DR1 Daily News - Thursday, 24 November 2016

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DR1 breaks for Thanksgiving-Black Friday
Industrial Association calls budget item “a step back”
Deputies move on approval of 2017 budget
Altagracia Paulino to fight for citizens’ rights
Director says Cabral y Baez is getting back to normal
Banana crops damaged by intense rains
Latest rains cause havoc, fill dams
The endangered Golden Swallow
Cruise ship cancels visit to Maim?n
Both Zika and dengue have decreased
Single parent households in the majority
The endangered Golden Swallow
Brewster to resign on 20 January 2017
Haitians flying from PUJ to Chile
Rains continue, chilly weather forecast
Jose Lu?s Perales sings here on 10 February



DR1 breaks for Thanksgiving-Black Friday
The DR1 Daily News update will not be published on Friday, 25 November 2016. Headline news will be compiled and published as part of the Monday, 28 November 2016 issue. Breaking news can be shared at the DR1 Forums at http://dr1.com/forums/forum.php
While Thanksgiving Day is not a holiday in the Dominican Republic, Black Friday has become the biggest shopping day of the year with many businesses giving employees time off to go shopping. Happy shopping!


Industrial Association calls budget item “a step back”
The Herrera Industrialists Association (AEIH) says that the pre-payment of 50% of the value added tax or ITBIS would have a major impact on the country’s small industries and business. AEIH said “it is unacceptable to think that the collection of a 50% advance payment of ITBIS by the Customs Agency will not have a great negative impact on small and medium-size companies.”

In a press release, AEIH president Antonio Taveras Guzm?n states that the association is seriously concerned about fiscal sustainability in the country’s future, since “the government is ‘thrashing about blindly’ because it does not dare to implement a major fiscal reform, combined with deep and structural institutional reforms.”

The AEIH concludes that the measure will affect cash flow for the business sector that generates most of the jobs in the economy and contributes a major part of the Gross National Product, as well as providing macroeconomic stability and social peace.


Deputies move on approval of 2017 budget
The Chamber of Deputies has approved a first reading of the 2017 General Budget for RD$711.4 billion. The deputies rejected several modifications presented by opposition parties. The approval followed several hours of debate by deputies from the opposition PRM and PRSC parties because the proposal contains a significant shortfall or what is known as a budget deficit.

However the legislation passed the first reading with 117 votes in favor and 38 against. None of the ruling PLD deputies took part in the debate that lasted for about two hours and was the last point on the agenda for the Wednesday, 23 November 2016 session.

Frente Amplio deputy Fidel Santana withdrew from the session, wishing his colleagues “bon app?tit” for the budget, signaling his rejection of the way in which the Medina administration has ordered the resources to be distributed.

The second reading is expected to be passed on Thursday, 24 November 2016.


Altagracia Paulino to fight for citizens’ rights
The first director of the governmental consumer protection agency, ProConsumidor, Altagracia Paulino has announced she is now heading the newly formed Observatorio Nacional para la Protecci?n del Consumidor (Onpeco), a non profit organization created to follow up on public policies and educate citizens on their civic and consumer rights.

She has confirmed that the first projects being taken on by the Onpeco include a challenge to the new Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) resolution that allows telecom companies to make debt collection calls to the debtor’s workplace. The case is also being challenged by Argentarium, a local economic and financial think tank.

Paulino says that many citizens are not aware of their rights and that the organization will take on court cases that citizens would have abandoned for not having the resources or the time to pursue them.

“We are going to be voices for all the public and private initiatives that contribute to improve the quality of life of citizens,” she said.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...bservatorio-para-la-proteccion-del-consumidor


Director says Cabral y Baez is getting back to normal
After the discovery of a tuberculosis outbreak that affected some of the staff at the Jos? Maria Cabral y Baez Regional University Hospital in Santiago, hospital director Ernesto Rodriguez told Diario Libre reporters that things were getting back to normal.

Rodriguez said they are opening new spaces for consultations in gynecology and oncology as well as for psychiatry and psychology.

He told reporters “as you can see here everything is going normally, we are constantly meeting with directors of the Medical Association (CMD), as well as members of the nurses’ union to discuss internal issues.”

