10 million in the country. In his talk “Post Graduate Education at Cedimat” as part of the 16th Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez Scientific Conference at the Center for Diagnostics, Advanced Medicine and Telemedicine (Cedimat), Marte said that already in 2013 there were around 15,400 working physicians in the Dominican Republic. But around 40,000 students are studying medicine, and the country’s 10 medicine schools are turning out 4,000 doctors a year.
Marte called for controls on the quality and quantity of physicians the medical schools are graduating because the country could be on the verge of a situation of having more physicians than it needs. He says the physicians will graduate only to find themselves not being able to find jobs.
Marte called for the government, which is the principal entity responsible for the health, education, quality of life of the Dominican people, and the leading funder of the system, to play a more proactive role in the process. He also called for a more active role by the university, medical societies and the Dominican Medical Guild (CMD).
Cedimat is the most coveted place for work by graduate students. It offers medical residences, post-graduate degrees, and has agreements with universities and medical education programs in the United States and Europe. Marte said that more than 100 specialists have graduated in its 12 post-graduate studies programs, and their graduates are working all around the country and at Cedimat.
The conference this year was dedicated to the memory of late cardiologist Douglas Bournigal. Special guests this year were Anthony Kalloo, Francisco Alvarez Aquino and Bryan Mandell. The speakers included doctors César Herrera, Pedro Roa, Fernando Vidal, Andrés Ureña, Anyeri De Peña, Jorge Marte, Sócrates Bautista, Fernando Contreras, Ángel Gómez, Liliana Jiménez, José Miguel Stefan, José Rafael Yunén and Yovanna Rosich.
Source: DR1
Oct 30, 2018
The director of the Cardiovascular Center at the Center for Diagnostic Advanced Medicine and Tele-medicine (Cedimat), Dr. Cesar Herrera says that the government needs to seriously look into developing a policy of preventive medicine for heart patients that includes education, improved access to healthcare and the creation of reliable data system to keep tract of the cases.
He commented that this is one of the countries in Latin America where the population consumes a daily diet with the largest amounts of salt and fats. He feels that the people should be educated to improve their eating habits. This action would help people control hypertension and reduce incidence of diabetes.
Dr. Herrera spoke of the impact of strokes on patients, leaving persons with permanent disabilities, psychological and social problems during the 16th Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez Scientific Conference at the Center for Diagnostics, Advanced Medicine and Telemedicine (Cedimat) held last week at the medical center.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Oct 30, 2018
PUERTO PLATA.- The main streets of the El Batey sector of the municipality of Sosúa in the early hours of Sunday, Oct 21st were invaded by a team of volunteers armed with brushes, pencils and a table of colors, all willing to change the visual of the power line poles.
Around noon, the streets Pedro Clisante, Alejo Martínez, Doctor Rosen, the street leads to the town hall, among other ways, began to show off a varied range of colors and artistic expressions never seen in this city.
The day of beautification of the city, was headed by the mayor Ilana Neumann and the participation of House of Art of Sosúa, Luis Hess School, students of FEDUJAZZ and students of the architecture career of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) .
Likewise, the plastic artists and professors Leo Díaz and Gregory Suero, as well as a representation of GY Fitness Sosúa headed by Yonattan De La Cruz, while the organization of the event was in charge of the Office of Urban Planning of the City of Sosúa.
The coordination and logistics of the artistic works was under the direction of the architects Nolberto Mota, Anaeliza Montás, Verónica Castro, Bennalice Katz and the artist Adolfo Faringthon.
It is noted that the sponsors of the aforementioned initiative are: Sosúa Town Hall, Cable DeLancer, ADSS, Marina House, Tropical Cafe, Yanet’s Kitchen, Bologna Restaurant, Margot Restaurant, Lilo Bank, Luis Serret Architect and Spazio / Architects Workshop.
Source: DR1, Puerto Plata Digital
Oct 27, 2018
Customs authorities seized US$244,404 that had been hidden in an ambulance-type vehicle that arrived from Puerto Rico. The National Drug Control Agency said the vehicle arrived on board Ferries del Caribe from San Juan, Puerto Rico. As reported, the finding was the result of an intelligence operation. A husband and wife couple, ages 51 and 46 years, was arrested. They were said to be the owners of the vehicle in which the money was being smuggled. Bringing in large amounts of cash is not prohibited, but needs to be declared.
Source: DR1, dncd
Oct 27, 2018
On occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Dominican Free Zone Association (Adozona), Federico Domínguez Aristy, president of Adozona, and Manuel Enrique Tavares, first president of the organization, pinpointed several of the high points of the industry.
* Exports from January to September 2018: US$6.2 billion
* More than 170,000 direct jobs
* 665 manufacturers operating in 71 industrial parks in 25 of the 32 provinces
* Diversifying from an industry that began with 80% of apparel production to one now where tobacco manufactures, medical devices, footwear, call centers and others have important participation.
