Paliza: President to declare tomorrow Monday as non-working day due to Hurricane Fiona

President Abinader postpones his trip to wait for the passage of hurricane Fiona.

The administrative minister of the Presidency of the Republic, José Ignacio Paliza, announced that President Luis Abinader would declare this Monday as a non-working day due to the passage of hurricane Fiona through the national territory. Likewise, the official declared that the president postponed his trip to the United Nations General Assembly next Tuesday, which was scheduled for this Monday.

Meanwhile, the director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Juan Manuel Méndez, and the other authorities of the civil protection organizations revealed that the phenomenon Fiona is at the moment 240 kilometers away from Saona Island with a translation speed of 13 kilometers per hour.

In addition, they said that Fiona reached category 1 with winds of 130 kilometers per hour and 20 kilometers in the interior of the area that will begin to be felt directly in the early hours of Monday morning; however, the rains and winds of the phenomenon are already being felt in the northeastern, eastern and southeastern regions of the country.

In addition, the authorities indicated that the whole country is still under meteorological alert due to the passage of hurricane Fiona.

The director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Juan Manuel Méndez, instructed this Sunday the civil protection, relief, and rescue organizations to carry out mandatory evacuations in vulnerable areas of the provinces under red and yellow alert due to the passage of storm Fiona which is expected to arrive this Sunday to the territory of Puerto Rico and to reach the Dominican Republic by the early hours of Monday morning.

On Tuesday, our territory will continue to be quite humid and unstable due to the cloudiness associated with tropical storm Fiona. Showers, thunderstorms, and wind gusts are forecast, especially over the north, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, and Central Cordillera regions.

Hurricane Fiona is felt in several parts of the country

Santo Domingo, DR
Since the middle of this past Sunday, Hurricane Fiona began to have an impact on the deterioration of weather conditions in the Dominican territory with rains and wind gusts that increased as the hours went by.

Although the eastern zone has been the one that has registered the greatest presence of these conditions, the characteristics have been repeated in different points of the country.

In view of the consequences of this phenomenon, state and municipal measures have been adopted to preserve lives and avoid risky situations, among them, the declaration of a non-working day for this Monday.

The Executive Power’s decision includes the suspension of public and private work throughout the country. Likewise, the mandatory evacuation of people at risk in the provinces has been issued under red and yellow alerts.

Precisely, these alerts cover more than 20 of the provinces, and the remaining ones remain in green.

According to reports from the National Meteorological Office (Onamet), by Sunday afternoon, Fiona was detected with winds of 130 kilometers per hour, typical of a Category I hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale.

Hurricane-force winds extended about 30 miles (45 km) outward from its center, and storm-force winds extended about 140 miles (220 km).

Evolution of Fiona

Fiona, which began as a tropical depression and is already a hurricane, has presented an “inconsistent” trajectory that has forced the agencies of the Dominican Republic and the entire region to maintain “strict” monitoring. Last Wednesday, the formation of the seventh tropical depression of the current hurricane season was announced.

At that time, the natural phenomenon registered maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h, with higher gusts.

The following day, it was upgraded to a tropical storm just when it was about 935 kilometers east of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. Finally, around noon on Sunday, it became the third hurricane of the current hurricane season.

The official identification of the hurricane was confirmed based on the observations of a reconnaissance plane or hurricane hunter and data from the Doppler Radar of Puerto Rico, which were able to detect winds of 130 kph on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale.

The hurricane winds extend some 45 km outside its center, and the storm winds extend some 220 km.

According to the projections and if it continues with its same movement, the center of Fiona would be located in the early hours of Monday morning between 10 and 30 kilometers northeast of Cabo Engaño.

For this reason, eastern provinces such as La Altagracia and El Seibo began to feel winds with hurricane and storm intensity at times, and which will gradually spread to other provinces such as Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, Samaná, Sánchez Ramírez, among others.

The Onamet maintains a hurricane warning from Punta Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, a hurricane warning from Cabo Francés Viejo to Puerto Plata, and a tropical storm warning from the Barahona peninsula to Punta Caucedo.

ON POINT

Alert in the country.

The National Meteorological Office maintained last night a hurricane warning from Punta Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, a hurricane warning from Cabo Frances Viejo to Puerto Plata, and a tropical storm warning from the Barahona peninsula to Punta Caucedo…

Onamet increases alert from Punta Palenque to Cabrera due to storm Fiona

Fiona’s heavy rains will hit the Dominican Republic on Sunday.