He said that things would be a lot better as soon as the remodeling and reconstruction work is finished by the Presidency Office of Supervising Engineers of State Projects (OISOE).

He said that they have completed and handed over the north, south and west wings and work continues on the east wing and central portion of the huge building, with an estimated 85% being completed. Dr. Rodriguez said that the hospital has reduced the maternal-infant mortality rate by 50% over the last year.

He said that a civilian oversight committee composed of representatives of several sectors meets in the middle of each month to check on the progress of the remodeling and reconstruction of the nation’s largest regional hospital.


Banana crops damaged by intense rains
Sime?n Ram?rez, president of the Dominican Banana Association (Adobanano), estimates billions in banana harvest losses due to the recent rains falling in the north, as reported in Diario Libre. He said that northwestern farms have lost more than RD$2.1 billion due to damaged crops. He said the northwestern exporters will not be able to supply 25% of their export orders. He explained around 380,000 boxes of bananas are exported every week and the rains have caused a drop of at least 90,000 boxes per week or around US$50 million in revenues.

The banana producers want the government to set up a special relief fund of RD$1 billion at five-year term, with a one-year grace period.

Hecmilio Galv?n, executive director of the National Confederation of Agropecuarian Producers (Confenagro) confirmed the damages. He said that the most affected crops are bananas, plantains and fruits. Many cattle ranching access roads have been damaged.

http://www.diariolibre.com/economia...uvias-superan-los-rd-2-100-millones-AG5549301


Latest rains cause havoc, fill dams
The last 24 hours of rains have forced 9,249 people in the provinces of Montecristi, Duarte (San Francisco de Macor?s) and La Altagracia (Higuey) to leave their homes and take refuge with family and friends or in government shelters. According to the Emergency Operations Center (COE), these three provinces are in a state of emergency. In Montecristi, nearly 1,000 houses have been affected of a total of 1,600 that were flooded by the most recent rains.

Several highways and bridges have been damaged and 35 communities have been cut off. In the municipality of Palo Verde alone, 850 houses are underwater and in Casta?uelas 111 have been flooded by the rising waters of the Yaque del Norte River. In the town of Villa Riva in Duarte province, the Yuna River has cut off five communities and 436 houses have been affected in Arenoso. In La Altagracia 543 houses have been flooded.

On Thursday, 24 November 2016, the COE issued red alerts for Santiago, Montecristi and Valverde. Yellow alerts are in place for La Altagracia, Maria Trinidad S?nchez (Nagua), La Vega, Duarte (especially in the Bajo Yuna area), Saman?, Hato Mayor, San Pedro de Macor?s. Green alerts have been issued for El Seibo, Puerto Plata, Espaillat, S?nchez Ram?rez, La Romana, Monse?or Nouel, Hermanas Mirabal and Greater Santo Domingo.

According to the weather service (Onamet), the rains will continue over large areas of the country because of a nearly stationary cold front over the eastern Dominican Republic. So far eight deaths have been attributed to the flooding, including five children.

On the positive side, reservoirs are full to capacity, according to the Dominican Hydroelectric Generation Company (EgeHID). These are now adding around 7 and 9 Gwh to the national grid. EgeHID also told Diario Libre that the high water levels guarantee irrigation for next year, supply of potable water to aqueducts in addition to energy generation.

http://www.diariolibre.com/economia/hidroelectricas-favorecidas-por-las-lluvias-en-rd-AX5550626
http://www.coe.gob.do


Cruise ship cancels visit to Maim?n
The Amber Cove cruise ship port at Maim?n Bay in Puerto Plata province has announced that the Eurodam cruise ship scheduled to arrive from Europe is suspending its visit because of the rains affecting the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Diario Libre received the information from a source close to the tourism sector in the province.

According to the source, the cancellation was made while the ship was already at sea and not as a result of any news received from Amber Cove. The remaining arrivals are expected to continue normally and on 28 and 29 November 2016. Twenty ships are scheduled to dock at Amber Cove in December. The cruise ship Adonia has been in port since Tuesday, 22 November 2016 and is expected to leave on Friday.


Both Zika and dengue have decreased
The Public Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Department reports that there has been a notable decrease in cases of Zika and Dengue fever as well as other diseases associated with mosquitoes.*

On Friday, 18 November 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) and its regional partner, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) officially declared that Zika was no longer a health emergency in the Dominican Republic.

