2009 – Page 30

After disclosing that toxic and illegal pesticides and herbicides are still being imported into the DR, Hoy is reporting that a 20-year old shipment of DDT is still sitting at the Center for Tropical Diseases (CENCET). The DDT is stored in cardboard boxes, plastic bags and other unsafe packaging. DDT is not just carcinogenic and …

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Dr. Johan Tapia Bueno, who was being held in temporary police custody, was released on bail from detention at the Palace of Justice yesterday. Earlier this week, Tapia was arrested on medical malpractice charges. Further investigations revealed that he was running an unlicensed medical practice from an apartment in the Evaristo Morales sector of Santo …

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A report by the Abused Women’s Support Trust (PACAM) published in Clave Digital, has found that contrary to popular belief, 70% of abused women in the DR have higher education levels. PACAM director Soraya Lara de Marmol says that the rate of violence affecting women in this educational bracket has not increased, but that these …

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According to results from the DR’s first study on sexual behavior, 71.03% of Dominican women have admitted to having been sexually harassed at least once in their lives. Of those surveyed, 35.4% are between the ages of 12 to 39, while 35.63% are between the ages of 40 and 65. The survey also indicates that …

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Increased education, changed patterns of sexual activity, and increased use of condoms are some of the reasons why the HIV rate has decreased in the DR, according to the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Infection rates among homosexual males remain high. The report indicates that the HIV/AIDS rate among sex workers is 4.8% …

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Puerto Plata had long been a major tourism center for the DR, registering 20% yearly growth rates during the 1990s, but the last 8 years have seen sharp declines in the number of tourist arrivals. According to the Central Bank, the last time Puerto Plata saw a spike in the number of arrivals was in …

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Escogido fans, watch out, your team is for real. The team no one thought could is playing baseball like never before and it seems as if they are in fact the team to beat this season. A surprising switch from seasons past when Escogido was guaranteed a position at the bottom of the standings, this …

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The Executive Branch has sent the budget for 2010 to Congress. The budget is for RD$379 billion, up from RD$328 billion for 2009. Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa and Budget Director Luis Hernandez submitted the budget to Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez. For the government, this is a most likely a record early delivery of the …

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As legislators prepare to discuss the 2010 budget, El Caribe journalist Hector Linares points out that the Dominican budget is always on a path of continuous growth. According to the writer, the DR budget will grow ten-fold between 2010 and 2020. And if the budget of 1990 is any indication, by 2020 the DR’s budget …

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The Senate and Chamber of Deputies have given priority to changing Law 176-07 to increase the number of city councilors for the National District and municipalities that will be elected in the May 2010 municipal election. The changes now increase city councilors to 5 for populations with up to 25,000 inhabitants, to 7 for municipalities …

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