The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) increased this Friday the early weather alert for possible tropical storm conditions from Punta Palenque (San Cristóbal) to Cabo Engaño (La Altagracia) and from Cabo Engaño to Cabrera (María Trinidad Sánchez).

The previous weather alert issued yesterday afternoon and evening included the area from La Romana to Cabo Engaño and Cabo Engaño to Cabrera.

An early weather warning means that within 72 hours or less, one or two of the three effects of a tropical cyclone are possible in the areas under alert, such as heavy rains, storm force winds, and abnormal surf.

Alerts
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) issued an early green alert for four provinces given the possible incidence of tropical storm Fiona in the Dominican territory.

The provinces on green alert are Samaná, La Romana, La Altagracia, and María Trinidad Sánchez.

Fiona’s Trajectory
Fiona is located this Friday morning, about 425 kilometers east/southeast of the Leeward Islands (Lesser Antilles). Its maximum sustained winds are 85 kilometers per hour with higher gusts, and its current movement is westward at about 24 kilometers per hour.

According to Onamet, slight changes in its intensity are forecast for the next few days as it approaches the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported in its Friday bulletin that tropical storm conditions are expected in the Leeward Islands within the warning area for tonight.

Heavy rainfall from Fiona will reach the Leeward Islands tonight, extending to the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Saturday, reaching the Dominican Republic on Sunday and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday night or Tuesday.

The report indicates that Fiona is expected to move near the island of Hispaniola early next week.

This Friday
The Onamet indicated that this Friday dawns with mostly cloudy skies over locations in the southeast, northeast, and the Central Cordillera, such as in La Altagracia, El Seibo, La Romana, Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, San Pedro de Macorís, Santo Domingo, Samaná, Duarte, Sánchez Ramírez, among others, where the occurrence of local showers, isolated thundershowers and occasional gusts of wind, during the morning and evening hours, a product of the incidence of a trough in the high levels of the troposphere, is also expected.

On the Atlantic Coast, the Onamet recommended that operators of small and fragile boats navigate with caution without venturing out to sea from Cabo Engaño (La Altagracia) to Punta Mangles (Miches) due to abnormal swells.

Arajet makes history: first commercial flight to be launched in Barranquilla

The Dominican low-cost airline Arajet announced the start of its operations with direct flights connecting Santo Domingo with the Colombian cities of Barranquilla and Cali, to which other routes will be added soon.

The first commercial flight in the company’s history, which departed from Las Americas International Airport (AILA), landed at Ernesto Cortissoz Airport in Barranquilla, the main city of the Colombian Caribbean, and later at Alfonso Bonilla Aragon, in Cali, the largest city in the southwest, according to a press release from the airline.

“Arajet will also add the historic and emblematic city of Cartagena to its route network on September 18, and later on, Bogotá and Medellín. With these operations Arajet expects to serve five strategic cities in the country directly with Santo Domingo in the coming months,” they add.

Arajet’s president, Víctor Pacheco Méndez, said that the airline’s arrival in Colombia seeks to “strengthen commercial, tourism and cultural ties, as well as to promote economic development opportunities between the two countries.”

“International tourism in Colombia is going through a great moment and the arrival of new international airlines to the country is an indicator of confidence and positioning of our destinations, as well as the attributes associated with nature, culture and biodiversity,” said Gilberto Salcedo, vice-president of Tourism of the state agency ProColombia.

Arajet, which has a fleet of five state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft configured for 185 passengers, expects to reach 20 destinations in 12 countries in the coming months, the information added.

According to the company, in the next few days, it will add new destinations in Peru, Mexico, Salvador, Aruba, St. Maarten, and Guatemala, as well as Toronto and Montreal (Canada).

Tropical depression under strict surveillance

Santo Domingo, DR
With maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (35 mph) and a trend of gradual strengthening, the newly formed seventh tropical depression of this 2022 hurricane season is developing. It has attracted the attention of meteorological agencies because of its chances of becoming a storm.

“As of this moment, we are strictly monitoring the movement and evolution of this tropical cyclone,” the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) announced through a report released yesterday afternoon.

Trajectory forecasts indicate that the system will continue to move westward and approach the Caribbean region over the next two days.

Consequently, they foresee a “progressive deterioration” in weather conditions for this weekend associated with the, so far, tropical depression.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the system is expected to move through the Leeward Islands and near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Friday night.

