The National Center for Renewable Energy (CENER) and the National Energy Commission (CNE) have signed a US$2.7 million agreement to advise the government and the energy producers on generating renewable energy. The agreement was signed in Spain by CENER director Juan Orzmazabal and CNE president Aristides Fernandez Zucco. A Dominican delegation is in Spain to see the level of development of renewable energy sources in Spain first-hand and to gauge the level of interest of investors in similar projects in the Dominican Republic. According to Listin Diario, this move comes as the Congress is discussing a new law that would provide incentives for investment in renewable energy. It's been two years since the government has urged CENER to conduct surveys of these types considering that in 2004 the cost of fossil fuels took up 35% of the government budget and 15% of the nation's GDP.
President Leonel Fernandez presented the National Awards for Quality yesterday, but for the second year in a row no government office fulfilled the requirements for an award. The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace last night. The National Office for Intellectual Property was awarded the highest honor, winning a Gold Medal, followed by the Marcelino Velez Santana Hospital and the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA), which won Silver Medals, and the Institute for Technical Professional Training (INFOTEP) and the Alejo Martinez Hospital of San Pedro de Macoris won Bronze Medals. Listin Diario explains that the awards are in recognition of quality service offered by public institutions in the Dominican Republic.
During his inauguration speech as president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman said that the JCE needs to move into the era of technology and has planted the seed of moving the electoral process into the future. Castanos said that the civil registry and the electoral process need to move forward and become more efficient, but said that the process needs to be carried out at a slow enough pace for the Dominican public to become accustomed to it, and so that the system can be put in place properly. Castanos estimates the process to take about 10 years to finalize, but that pilot programs need to be conducted first.
Yesterday the nine new Central Electoral Board (JCE) judges and their substitutes were sworn in by Senate leader Reynaldo Pared Perez, and after the end of the ceremonies the new judges swiftly headed towards the JCE to begin their new jobs. All the judges who were chosen took the oath, including Aura Celeste Fernandez, who had been subject of much talk in the days leading up to her selection for the JCE, as she had opposed that incumbent judges stay on the job. Only one judge, PLD ruling party's representative, Roberto Rosario was confirmed. Fernandez clarified that she never intended to resign her post as a judge, merely that she was just considering it, and that since she has now been selected to the JCE she will resign from her post at the School of Public Ministry.
In other JCE news, replacement judge Rafael Diaz Filpo has decided not to take his position as a substitute on the JCE because he thought he should have been voted to one of the nine JCE posts. As quoted in Listin Diario, Diaz claims that he was chosen by the PRD, with a vote of 22 to 18, to be one of the nine JCE judges. He was voted a substitute judge.
The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) believes that the government could cut RD$29 billion in spending, more than enough to make an increase in taxes unnecessary. AIRD's plan draws on many of the suggestions that opponents have been voicing since President Leonel Fernandez explained the details of the reform to the nation. The government is looking to collect RD$17,500 million.
AIRD representatives met with the press yesterday and proposed that the government eliminate RD$9.5 billion in electricity subsidy, RD$2.9 billion in propane gas subsidy, RD$11.9 billion of its current expenditure (without affecting the education or health sectors, but by cutting its advertising budget and the government payroll) and RD$4.8 billion by adjusting capital expenditure (a reduction in Metro funds). Microfinanzas' Hector Salcedo presented the counter-proposal, as reported in El Caribe. Interestingly, AIRD's calculations are based on an exchange rate pegged at RD$38.15.
Mercedes Ramos, speaking for the Organization of Commercial Malls (ONEC), an AIRD member, commented that every time taxes are increased, the gap between the formal and informal sector, between those who pay taxes and those who don't widens.
According to a report published in Diario Libre, children in the Dominican Republic's private as well as public schools only learn about 30% of the recommended math and Spanish language curriculums. These figures come from Radhames Mejia, director of the Center for Investigation and Human Development, who said that the actual value of teachers' salaries in the DR is 50% lower than in 1960, which has led to a decrease in the overall quality of education in the country. These results are part of a joint study by the PUCCM, INTEC, and SUNY (Albany) universities. Mejia said that a large number of teachers are certified to teach but that the quality of education continues to decline. He presented his findings at a gathering sponsored by the Action for Basic Education (EDUCA), which hopes to convince the government to increase the education budget.
Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells says that the DR is in second to last place among Latin American countries for making the most of its economic wealth. Castells outlined his findings last night during a speech called "globalization, development, and underdevelopment: tensions and challenges in Latin America" at the Central Bank. His lecture was sponsored by Flasco, Unibe, the Foundation for Global Democracy and Development (Funglode) and the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel). Castells is quoted in El Caribe newspaper as saying that the DR has had the largest net growth of any nation in the region in the last 50 years, but is basically next to last in taking advantage of the resulting wealth. Castells, also quoted in Hoy newspaper said that having computers isn't enough for quality education. He says that computers and technology are important, but that quality teaching is what will help the country develop.
The 2005 United Nations Human Development Report had presented similar findings.
The DR spent more than RD$1 billion in medical expenses at public hospitals, up from RD$392 million in 1995, on assisting 410,000 people who were affected by traffic accidents last year, according to a report released by the national Program for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents (Prenat). Nicanor Rodriguez, the program coordinator, seeks to raise public awareness about the high price we are paying for reckless driving. He says that 70% of people who have died in traffic accidents are 15-44 year olds, in the prime of their life. Some 4,300 people died in fatal accidents in 2005, and 16,000 were maimed. Prenat is carrying out driver's educational programs, focusing on motorcycle drivers, as reported in El Caribe. On the subject, Diario Libre adds that Prenat does not include the billions spent on medical expenses at private hospitals and clinics, nor the high cost of vehicle repairs. Rodriguez made the announcement about the perils of local driving to encourage Dominicans to take greater care during the holiday season.