The epidemiology reports for weeks 43 and 44 of 2016 registered barely six cases of Zika in Greater Santo Domingo and the province of Azua. The Public Health Ministry reported the incidence of the main diseases of obligatory notification, including the six suspected cases of Zika, five of which affect residents in Santo Domingo and one in Azua, one case affecting a woman in the 21st week of pregnancy.

Over the last four weeks suspected cases of Zika have been recorded in 12 cities, including Santo Domingo West with five cases, Santo Domingo East with two cases, and the National District and Santiago with two cases each.

The Ministry of Public Health added that the incidence of Guillian Barre Syndrome had also diminished; pointing out that this complication can also be caused by other types of common infections. There were 45 suspected cases of dengue, 856 fewer than the same period in 2015.

The Public Health Report also includes information on malaria, respiratory diseases, cholera, leptospirosis, and maternal and infant fatalities.


Single parent households in the majority
The recent Enhogar 2015 survey by the National Statistics Office (ONE) reveals that married couples have become less common than cohabiting couples when it comes to parental status. In the DR 33.3% of households are now headed by women and 40% are single parents. Of 31,927 households polled, in 21,288 of the cases the heads of the household were men and in 10,639 the heads were women.

Among the families headed by men, in more than 40% they live alone, in 18.6% they are married and in 38.1% they have an informal spouse.

Family therapist Ana Sim? said that the concept of family has not changed. What has changed is the kind of family.

She explained that in the past a family consisted of a father, mother and the children. Today the situation has been influenced by the increase in divorces and teenage pregnancies, with a variety of households including mono-parental and homo-parental families. Simo directs the Centro Vida y Familia.

The poll shows that people over the age of 55 make up 31.2% of heads of households.

The poll also shows that in the Dominican Republic almost twice as many couples live together as are married. Dominican law grants almost equal rights to cohabiting and married couples.

http://www.metrord.do/noticias/fami...an-espacio-en-el-pais/ftwpkw---E1kiEwhP08cHI/
*

The endangered Golden Swallow
The Propagas Foundation recently presented the results of the 2016 monitoring of its conservation program of the endangered Golden Swallow (Kalochelidon euchrysea), a rare and endemic species that lives in the Valle Nuevo National Park. Conservation work began some four years ago with the support of research teams from Cornell University that identified the importance of the Valle Nuevo Park as a sanctuary for this rare bird.

A young researcher, Justin Proctor who wrote his master’s thesis at Cornell on the reproduction cycle of the Golden Swallow, started the project. In 2014 Proctor presented a formal proposal to the Propagas Foundation in order to continue conservation work for the species.

The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources recognizes the Foundation as the entity responsible for initiatives aimed at the conservation of the Golden Swallow. The many threats to the survival of this unique bird include the lack of mature trees and the absence of natural cavities in such trees. This is being solved by the installation of birdhouses throughout the park.

http://blogs.cornell.edu/naturalresources/files/2012/09/GOSW-2012-Field-Season-Report-1egclrc.pdf


Brewster to resign on 20 January 2017
United States ambassador James (Wally) Brewster has announced that he will submit his resignation on 20 January 2017 and leave the country with his husband Bob Satawake in search of “new adventures.” That is the day that President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States.

Speaking at a Thanksgiving luncheon at the American Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, 23 November 2016, the ambassador said “this is probably been the greatest experience that I have had in my life.”

In his closing remarks ambassador Brewster said that he would always fight for the welfare of the two countries and expressed his appreciation for the attention he and his husband had received in the past three years.

In his Thanksgivings Day luncheon, he advocated for the passing of a bill to guarantee equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. He estimated that 10% of Dominicans are gay.

He also called for efforts to reduce gender violence, highlighting the 70 femicides happening every year in the country.

The ambassador said that many Dominicans only saw him as “the gay activist ambassador,” but he is proud of several accomplishments during his term in the Dominican Republic.

He said the US Embassy organized 32 Dominican commercial missions to the United States with 1,700 Dominican business people. He said that trade with the Dominican Republic has increased and is now at around US$12 billion. He said the USAID has helped 600 farmers to get their organic certifications.

He said the creating of a LGBT Chamber of Commerce gives the DR access to a billionaire global market.