Humidity and wind

For this Thursday, Onamet forecasts that, although the influence of a drier air mass will remain over the Dominican forecast area, leading to generally sunny weather with limited rainfall activity over much of the country, patches of humidity associated with the wind are expected.

Abinader: open skies agreement with U.S. would be ready in 60 days

President Luis Abinader stated that negotiations for signing an Open Skies agreement with the United States are advanced, a process that could be completed in about 60 days.

“We are discussing the Open Skies agreement with the United States and they are very interested. It is very possible that in 60 days we will be reaching an agreement. We have 90 percent of the points agreed,” Abinader explained that such an agreement would make air operations between the two countries easier.

“What is needed here is competition between airlines and that will help us,” he said.

Abinader met on Sunday with representatives of Dominican airlines, among them the newcomer Arajet. The meeting resulted in the government’s commitment to send to the National Congress a “hub” law, which will allow the establishment of special conditions for those airlines that establish themselves in the country.

“We are going to submit the law to establish the Dominican Republic as an airline hub, that will give us competitiveness,” he said, explaining that Arajet and other groups have expressed their interest in using the country as a regional hub, as Copa does in Panama.

Central Bank governor assures tourism is the “backbone” of recovery

Santo Domingo, DR.
The governor of the Central Bank (BCRD), Héctor Valdez Albizu, specified that foreign exchange earnings from tourism, which reached US$5,759.1 million in January-August 2022, together with the inflow of US$6,518.8 million from remittances in the said period, contribute significantly to maintaining a sustainable balance in the current account of the balance of payments and to maintaining exchange rate stability, an essential element for generating certainty in economic agents.

He added that 31% of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2021, or some US$960 million, went mainly to the expansion and remodeling of tourism infrastructure, with an expected value of close to US$1 billion for this concept in that sector by the end of 2022.

The governor of the BCRD met with a delegation of the board of directors of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores), headed by its president Rafael Blanco, in which he emphasized that this sector has made the most significant contribution to the growth of the Dominican economy this year, thus becoming a backbone of the excellent recovery process that the country is experiencing after the pandemic and the effects of the current war in Ukraine.

Tourism activity
Valdez Albizu indicated that the tourism sector contributed 1.8 percentage points in the average expansion of 5.5 % registered by the economy in January-July 2022, one-third of the growth experienced in the first seven months, with an increase in its real added value of 32.9 %.

The governor pointed out that this remarkable performance responds to the arrival of 4,282,207 million travelers in January-July of the current year, for an increase of 1,820,577 passengers (74.0 %) concerning the same period of 2021, highlighting, in particular, the historical record for a month with the arrival of 735,064 tourists in July 2022.

It is noteworthy that this favorable trend was again reflected in the non-resident passengers received in August 2022, reaching the remarkable figure of 621,953 tourists, being the best month of August in the entire statistical series, according to data announced by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado. In this way, 4.9 million non-resident travelers have accumulated in the last eight months of this year.

Asonahores
The directors of Asonahores described as ‘surprising’ the recovery of tourism in the Dominican Republic ‘due, to a great extent, to work carried out by the Government, and more specifically to the strategy developed in all markets by the Ministry of Tourism, headed by David Collado.’

They also highlighted the importance of the monetary measures implemented during the pandemic to offer facilities to the private sector and households through the financial system.

The representatives of the sector stated that foreign investors, especially hoteliers, praised the treatment received in the Dominican Republic by the Government and the credit facilities granted by the Central Bank through the financial system to support the sector in difficult times.

Governor Valdez Albizu recalled that, through the measures established by the Monetary Board, US$600 million in financial resources were made available at an interest rate of up to 8% for the tourism sector, which was a great help for the maintenance of its businesses and the preservation of jobs.

Valdez Albizu pointed out that preliminary estimates of the National Continuous Labor Force Survey (ENCFT) for the April – June 2022 quarter showed that the total number of employed persons in the economic activity of hotels, bars, and restaurants reached 363,334 persons, a level higher than the 300,996 net employed persons of the same period of 2021.

Hoteliers
Representatives of the sector stated that foreign investors, especially hoteliers, praise the treatment received in the DR by the Government and the credit facilities granted by the BCRD.

Construction material prices must reflect reality

President of Codia says that price speculation must be avoided and calls on Proconsumidor to play its role.
Leaders of the construction sector advocate that the local prices of construction materials should be sincere and by the reductions that these inputs are having at the international level, so that they are reflected in the final costs of the houses or projects.

