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Daily News - 1 March 2000
Cyberpark construction begun
The government has already begun construction of the Santo Domingo Cyberpark and the Americas Institute of Technology at Km. 27 of the Las Americas Highway. RD$208 million are being invested into what will be the DR's first high tech park. The governments of Taiwan and Japan have committed funds to the project. The first phase of the Cyberpark is expected to be ready by the end of the Fernández term, in August 2000. SoftBank, the major Asian high tech and Internet investor, has shown a serious interest in being one of the first companies to open in the park.
Openings for English teachers
The Ministry of Education announced that it is seeking teachers in the US for its public school English education programs. Minister of Education Ligia Amada Melo said that locally there are not enough professors for the English programs at the public schools. She said that the Ministry will give priority to English language programs in public schools located in the eastern side of the city of Santo Domingo. She says that students there will be given priority for admission in the Las Americas Institute of Technology that is being built on Las Americas Highway. Minister Melo explained that the number of hours of English language training students enrolled in polytechnics are receiving has been upped to eight hours a week, from three. The Ministry expects students from the polytechnics to also apply at the Las Americas Institute of Technology. Minister Melo explained that the government has been working with the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano (ICDA), a major English as a second language school, to prepare 300 professors, which have benefited from scholarships to study English there. She said that they will be hiring from abroad as there are not enough English language teachers, nor French teachers to cover all openings in the public schools. So far, she said, teachers have come from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, UNAPEC and UTESA language schools. She said the government requires the professors to have taken educational credits, so they are better prepared on how to teach a language.
Furthermore, Minister Melo said that the government would be transferring the management of the polytechnic schools to the Salesiano religious congregation. She had praise for the graduates of the schools at present operated by the congregation.
130 more informatics labs
Minister of Education Ligia Amada Melo said that engineers recently received RD$6 million to prepare the physical facilities for the installation of 130 computer labs in 130 more high schools across the country. This is the second stage of the computer lab program that has sought to install computer labs in the principal high schools of the country. She said that the Ministry already has the computers, the tables and the air-conditioners. Thirty-eight labs will be installed in Santo Domingo; 21 in the South, five in the East, four in the Cibao, 14 in the Northeast, and 10 in the Northwest.
Private generators and government reach agreement
The government is about to finalize an agreement with private power generators regarding arrears. The government had offered to make a payment of US$40 million on US$102 million in arrears, leaving the remaining US$62 million pending for the next government. The private generators rejected the agreement. Furthermore, the candidate most likely to win the next election, Hipólito Mejía warned the generators that they should collect now. Of the debt, US$70 million is carried over from the Balaguer administration. As a result of the impasse, the generators threatened to disconnect their plants, which would result in long blackouts. The new agreement provides for making payments of US$2.5 million per month for 30 months. Financial fiduciary arrangements are being set up with the Banco de Reservas Citibank and the CDE to ensure that the funds will be paid automatically, regardless of who is in power in the next government.
"Today we can say that with each party giving in we have reached a fair agreement," said Rolando González Bunster, speaking for the private generators. He said that only minor details are missing to be worked out to finalize the agreement.
Government moves on lifting Category 3 restriction
The deputy director of the Civil Aviation Board Jesusita Hernández told El Siglo that the government is taking important steps so that the US government may lift the Category 3 restriction that impedes national airlines from flying to the US. The Category 3 impediment has resulted in the demise of several airline start-ups, as well as has impeded the advancement of others, such as Air Santo Domingo, which had the support of Air Europe. The government has been criticized for moving at a turtle's pace to eliminate the ban. The government is far behind on the fulfillment of the multimillion Programa de Cooperación Técnica signed with the Organización de Aviación Civil Internacional. Meanwhile, Dominican aviation authorities granted Dominicana Airlines, the bankrupt state airline, monopoly rights for seven years to fly to the US. The airline is expected to be privatized within weeks, which could coincide with the lifting of the ban. Deputy director Hernández announced that the government has issued three decrees in the direction of overcoming the ban and setting the parameters that will regulate aviation in the DR. These are:
Decree 86-00 that approves the ruling of the aviation information services of the Civil Aviation Board.