He also highlighted that 200 Dominican language teachers have received SIT Tesol certifications.

He mentioned the contribution the US Embassy made to training of Ministry of Public Health analysts and a US$15.5 million contribution to 10 maternity hospitals to help reduce infant morality by 42%.

Brewster observed that last year the US Consulate issued 80,000 immigrant visas. Brewster said that only Mexico issued more visas of this kind. He said that 1.8 Dominican-Americans live in the United States and 250,000 US citizens live in the Dominican Republic. “We need each other and the reality is that we are extremely privileged to be able to count on one another,” he said.

http://www.cdn.com.do/noticias/naci...-rd-anuncia-fecha-en-que-abandonara-el-cargo/
http://eldia.com.do/james-brewster-pide-proteger-la-igualdad-de-los-gays-por-ley/
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/11/23/embajador-james-brewster-renunciara-20-enero-2017


Haitians flying from PUJ to Chile
An estimated 4,000 Haitians have been arriving in Chile every month, most taking the Latin American Wings (LAW) flight from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), as reported in MetroRD.

The airline operates two direct flights to Santiago from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, but most Haitians prefer to travel 500 km to take the LAW flight from Punta Cana. On its website, the airline offers the option of a bus trip from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana.

The reason for the preference of the Punta Cana flight over that from Port-au-Prince is that the latter costs US$1,275, while from Punta Cana the flight costs around US$815. The airline flies four times a week from PUJ and twice a week from Port-au-Prince to Santiago.

As reported, Haitians who have settled in Chile send their relatives and friends the tickets so they can take the flight. The newspaper reports that the Haitians usually enter as tourists with a round trip ticket, and then overstay, with a view to subsequently legalizing their status. The situation is being reviewed by the Chilean authorities.

The general manager of LAW, Andres Dulcinelly says most of the tickets are purchased online and the airline cannot discriminate against their customers.

http://www.metrord.do/noticias/hait...te-para-llegar-a-chile/ftwpkw---VJ62GNlgMKjk/
*

Rains continue, chilly weather forecast
The weather service, Onamet forecasts that the chilly weather affecting much of the country is set to continue. It warns that some mountain areas will be experiencing extraordinarily low temperatures. The front crossing the Dominican Republic has already resulted in temperatures of 12 ?C in Monci?n, 13?C in Constanza, and 17?C in Jarabacoa, Azua, San Jos? de las Matas, San Juan de la Maguana and San Jos? de Ocoa. The cold front is expected to bring rains and chilly weather to the east, northwest and southeast for the rest of this week.

Onamet forecaster Luis Felipe Jerez says that in the next few weeks the temperature could drop below zero in areas such as Constanza, Pico Duarte and Alto Bandera.*He forecast a colder than average January and February with some areas experiencing noontime temperatures of 20-22?C replacing warm temperatures of 28-30?C.

The current cold front situated over the east is affecting the provinces of La Altagracia (Higuey), La Romana, San Pedro de Macor?s, Hato Mayor, El Seibo, Monte Plata, Saman?, Duarte (San Francisco de Macor?s), Mar?a Trinidad S?nchez (Nagua), La Vega, Monse?or Nouel (Bonao), S?nchez Ram?rez (Cotu?), Espaillat (Moca), Montecristi, Valverde (Mao), Puerto Plata, Santiago, Peravia (Ban?), San Jos? de Ocoa, San Crist?bal and Greater Santo Domingo.


Jose Lu?s Perales sings here on 10 February
Spanish pop-rock singer-composer 71-year old Jos? Lu?s Perales is booked for a performance on 10 February 2017 at 8pm at the Nuryn Sanlley Amphitheater in the Iberoamerica Park on Av. Bol?var. The stop in Santo Domingo is part of his Calma… Mas Peraltes que nunca tour. Tcets are RD$3,500 and special guests and VIP RD$3,800 and RD$4,000.

Listen to his music at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YijdaYuvZe8&list=RD--jfpwzr0QY&index=12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--jfpwzr0QY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sh13Cia12w&index=4&list=RD--jfpwzr0QY

For information on upcoming events:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


Archived News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/91-Daily-Headline-News

Archived Travel News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/92-Travel-amp-Tourism-News
 
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