Cristian Rojas, president of the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors (CODIA), said that the entity will evaluate these prices and if they correspond to reality. However, exogenous factors influence such as freight and oil costs.

He said that this reduction in inputs arose last week, among them the rebar, which dropped 11.7%, will not be reflected immediately in the final costs because there are housing units that are already being built with the old price of steel, so the new houses that begin to be built now will have a reduction.

We invite you to read: Price of rebar dropped 11.72%, Iglesias reports.
“All price reductions should be reflected in the domestic market and avoid price speculation. And in this Proconsumidor must play an important role and adjust these prices to reality,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Teodoro Tejada, former president of Codia, affirmed that the price decrease of the bundle of sticks is derisory and should have dropped RD$20,000 and is still overpriced, given that the November 2020 price already had intrinsic the high freight costs and the dollar rate. He pointed out that a bundle of rods is 22.25 quintals of rods.

He explained that in December 2019, the cost of a bundle of rods was RD$19 thousand, stressing that in November 2020, a bundle of rods cost RD$57,850, and now in September 2022, that price was RD$82 thousand pesos and went down to RD$75 thousand.

While freight went up from US$2,500 before the pandemic in February 2020 to RD$14,000 and up to RD$18,000 a month in September 2020. “And now it dropped considerably to between 8 to 12 thousand dollars and the dollar rate has decreased 5 points, therefore the price of tied rod that had risen from November 2020 to the month of August 2022 an alarming figure of RD$34,150, the fact of lowering RD$7 thousand is an absurdity,” he said.

Real estate experts say that the time to invest is now

Santo Domingo, DR.
Despite the uncertainty created by the post-pandemic stage with its inflationary wave and the recessionary trend of the economy, the real estate sector struggles to maintain its dynamism by creating new proposals for investors of any income level.

According to experts, as in other economic sectors, there is a before and an after Covid-19; however, they do not hesitate to affirm that “the time to invest is now.”

“The time to do it is now, no matter the rise and instability you feel,” says Eduardo Navarro, expert and real estate advisor of the company Mr. Home, who says that there are “extraordinary changes in the projects that are being developed in the country.”

“We had seen an extraordinary change in the projects that are being developed since they involve a new mentality in projects that before were residential, now we have a great diversity, family products, family and investment products that coexist together and investment products only but that bring new variables,” says Navarro, consulted by Listín Diario.

The expert affirms that it is interesting to visualize how new real estate proposals are being developed thanks to technology, security, coexistence policies, and market studies. The new residential and investment products have areas of coffee, laundry, restaurants, coworking, commercial premises, hotel, children, and social areas with swimming pools, jacuzzis, sauna, gymnasium, cinema, and basketball court, among others.

Navarro agrees with Gisselle Ventura, advisor of the company Oferta Inmobiliaria RD, who explains that the economic stability that the country has had in recent years and the facilities offered by the State have favored those who are interested in acquiring housing, either to live or to invest.

“There will always be a risk factor when making the decision (…) but what we do know is that prices are increasing,” said Ventura, emphasizing that the money invested in real estate is always profitable because everyday real estate acquires more value.

He said digital platforms, such as AIR BNB, have generated a great interest in dual-use housing projects. Currently, there is an “explosion” of projects, especially in tourist communities and metropolitan areas.

He pointed out that the current trend of developers is very marked in projects of one- or two-bedroom apartments for second homes and villas in areas with high tourist potential.

Construction is on the rise.
Although at the end of last week, a decrease in the prices of some construction materials began to be felt, the truth is that since the middle of 2021, the construction cost of real estate construction has increased considerably.

According to the expert Gisselle Ventura, the construction meter, both for low-cost housing and other real estate projects, has increased between 35 and 40%, which people corroborate consulted who indicate that an apartment in low-cost projects, which a few years ago cost RD$2.4 million today cannot be obtained for less than RD$3.5 or RD$3.9 million.

However, Navarro estimates that the price of real estate is becoming more and more regularized and that contracts are stipulated with clear formulas to ensure the success of the projects for the developer, the investor, and the country.

Recommendation
A recommendation that Navarro and Ventura also agree on is that when deciding to invest in real estate, seek the advice of experts, who will help you define the best opportunity based on the purposes, amounts to invest, and the offer presented by the real estate market.

