DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 15 August 2017

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DR1 Daily News breaks for Restoration Day
Back to school
Energy & Mines Minister Isa Conde backs Romero Project
40% of births in Santo Domingo are to Haitian women
Reservas and APAP bank branches back to normal
Luz & Fuerza to discontinue El Limón power service
One arrested for Ministry of Environment extortions
Duke U suspends basketball games in DR
Restoration Day Festival on 15 August
Comedy at Bellas Artes



DR1 Daily News breaks for Restoration Day
The DR1 Daily News update will not be published on Wednesday, 16 August 2017, a public holiday. Headline news will be compiled for the Thursday, 17 August 2017 issue, and comments and news can be posted in the DR1 Forums, 24/7.

The holiday commemorates the beginning of the Dominican Restoration War in 1863. The war ended in 1865 with the restoration of the country’s independence from Spain.

History tells that while the Dominican Republic proclaimed its independence from Haiti in 1844, the First Republic was short-lived. In 1861, Spain was invited to recolonize the country by the government of President Pedro Santana. Santana felt that the new nation could not resist Haitian occupation without being annexed to Spain. But the move was widely rejected by the Dominican people, leading to a guerrilla war against the colonial authorities.

On 16 August 1863, a group of rebels led by Santiago Rodríguez and Gregorio Luperón would raise the national flag on the Capotillo hill in Santo Domingo. The event is known as El Grito de Capotillo and sparked the Restoration War that ended in 1865 with the restoration of the republic. After two years of fighting, the Queen of Spain recognized the national sentiment and annulled the annexation of the Dominican Republic and the Second Republic was established.


Back to school
Education Minister Andrés Navarro says all is ready for the start of school on Monday, 21 August 2017. 1,932,229 public school students and 568,000 students registered in private schools will attend classes this school year.

Navarro says that increasingly every year more students are leaving private schools for the free extended day public schools. He observed this year 60,000 students who had previously attended private schools have enrolled in public schools where parents do not have to pay tuition and students receive free school supplies, books and uniforms.

Many private schools have announced they start on Wednesday, 23 August 2017.

http://elnacional.com.do/garantizan-inicio-ano-escolar-sin-traumas/


Energy & Mines Minister Isa Conde backs Romero Project
Energy and Mines Minister Antonio Isa Conde says that the Ministry is moving forward with the Goldquest Romero Project in San Juan de la Maguana. Isa Conde advised that the Ministry would not be rushed and, as reported in El Nuevo Diario, said that he would be strictly adhering strictly to the law in this case.

Isa Conde reminded journalists that underground mining is a new category in the country and appropriate management is required to “not repeat the errors of the past.” Critics of the Romero Project say it will negatively impact key water resources and disrupt farming in the San Juan de la Maguana region.

Isa Conde understands that the environmental impact of underground mining can be minimized if the operation is well managed. He said that in addition to seeking the sustainability of the mining operation, it is necessary to guarantee the generation of sufficient revenues when exploiting a non-renewable resource.

Isa Conde spoke during an interview on Antena Latina, Channel 7 with Homero Figueroa and Lorena Pierre.

Isa Conde feels that long-term sustainability can be harmonized with mining activities that would contribute to the development of the region and the country. He believes in the adherence to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) guarantees that the resources from the mining activities will fulfill multiple development goals in an environmentally sound fashion.


40% of births in Santo Domingo are to Haitian women
The secretary of the Dominican Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. César López, acknowledges that it is difficult to prevent Haitian nationals from entering the Dominican Republic to give birth.

He says public health statistics indicate that only one of out of three births in the border region of this country was from a Dominican woman. In Greater Santo Domingo, 40% of all births in the DR are to Haitian women. Dr. López says these are usually undernourished women that do not have access to prenatal care in their country and only see a doctor when ready to give birth. As a result, these women add considerably to the maternal mortality rate in the country. He said there is a high prevalence of AIDS, syphilis and tuberculosis and other complications among these patients.

The remarks were made by Dr. López when interviewed by Julio Martínez Pozo on Toque Final on Channel 7. He advocated controlling Haitian birthing tourism. He said the costly health complications eat up the budget available for normal health services at the public hospitals. “We are expending resources to stabilize a complicated patient in the intensive care unit so she does not die,” he said.

He made the comments in regards to recent statistics from Women’s Link Worldwide that place the Dominican Republic in the fourth place of maternal mortality in Latin America, only surpassed by Haiti and Bolivia.

Dr. López also was critical of the Medina administration’s decision to remodel 56 public hospitals all at once, which has created difficult working conditions for the physicians.