Decree 87-00 that makes the use of Dominican aviation rulings obligatory.
Decree 88-00 that makes the use of manuals for aviation licenses, aeronautical navigation, norms and procedures of operation departments and operation inspectors obligatory.
PLD secretary urges JCE to make cedula procedure easier
The Secretary General of the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, José Tomás Pérez said yesterday that the Junta Central Electoral has to make it easier for citizens to get their identification/voting cards or cedulas. "It has to make adjustments in the method and processing of the cedula so the people have to suffer through less bottlenecks. I passed by the JCE and that looked like a political meeting, with all the people that were seeking their cedula," he said.
The JCE yesterday impeded that TeleMicro, Channel 5, televise the chaos at the JCE by disconnecting a live transmission.
Monsignor José Arnáiz of the Catholic Church recently suggested that the JCE allot the delivery of the cedulas in different locales by alphabetical order, so that depending on the letter citizens would know where to get their cedula and not have to endure the chaos and long lines at the JCE headquarters.
Pérez of the PLD said that if the electoral court does not assume new technical and managerial practices, the problems for handing in the cedula will only get worse. "Nothing will be gained not even with extending the delivery date if the methods and processing of the cedulas pending for delivery are not varied," he said. The JCE still has to hand in 700,000 cedulas.
Presidential candidates on Channel 2
Uno+Uno television program, transmitted by TeleAntillas, Channel 2, is announcing that the presidential candidates Hipólito Mejía of the PRD and Danilo Medina of the PLD have accepted an invitation to present their government programs on the morning television program. The channel said that former President Joaquín Balaguer has not confirmed his participation.
The presidential candidates will answer the questions of a panel of four journalists, two from TeleAntillas and two invited per day from different media. The Uno+Uno program is televised from 7:30 am to 8:30 am.
The topics have been divided in five blocks covering the government and its institutions, economic policies, social policies, justice and law, foreign policy. Thus the candidates will participate in five weeks of programs.
Hipólito Mejía, presidential candidate of the PRD, will be first. He went on the air on Wednesday, 1 March. Danilo Medina, follows, tomorrow, Thursday, 2 March. Former President Balaguer is scheduled for Friday, but has not confirmed.
Then the round begins again next week with a new topic, until topics have been addressed by 30 March.
Mejía has rejected a US-style counter-debate with Danilo Medina.
Chopping up a crocodile
A National Parks inspector denounced that 11 men, using machetes (cane knives), axes, daggers and sticks cut up an unknowing crocodile in Mella, in the southwestern Independencia province. Janeiro Martínez said that he begged the men to desist, but he could not convince them. He said since he was unarmed, he could not stop the men. The men had found the crocodile peacefully resting in the waters of Gancho Machaca canal that connects through Cristóbal Canal with the Enriquillo Lake, original home of the American Crocodile, a protected species in the DR. The head of the crocodile measures 39 centimeters, so the crocodile is estimated to have been eight to ten years old.
Andreas Schubert, of the National Parks Department, said that groups of crocodiles have been migrating from Enriquillo Lake to Cabral Lagoon, a 40 kilometer distance. To make the crossing, the crocodiles are using the irrigation canals in the area. The residents of nearby towns are concerned for their safety. Some eight crocodiles have been sighted.
He explained, "It is useless that we round up the crocodiles and bring them back to the Enriquillo Lake. They will make their way across again. What we have to do is educate the people living in adjacent communities so they accept the crocodiles as part of the environment. The people need to learn to live with the crocodiles."
He said that the National Parks Department will immediately organize a series of encounters with the communities to this end.
He said that the crocodiles will not attack humans unless they are threatened. Nevertheless, he said that they should not be taken for granted and care should be taken in their presence. In 1995, a farm worker in Neiba, also in the Southwest, spent three months in jail for having killed a crocodile, a protected species.