The diversified industry means the DR is now:
* Global leader in cigar exports
* Global leader in medical devices to the US market
* Second largest global exporter in cotton apparel
* Second exporter of electric switches to the United States
* Second exporter of dental floss to the United States
* Fourth exporter of medical devices and surgery devices to the United States
* Sixth exporter of leather products to the United States
* Eighth exporter of footwear to the United States
In 2017, the total of exports of Dominican goods reached US$10.12 billion, of which free zone industries contributed US$5.69 billion, or 56% of all goods exports.
Source: DR1, Presidencia
Oct 27, 2018
The president of the Dominican Society of Cardiology, Dr. Claudia Almonte says that in the past 20 years home-cooked meals have been replaced by ultra processed food and Dominicans are now consuming too much saturated fats, sugars and cholesterol-generating foods. She said over the past two decades there has been a pronounced increase in heart diseases, according to the society’s research. She said in general Dominicans have poor eating habits. In her opinion, clearer labeling of foods sold here will help make Dominicans more aware of what they are eating. She called for Dominican authorities to follow steps taken in Chile.
Source: DR1
Oct 27, 2018
Grupo Nubes de Gloria has opened the first private cemetery in the outskirts of Puerto Plata, following a market trend that has been successful in the capital city of Santo Domingo. The company says it has invested RD$300 million to open the first phase of the private cemeteries that will operate in Muñoz, near Montellano, Puerto Plata.
Hernán González, spokesman for the company, said the company would begin offering services in November 2018, marking a before and an after for funeral services in Puerto Plata and Monseñor Nouel provinces. He said the cemeteries will be ecological garden parks. He said investment plans will be offered to families for advance purchase. The Puerto Plata cemetery will be known as Parque Jardín Nubes de Gloria.
The company also envisions opening a private cemetery in Bonao, Monseñor Nouel province.
Source: DR1, Hoy
Oct 27, 2018
Dominicana … Christopher Columbus, who had once sailed here, called the island the most beautiful land on which man’s foot had ever walked, and in particular, the island of Saona was Dominican.
An enterprising Spaniard can be understood – the picturesque subtropical nature of this region is just as kindly welcomed by travelers as is the kindly-minded local population. Today, the Dominican Republic is one of the most visited tourist countries and the most developed resort center of the Caribbean. The magnificence of natural landscapes is generously complemented by creations of human hands. In the Dominican Republic the largest number of historical and architectural monuments of the colonial era. They are rich in the capital of the republic – Santa Domingo, a city that grew up in 1496 on the site of the first Spanish settlement. Many buildings here are among the oldest European buildings in the New World. The historic center of the city, erected in the 16th century, entered the UNESCO Foundation and received the status of “The wealth of mankind”
Among the main attractions of the Dominican capital we mention the royal palace of Alcazar de Colon (or as it is also called the Columbus Palace), which reveals to the tourists a collection of furniture, objects of art, weapons and even musical instruments of the late Gothic and Renaissance. Around the former residence of the Spanish rulers is a beautiful garden with exotic plants. By the way, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is very popular to marry in the Dominican Republic. At the same time, there are not so many wedding agencies in the Dominican Republic as it seems, therefore we recommend the Happy People wedding agency.
About the military past of the Dominican Republic will tell Fort Concepcion, erected in the XVII century. Columbus himself once hid in it, fleeing persecution from the governor of Haiti, Francisco Bobadigli. Well, perhaps the most unusual monument of Santa Domingo is the sundial built in 1753 and still “reaching” with constant accuracy. What else strikes the capital because it is an abundance of temples, which is not surprising, because it became the first stronghold of Christianity among Indian tribes far from the “civilization”. The symbol of the city is the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, completed in 1540. The oldest (how many times, speaking of the Dominican Republic, you have to repeat this word) America’s cult building is still in force, which undoubtedly allowed it to survive well.
There are many museums in Santa Domingo, mainly showing treasures from Spanish galleons, there are also several interesting art galleries, the Museum of Nature and so on. The luxurious flora of the region is widely represented in the National Botanical Gardens and numerous parks of the Dominican capital. Not to mention the unique natural formation – the cave of the Los Tres Ojos (in the translation of “Three eyes”). It is famous for its three lakes located at a depth of 15 m and differing in the chemical composition of water and, accordingly, in color.
Other attractions of the Dominican Republic include many kilometers of pearl-white beaches, on which famous resort cities like Boca Chica, San Pedro de Macoris, Juan Dolio, La Romana, San Cristobal are strung like beads. , Punta Palenque and above the fashionable Casa de Campo. In the east of Santo Domingo, the islands of Catalina and Saona are located – a real paradise for diving enthusiasts. However, the so-called “Coconut Beach” is considered to be the best resort area in the country, stretching for 40 km to the side of the town of Iguey. Here are the exquisite “pearls” of world tourism – Bavaro and Pointe-Cana.
Source: http://republicapro.com/
Oct 26, 2018
