Archive for October, 2020
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) office in the Dominican Republic issued a statement congratulating the Central Electoral Board (JCE) for issuing Resolution 74-2020 that authorizes issuing identity cards to all minors, from the age of 12. The cards need to be requested by the minor accompanied by the parent.
“With this resolution, we advance one more step forward to secure a legal identity for all children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic,” says Rosa Elcarte, Unicef representative in the Dominican Republic.
Moreso, Unicef’s position is that the document should be issued to all immediately after birth registration, regardless of age, as is done in many countries around the world. Unicef understands that the scope of the resolution should be extended progressively to all children.
In the explanation, Unicef says that the identity card is the document that proves a person’s identity. Through it, the state certifies who its holder is, recognizes his or her name, and gives him or her a unique identification number that serves to open the doors to the exercise of multiple rights.
Unicef explains that the issuance of the identity card will also help solve many pregnant adolescents’ inability to register their children at birth because they did not have legal identity themselves when giving birth.
Elcarte said: “This action helps to reduce one of the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy, which affects their babies. Without this measure, the Dominican Republic will not achieve universal birth registration. This right is included in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and is a Goal of the Sustainable Development Objectives (ODS 16)”.
The Unicef representative said that it is urgent and essential that the country take all necessary measures to reduce adolescent pregnancy, as stated in the National Plan for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (2019).
Unicef’s position is that the exception for girls under 12 years of age who have been abused and who, as a result of that abuse, have children, have an identity card, in no way constitutes legalization of that situation. Unicef points out that on the contrary, what it does is avoid a greater violation of rights; that the child of that abused girl, also suffer from the denial of legal registration at birth.
Unicef explains that an identity card’s issuance does not change the legal status or protection children and adolescents have by law. The document does not make its holder an adult or enable him/her to exercise, by him/herself, any of the exclusive powers to adults.
Source: DR1, El Caribe
Oct 24, 2020
President Luis Abinader went live from the Presidential Palace on 7 October 2020 to announce his commitment to 5G broadband in the Dominican Republic. The new standard is seen as a step forward for the country’s digital development. It will impact the transmission speeds of mobile data, allowing an exponential leap in the technological advance of both the productive sectors and all citizens.
President Abinader says the country accepts the challenge to become the second Latin American country to install 5G technology. The first is Chile. The digital transformation will create much-needed jobs, says the President.
On 7 October 2020, the Presidency issued Decree 539-20, declaring the right to universal access to the latest generation broadband internet network. The decree establishes that the productive use of information and communication technologies is of national interest.
Speaking at the Presidential Palace, he announced a new national policy for managing the radio spectrum of frequencies in the country to guarantee economic development through plans that drive the digital economy’s growth and competitiveness. He spoke of the transformation of businesses and government, equal opportunities, promotion of innovation and free and fair competition.
Abinader said he had instructed the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications director to initiate the bidding process for the spectrum for the development of 5G networks in the country. The announcement comes when the Internet’s use is now crucial for government, business, and education.
“We want to develop a plan for the deployment of 5G technology and broadband that is unprecedented in our history, a leap in level to hyperconnectivity that will change the future of our country,” said Abinader.
President Abinader indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic had highlighted the great digital divide and represents the greatest challenge for this year’s school year.
“We are looking to expand coverage nationally and will try to get it to every place where there is a school in our country,” he said.
Nelson Arroyo and Julissa Cruz, president and executive director of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute, participated in the Presidential Palace presentation.
As a regulatory body, Indotel must do its part to ensure that 5G service reaches the Dominican people as cheaply as possible. “The government’s goal is to increase quality and decrease exclusion,” said Nelson Arroyo.
According to the ENHOGAR-2018 survey, only 31.6% of Dominican households had access to the Internet. Currently, 8% of the population does not have access to a quality network.
Source: DR1, Elcaribe
Oct 8, 2020
Puerto Plata is settling into its new normalcy. Several hotels have reopened and more expect to do so from now to January 2021. Domestic tourism is rediscovering the north coast as many Dominicans venture out to know their own country.
Listin Diario Puerto Plata correspondent Edgar Lantigua reports that by January, most north coast hotels expect to be back into operation under the new health protocols.
As reported, the first hotel to reopen was Senator Hotels. Its Playa Bachata hotel reopened on 6 July, Senator Puerto Plata followed both in Bahía Maimón.
Blue Jack Tar hotel and residences in Playa Dorada is also open. And Tubagua Ecolodge on the Puerto Plata-Santiago tourist highway for nature lovers.
In Sosua, the Sosua Ocean Village, New Garden, Hispaniola Residences, Casa Linda Residential, Infinity Blue, Casa 21 and Ahnvee Resort are receiving guests. These hotels feature fully-equipped kitchens and accommodate entire families.
In Playa Dorada, the Sunscape hotel is scheduled to reopen on 16 October, the Gran Paradise on 29 October, V Heavens on 1 November, the Casa Colonial boutique hotel on 15 December, and Gran Ventana on 2 January 2021.
In Cofresí the Lifestyle Holidays hotel and residential complex are scheduled to start operations on 1 November.
In Cabarete Velero Beach Resort, Millenium Resort, Sea Winds, Cabarete Ecolodge, and Natura Cabana are open. To the west, in Punta Rucia, the Punta Rucia Lodge is open, and to the east, in Rio San Juan, Ani Villas.
Source: DR1, ListinDiario
Oct 8, 2020
Cinemas in the Dominican Republic were shut down when the lockdown was ordered in mid-March for Covid-19.
This Thursday, 8 October 2020, the movie houses are allowed to reopen. They must only sell tickets for half their capacity. This should not be hard to comply with. Even in non-Covid-19 days movie houses operated most halls at below 50% capacity.
The movie houses are one of the last businesses to be able to get back to business. The new health protocol requires that moviegoers wear masks, keep social distancing, and purchase their tickets online.
Meanwhile, the Multicentro La Sirena at Winston Churchill and Gustavo Mejía Ricart avenues announced the opening of a drive-in cinema in their fifth-floor parking area. The cost of the film per car (max 4 persons) is RD$1,500.
Among the first films to show at indoor cinemas are:
The Hunt, I Still Believe, Invasion, Red Shoes, and the Seven Dwarfs, Bloodshot, Unidos.
In another development, “My 500 Crazy People,” (Mis 500 Locos), the Leticia Tonos film based on the book by Dominican psychiatrist Antonio Zaglul is scheduled to open for Dominican audiences at cinemas on Thursday, 15 October 2020. Waddys Jáquez and Lenin Comprés wrote the script. The drama takes place in 1953 during the cruel dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.
Foreign Films showing this week:
The Hunt
I Still Believe
Invasion
Source: DR1, Caribbean Cinema
Oct 8, 2020
