DR1 Daily News - Friday, 23 June 2017

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Sunwing Vacations looks into investing in Bahia de las Aguilas
Ten-year passports now available at Passport Office
National Student Forum to address improvements in education
New government online portal
EdeSur promises 24 hours service “soon”
Ministry of Environment to supervise amber mining
Stop metallic mining in southwestern farm valley areas
Equipo Aguila to combat motorcyclist crime
Yeni Berenice Reynoso: Justice will be served in Blas Peralta case 
Fire burns plastic industry’s warehouse
David Ortiz Drive in Boston



Sunwing Vacations looks into investing in Bahia de las Aguilas
President Danilo Medina returned to Bahia de las Aguilas, Pedernales on Thursday, 22 June 2017, this time accompanied by the Ambassador of Canada Steve Côté and high officials of Canadian tourism conglomerate Sunwing. 

Sunwing operates the Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino, Chic Punta Cana, Memories Resorts & Spa in Punta Cana under the Royalton Luxury Resorts and Memories Resorts & Spa in Punta Cana hotel chain brands. Likewise, the company markets air and resort vacation packages to several other Punta Cana resorts. 

Medina was accompanied by Administrative Minister José Ramón Peralta. 

In April 2017, Medina had traveled there accompanied by AmResorts high executives after these participated in the inauguration of Secrets Cap Cana in the Punta Cana area. 

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/06/22/presidente-medina-viaja-bahia-las-aguilas-con-embajador-canada
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...ionistas-interesados-potencial-turistico.html
http://www.sunwing.ca/


Ecolab Microtek inaugurates new plant in Santo Domingo
Ecolab Microtek Dominicana inaugurated the second phase of its surgical medical device manufacturing plant. A first phase is located at the La Romana Free Zone. The products are used to prevent intra-hospital infections. 

Paul Chaffin, senior vice president and general manager of Global Healthcare for Ecolab, Inc, hosted President Danilo Medina at the inaugural of the plant located at the Las Americas Free Zone Park in the Province of Santo Domingo. “We have invested in the Dominican Republic over the past 25 years and the returns of this investment have been fascinating,” said Chaffin. “All the employees that work here should be very proud. We make a healthier world, just when the world needs it more than ever,” he said. 

The company manufactures infection control products for healthcare and acute care facilities specializes in infection barrier equipment drapes, patient drapes, fluid control products and operating room cleanup systems, among others.

Also speaking at the inauguration, Luisa Fernández, director of the National Council of Free Zones, said that the two Ecolab plants in the Dominican Republic produce medical devices that are exported to 171 countries. She said Ecolab has invested over US$1 billion in the country over the past 25 years. 

Microtek, based in Atlanta, Georgia, moved operations to La Romana in 1989. Ecolab acquired the company in 2007.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) is the global leader in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and services. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, and hospitality markets in more than 170 countries.


Ten-year passports now available at Passport Office
Dominican citizens can now purchase a 10-year passport, up from six-years maximum in the past. The passport is only issued to persons of more than 14 years of age. 

Director General Ramón (Monchy) Rodríguez also announced that the three-hour passport renewal services has been extended to provincial offices and consulates abroad, after previously only being offered at the main office in Santo Domingo. Passport requests need to be made before noon and an additional fee is charged. 

http://noticiassin.com/2017/06/dire...ortes-ofrece-nuevos-servicios-a-la-poblacion/
http://www.pasaportes.gob.do/


National Student Forum to address improvements in education
The Ministry of Education began the National Student Forum with the participation of outstanding students from the 18 regional divisions of education in the country. Education Minister Andrés Navarro at the first meeting promised to set up a roundtable for talks on sexual education in public schools and that sex education become a regular feature of education. 

He also announced improvements in the labs at the polytechnical schools, the food served at the public schools and he announced the construction of 500 school kitchens and cafeterias. He also listened to requests made by students with special needs and agreed accessibility should be improved at the schools. 

http://www.minerd.gob.do/Lists/Noti...TypeId=0x010009A37057EC58174ABFF792B0EDD50960


New government online portal
The Presidential Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OPTIC) announced a new portal – http://www.dominicana.gob.do -- for those requiring information on Dominican government services. 