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/40-parturientas-hospitales-rd-haitianas/


Reservas and APAP bank branches back to normal
After a weekend when Banco de Reservas and Asociación Popular de Ahorros y Préstamos (APAP) bank branches had cut their business hours, both banks announced they were back to normal after implementing changes to their IT platforms. The banks were closed on Friday and Saturday. Online operations were also affected.

More than 200 branches of the Banco de Reservas closed from Friday, 11 August at noon to Sunday, 13 August 2017 when they operated from 8am to 5pm to make up for their customers.

http://eldia.com.do/reservas-y-apap-funcionan-hoy-normales/


Luz & Fuerza to discontinue El Limón power service
The Samana utility, Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, announced that as of 10 September 2017, it is suspending its customer contracts in compliance with Resolution SIE 051-2017 of the Superintendence of Electricity. This affects customers in the communities of Tierra Blanca, Rancho Español, Monte Adentro, Quisqueya Verde, Las Guázaras, Arroyo Chico, Batey Hormiga in the El Limón municipal district. The company says it has notified its customers to switch to the alternate service provider.

http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...vicio-electrico-comunidades-limon-samana.html
http://eldia.com.do/compania-electrica-suspendera-contratos/


One arrested for Ministry of Environment extortions
The Ministry of Environment announced that it is a priority of the Ministry to put a stop to a suspected group of scammers that are accused of charging for securing environmental permits or to avoid penalties for violation of Environmental Law 64-00. The group primarily operated in the Cibao region.

The Ministry said that the woman identified as Janna Estefany Acosta Vásquez was caught infraganti when extorting money from a company in Santiago. Investigations are ongoing to determine the woman’s accomplices.

The Ministry says the arrest came during an intelligence operation after several persons had complained of being extorted for millions in the name of environmental directors Eduardo Rodríguez in Santiago; Domingo Rodríguez, coordinator of provincial directors and Minister of Environment Francisco Domínguez Brito.

The Ministry is asking business associations and companies in general to denounce by the institutional channels, such as Línea Verde, any person who is requesting irregular payments in the name of the Ministry or its officers.

http://ambiente.gob.do/detectan-banda-que-extorsiona-a-nombre-de-medio-ambiente/


Duke U suspends basketball games in DR
Health problems affecting Duke University’s men’s basketball coach, 70-year old Mike Krzyzewski, resulted in the calling off of exhibition games against the Dominican national basketball team in Santo Domingo and Santiago. Krzyzewski, a former US national basketball team coach, would undergo total replacement surgery on his right knee.

The university last week had confirmed that the Blue Devils basketball team would play exhibition games in Santiago on Sunday, 20 August 2017 and in Santo Domingo on Wednesday, 23 August.

The games were part of the Dominican Republic National Team’s preparation for the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup, which is set for 25 August – 3 September in Colombia. The DR currently stands at No. 18 on the FIBA World Rankings.

http://www.fayobserver.com/sports/20170810/coach-k-set-for-more-surgery-duke-cancels-exhibition-tour ; http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...krzyzewski_undergoes_knee_replacement_surgery


Restoration Day Festival on 15 August
The Ministry of Culture is presenting merengue legend, Fefita la Grande at the Grand Restoration Fiesta, set for Tuesday, 15 August 2017, on the grounds of the Fortaleza Ozama in the Colonial City. The next day, 16 August 2017, is a national holiday that commemorates the end to Spanish rule of the country.

Performances at the Ozama Fort are scheduled from 6pm. A tribute will be held to the legendary artist who celebrates her 50th anniversary performing merengue.

The event also renders tribute to Dominican “merengue tipico” performer, Francisco Ulloa.

Activities begin at 6pm with performances by living statues on the grounds. There will be arts and crafts sales and Dominican food sales at the Comedor de Tatica.

Dominican Carnival characters will also be part of the restoration celebration, and there will be performances by the Dominican Folklore Ballet, the Dominican Winds Orchestra, the National Folklore Ballet, and typical merengue performers from the Escuela de Música Típica Ñico Lora.

The Ministry of Culture will be hosting continuing showing of the documentary, “El Grito de Capotillo-La Restauración” to explain the battles that lead to the end of the Spanish occupation in 1865.

http://elcaribe.com.do/2017/08/14/fefita-la-grande-cantara-la-gran-fiesta-la-restauracion/


Comedy at Bellas Artes
Irving Alberti and Luis José Germán have starring roles in the comedy “Atrácame más” by Cuban Alexis Valdés. The performances will be at the Palacio de Bellas Artes on 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 September 2017.

http://www.listindiario.com/entrete...jose-se-juntan-de-nuevo-esta-vez-en-el-teatro