The National Police have announced that the actual amount stolen from Vimenca yesterday was actually RD$1,737,048 according to El Caribe newspaper, and not RD$10 million as was reported by some news media. Though no new leads in the case have been announced, the three guards who were at the scene have been arrested and taken in for questioning. Victor Calderon, chief of vehicular security, Abraham Medina, driver, and Angel Meran Beltre, security guard, were arrested.
The police have rescued a child who was being held hostage by his own father, a former police officer. El Caribe newspaper reports that Jorge Jose Santana Santos was using his child as bait in order to lure his wife back to him. The couple had recently separated. Santana threatened to kill the child and then kill himself, but after a standoff police persuaded Santana to release the child, who is believed to be between four and six years old.
Tourism Police (Politur) have apprehended Obispo Mateo del Rosario who is accused of robbing two Australian tourists who were visiting Bayahibe, in La Romana province. Del Rosario was apprehended with a bag containing credit cards, two digital cameras, two cell phones, and an undisclosed amount of euros and dollars, according to Hoy newspaper. Politur explained that once the two tourists were robbed they headed to the police station and gave a detailed description of del Rosario to the police.
Listin Diario is reporting that the Pearl F. Ort burns unit at the Luis Eduardo Aybar Hospital is assuring the public that they have all the necessary medical supplies for this upcoming Christmas season, when there is an increase in burns victims due to fireworks explosions. The hospital is also increasing its staff numbers in order to deal with the increase in cases.
The memory of Vanessa Ramirez Fanas will not be forgotten, thanks to the launch of the foundation bearing her name. Ramirez, who was a medical student, was shot and killed on 9 June 2006 in what is considered to have been a senseless act of violence. Ramirez was speaking on her cellular phone when she was attacked by thieves, who ended up taking just her phone. The young woman's death caused anger and outrage across the nation. The foundation's objectives are to study, identify, and analyze the reasons for violent crimes and criminality, and aims to design programs and projects to eliminate those causes.
The Puerto Rican branch of the US Coast Guard has announced that they will begin using biometric technology to detect people who try to cross to Puerto Rico on small boats. According to Listin Diario, Ricardo Castrodad explained that last Sunday one man had already been stopped using this technology. The man was found with 12 other passengers 12 nautical miles off the Mona Island. Castrodad explains that the small boat was recognized by a plane carrying the information, which then relayed it to a Puerto Rican helicopter, which passed the information on to the coastguards, who then commenced their search. The biometric system includes profiles linked to a database of fugitives and wanted criminals.
There were no games last night, but this weekend is shaping up to be an important one in the Dominican Winter Baseball League. Could we have a new leader atop the standings come Monday? It seems so with the way the red hot Gigantes have been playing and the Aguilas only 1.5 games out of the lead. Though they have been sluggish of late, the Leones could jump back into the playoff race with a strong showing this weekend and the Estrellas could make things interesting with a few wins. Though there is hope, not much is expected of the Azucareros.
Standings
| Team | W-L | Avg. | Games Behind |
| Licey | 18 - 10 | .643 | - |
| Gigantes | 18 - 11 | .620 | 0.5 |
| Aguilas | 16 - 13 | .552 | 2.5 |
| Estrellas | 13 - 15 | .464 | 5.0 |
| Escogido | 11 - 18 | .379 | 7.5 |
| Azucareros | 10 - 19 | .345 | 8.5 |
* Estadio Quisqueya 7:30 - Aquilas vs. Licey
* Estadio Julian Javier 7:30 - Azucareros vs. Gigantes
* Estadio Tetelo Vargas 7:30 - Escogido vs. Estrellas
Saturday's Games:
* Estadio Quisqueya 7:30 - Licey vs. Escogido
* Estadio Julian Javier 7:30 - Aguilas vs. Gigantes
* Estadio Francisco Michelli 7:30 - Estrellas vs. Azucareros
The Cinemateca Dominicana and the Italian Embassy are presenting famous films by Italian director Roberto Rosellini. The presentations began on 23 November at 8pm with the film, "Rome, Open City" (1946) and continue with: "Paisa" (1946) - Friday, 24 Nov at 6 pm; "Germany Year Zero" (1947) - Fri, 24 Nov 8 pm; "Stromboli" (1949) - Sat, 25 Nov 6 pm; Viaggio in Italia (1954), Sat, 25 Nov 8 pm; "La Paura" (1954) Sun, 26 Nov 6 pm; "Escape by Night" (1960) -- Sun, 26 Nov 8 pm; "Paisa" (1946) - Mon, 27 Nov 6 pm; "Francis, God's Jester" (1950) - Mon, 27 Nov 8 pm; "Viaggio in Italia" (1954), Tues, 28 Nov 6 pm; "La Paura" (1954), Tues, 28 Nov 8 pm; "Rome, Open City" (1954), Wed, 29 Nov 6 pm; "Stromboli" (1950), Wed, 29 Nov 8 pm. Tickets: RD$20. For plots and reviews on these films, see http://www.imdb.com
http://cinematecadominicana.com/index.php
For other events, nationwide, see http://www.dr1.com/calendar
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