The portal groups the 1,500 government entities offering services to the general public. It was created to save time and costs to government service users. The portal is conceived as a single stop window for consultations on official government information. 

http://hoy.com.do/crean-portal-web-con-mas-de-1500-servicios-gubernamentales/


EdeSur promises 24 hours service “soon”
Blackouts in the area served by EdeSur Dominicana, the power distribution company, will soon be a thing of the past, according to the administrator general of the electricity distribution company, Radhamés del Carmen. 

Del Carmen told an audience at the Regional Electricity Forum, sponsored by the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE): “EdeSur clients will soon see an end to blackouts.  Within a maximum of 3 years, all EdeSur customers will have 24 hour electrical service.” 

Regarding technical losses suffered by the electricity distributor, the official said that in EdeSur technical losses along the transmission lines are 27%. The goal is to reduce this figure to 15% by 2020. 

When he was asked by reporters about the debt owed to the electricity generators by the electricity distributors he told the reporters that EdeSur has no arrears with the power generation companies.

https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...-circuitos-tendran-energia-24-horas-NY7441285


Ministry of Environment to supervise amber mining
The regional director for the Ministry of Environment for the northern part of the country reported on Wednesday, 21 June 2017, that the Ministry will continue to hold meetings with dozens of amber miners in efforts to organize the activity in the northern coastal mountain range, the Cordillera Septentrional. 

Eduardo Rodriguez said that together with the Ministry of Energy and Mining the Ministry of Environment is drawing up protocols to organize and regulate amber extraction, to reduce the impact on the nation’s ecosystems. He added that several meetings have been held between officials of the ministries of Environment and Energy and Mining with the directors of the Association for Mining Development of Amber in La Cumbre. 

A spokesman for the miners, Disrodel Jiménez, told reporters that the miners agree that the mining activity should be regulated by the authorities. He also added that the miners are reforesting the areas where they carry out their work and to date have planted over 60,000 trees of different species. 

Amber mining under the most rudimentary of technologies in that area became world renown after it was featured in the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park.

https://www.diariolibre.com/medioam...n-ambar-en-cordillera-septentrional-LA7442379


Stop metallic mining in southwestern farm valley areas
Alianza Pais deputy Fidelio Despradel is working with other members in the Chamber of Deputies to pass a resolution to be sent to President Danilo Medina that declares the boundary areas of the Yaque del Sur, El Valle and Enriquillo regions in the southwest off limits for metallic mining exploitation. Despradel argues that the area already suffers from acute water shortages. 

With his proposal, the national deputy intends to prevent the Dominican government from granting mining permits to companies such as GoldQuest, that have requested permission to extract gold in the area. Despradel says the access to water in the area is barely sufficient for agricultural production. He observes that despite its completion in 2004, the Multiple Aqueduct of the Southwest is not in operation because of the critical levels of rainfall in the region. 

Despradel said that the priority of political policies in the river basis needs to be to protect the water sources and land use regulation needs to exclude economic activities that threaten the water resource. He said metallic mining is a threat to land and water resources because of the large amount of water needed and the contamination associated with mining that can pollute both streams and aquifers.  

Despradel stressed that the valley of San Juan de la Maguana is a major producer of farm products consumed by the Dominicans. For example, he said the valley produces a large percent of the agricultural products grown in the country, including 50% of the beans, 40% of the sweet potatoes, 35% of the corn, 6% of the rice, 35% of the pigeon peas and 80% of the pigeon pea seeds, 20% of onions, 84% of peanuts, 20% of eggplants, as well as other fruits and vegetables both for local consumption as well as export.  