Hotels will not pay city tax, says Asonahores
Arturo Villanueva, executive vice president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, said that the Municipality of Santo Domingo is wrong when it attempts to collect an additional 10% tax to hotels catering to tourists. He said that hotels already pay 23% in taxes. He said that by law the 10% tax is to be levied only on motels catering to romantic outings, and not on tourist hotels. The Municipality of Santo Domingo says that hotels in the National District owe it RD$400 million for the concept. Asonahores said that every time there is a new Mayor the 10% tax issue is brought back until it is proven that the tax cannot be levied on tourist hotels.
Costa Rica wins qualifying polo round
Costa Rica won the World Polo Cup qualifying round held at the facilities of the Club de Polo Casa de Campo in La Romana 24-27 February. The International Polo Federation coordinated the trials. The Dominican Republic placed second, Jamaica third, and Guatemala fourth. Costa Rica won the right to play the national teams of Canada, Mexico and the United States in California in April. In the California event, two nations will qualify to participate in the World Cup to be held in Australia, in April 2001.
Independence Boxing Cup
Boxers from Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala and host DR are participating in the Independence Boxing Cup that opened 28 February at the Palacio de Deportes of Santiago de los Caballeros. The event will last through 3 March and will serve as preparatory event for important international competitions, such as the Olympic Games.
Santo Domingo Movie Showing
The Second Santo Domingo International Movie Showing continues at the Hollywood Diamond Plaza mall. It will last through 5 March. The limelight this year is on films from Europe, Latin America and Israel. It is an excellent opportunity to see films that otherwise would not come to the DR, where 90% of the films are US films.
Car exhibition at the Dominican Fiesta
Expo Automovilismo, a major car exhibition, will open Thursday, 2 March at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel. The event will continue through 5 March. Mario Andretti is expected to cut the opening ribbon.
International equestrian tournament
Riders from 11 countries will participate in the X Equestrian Grand Prix Brugal to take place 3-5 March at the Centro Ecuestre Las Colinas in Santo Domingo. Competitors are coming from Guatemala, Honduras Venezuela, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Haiti and Panama to participate in six categories. Riders will represent the DR from the Nitrán, Las Marismas, Casa de Campo, Club Internacional de Equitación, Feria Ganadera and Las Colinas horseback riding centers. The competition is an officially sanctioned International Equestrian Federation event.
Other events worth attending
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio. Contemporary Latin jazz music. 3-4 March. 8:30 pm. Teatro Nacional. RD$500-RD$300.
Bungee Concierto 2000. Saturday, 4 March and Sunday 5 March. Velodromo Parque Olimpico. March 4: Toque Profundo, Tabutek, Gualtiao, Reach, Garlic, Division X and On the rise.
March 5: Al Jadaqui, Mabé , Mr. Clika. Reach, Garlic, Division X and On the rise. Tickets RD$175. 7 pm. Bungee jump at noon. Concert at 7 pm.
Carnival Millennium 2000
Carnival continues all over the Dominican Republic. The Ministry of Tourism and the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (Presidente Beer) present Carnival Millennium 2000.
As part of the carnival celebrations, a handicrafts exhibition-sale is taking place 28 February-5 March at the Plaza de España, facing the Alcazar de Colón, in the Colonial City.

Upcoming highlights of the Carnival this year are:
5 March. Santo Domingo. Malecon parade. 2 pm.
Bonao: 12 March. Parque de Bonao. 3 pm.
Puerto Plata. 10-13 March. 12 March presentation of carnival figures from other areas of the country. Malecon. 3 pm.
Mao. 12 March. Calle Duarte. 3 pm

Presidente Beer is also sponsoring the participation of several well-known orchestras, with shows to be staged at the Avenida del Puerto.
The orchestras to perform there as of 9 pm are:
Rubby Pérez (Friday, 3 March)
Freddy Gerardo and Grupo Mío (Saturday, 4 March), Fernando Villalona and Los Toros Band-Grand Parade (Sunday, 5 March.)
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