The region of El Valle is made up by the provinces of Azua, San Juan and Elías Piña, while Enriquillo is made up by the provinces of Barahona, Bahoruco, Independencia and Pedernales.  All of these provinces are suffering from water shortages for domestic, farm and hydroelectric uses. 

http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...ia-agua-region-sur-para-librarla-mineria.html


Equipo Aguila to combat motorcyclist crime
The Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) announced the start on Thursday, 22 June 2017, of a prevention and reaction unit – Team Eagle (Equipo Aguila) – to patrol tunnels and overpasses. 

Circulation of motorcycles and cargo vehicles and buses are banned on these road sections. The measure was announced after a motorcyclist fired a gun at an SUV in an apparent assault on an overpass. 

Team Eagle seeks to fight the increase in the practice of criminals that are taking advantage of traffic congestion to carry out crimes on motorcycles on the overpasses and tunnels and later escape through the traffic. 

Team Eagle agents ride on motorcycles in order to contribute to the security of these stretches of roads. The unit will also serve 911 Emergency System operations.  

“We have not cut costs for other services to create this new fast response unit that will contribute to the peace and order of vehicle traffic,” said the director of AMET, Frener Bello Arias. 

http://eldia.com.do/amet-pone-en-fu...a-para-ejercer-control-de-tuneles-y-elevados/
https://amet.gob.do/index.php/2017/...eva-unidad-prevencion-reaccion-equipo-aguila/


Yeni Berenice Reynoso: Justice will be served in Blas Peralta case 
National District prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso says that the president of Fenatrado, Blas Peralta, is trying to handle Dominican justice the way he does his truckers. “Historically, Blas Peralta has believed he is above the law and we are going to demonstrate to him he is not above justice. [Peralta] pretends to manipulate justice the way he manipulates the truckers’ union,” she said during the most recent hearing where his case for murder against former UASD rector Mateo Aquino Febrillet was again postponed. 

Reynoso recalled that “much before he was arrested” Peralta has tried to delay the judicial process. She said the Public Ministry guarantees that all necessary actions and procedures will be applied so that he receives the punishment that he deserves. 

Reynoso spoke after attending the hearing in which the prosecution sought the start of the investigation in depth against Peralta for the murder of the academic and this was again postponed. The case has been postponed more than a dozen times. This time the reason given was that the defense lawyer was suffering from conjunctivitis. The next hearing will be on 26 June 2017. 

http://almomento.net/fiscal-dn-blas-peralta-pretende-manejar-la-justicia-como-a-sus-camiones/328227
http://noticiassin.com/2017/06/apla...lta-por-asesinato-del-ex-rector-mateo-aquino/


Fire burns plastic industry’s warehouse
A big fire affected the warehouse of Termo Envases in Haina. The fire began after a fuel oil tanker lost control and crashed into a light post in the front of the factory. The accident happened around 5:30pm on Wednesday, 21 June 2017. The tanker driver suffered minor burns after being helped out of the truck by a passing motorist, but the vehicle was said to have been consumed by flames. 
José Singer, owner of Termo Envases, says that factory operations will continue as the fire only affected the warehouse. 

The factory is located next door to the Dominican Petroleum Refinery. Fire fighters from the Refidomsa helped put out the flames in coordination with Haina firemen.

http://elnacional.com.do/video-seguro-fijara-danos-empresa-por-fuego-camion/
http://eldia.com.do/incendio-afecta-almacen-de-fabrica/
http://eldia.com.do/bomberos-sofoca...ero-sigue-afectando-la-fabrica-termo-envases/


David Ortiz Drive in Boston
A street in Boston has been renamed to honor retired Boston Red Sox slugger, Dominican David Ortiz. Mayor Marty Walsh presided over the inaugural ceremony of the street formally known as Yawkey Way Extension that is near Fenway Park on Thursday, 22 June 2017. The street is being renamed the David Ortiz Drive. 

The Red Sox announced the retiring of Ortiz's No. 34 in a ceremony on Friday, 23 June night. 

Ortiz played the final and most successful 14 years of his 20-year career in Boston. In the position of designated hitter, he helped the Red Sox win three World Series championships, including their first in 86 years in 2004 together with fellow Dominicans Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...eet-retired-boston-red-sox-player-david-ortiz