Innovative offers
Eduardo Navarro, the real estate advisor of the company Mr. Home, highlights the innovative offer of projects such as:

Murales
Conceptualizes a mixed vocation project with commercial, corporate, and residential components in a 41,500 m2 block located in Gazcue.

World Trade Center Santo Domingo
This will be a mixed-use complex, comprising what is now BlueMall Santo Domingo, JW Marriott Santo Domingo, and Torre Empresarial BlueMall, and new buildings that will consist of two business towers under the WTC brand and two apartment-hotel towers.

The arrival of flights does not coincide with Collado’s forecasts

The aeronautical operations are not coinciding with the forecasts of the Minister of Tourism. On the contrary, the performance in August has been lower than David Collado’s predictions. And the arrivals of flights in these days of September only confirms a downward trend.

The figures do not deceive; they have no ideology. They are what they are, and that’s that. The official said that we would have the best August in history, and the data contradicts him. Playing with figures according to convenience usually has a “boomerang” effect.

And that is what is happening; the data is turning against Minister Collado. So you must be careful with these things, selling occupancies that do not match reality. Just look at the flight arrivals at the airports.

Month after month, the official has been presenting at the Ambassador Hotel the benefits of the high occupancy increase in flights. And that is a strategic error because not every month tourism would go from increase to increase.

That is why Collado and the Government have resorted to the global computation of tourist arrivals so far this year to emphasize the excellent fortune of tourism in the DR. A very favorable situation but with a downward trend if compared with the forecasts made by the Mitur.

There is no need for the minister’s monthly self-promotion at the Hotel El Embajador, although it should not surprise us because politicians are permanently campaigning. Business people and executives know this and should be made to see that they cannot play with their food.

The union between the Government and the tourism business world is exemplary, which does not happen in Mexico or Spain. The year, I insist, will be very good, but everything is in its place.

Announced flights between Santiago de los Caballeros and Madrid, Spain

The Cibao International Airport, Grupo Consolidador Aéreo y Mayorista de Viajes VDT and the Plus Ultra airline announced for next December flights from Madrid, Spain, to Santiago de los Caballeros.

The operations will be carried out between the Adolfo Suarez terminal of the European country and Cibao.

According to what was explained, the companies are planning two special departures in December, with the intention of a weekly frequency.

Félix M. García, president of the Board of Directors of the air terminal, thanked the executives of the Plus Ultra airline for their confidence. He assures that this is an excellent boost for the Dominican community in Spain and all of Europe and tourism in the north of the Dominican Republic.

Ultra and Grupo VDT have joined forces to offer the Dominican diaspora to Santiago de los Caballeros for the first time in history. With the operation, Grupo VDT and Plus Ultra reinforce their commitment to connect the Dominican Republic further and join forces to open a new destination.

Both the CEOS of Grupo VDT and the management of Plus Ultra are happy to be the first to launch this destination and to bring to all Dominicans in Europe the possibility of arriving directly from Madrid to Santiago.”

The sale is already available through the platforms of Grupo VDT – Consolidador Aéreo.

Dominican Republic boosts shopping tourism with tax refunds

The Senate of the Republic approved on second reading the bill on the Refund of the Tax on the Transfer of Industrialized Goods and Services (ITBIS) to foreign tourists, thus promoting the country as a tourist shopping destination and making it more competitive.

According to the bill, the piece of legislation will stimulate and increase the consumption by tourists of products made in the Dominican Republic since the tourism sector is one of the sectors with the greatest potential in the country.

The regulation, presented by the vice-president of the Senate, Santiago Zorrilla, aims to refund ITBIS to foreign tourists and non-residents in the country who make purchases of nationally produced or imported goods and to establish sanctions for those who falsify information for such refunds.

Likewise, the Senate approved on second reading the bill of Incentive to the Nautical Tourism of Recreation, an initiative of senators Alexis Victoria (María Trinidad Sánchez) and Ginnette Bournigal (Puerto Plata).

The legislative piece aims to promote nautical tourism through the regulation of navigation in boats and nautical devices that, for recreational, private, commercial, and sporting purposes, are carried out in waters under national jurisdiction; it also includes aspects related to the registration, construction, and repair of vessels, as well as the promotion and incentives related to this activity.

During the legislative work, the bill that declares San Cristóbal as an Ecotourism Province, proposed by Senator Franklin Rodríguez, was also approved in the second reading. The purpose of the bill is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and the promotion of cultural manifestations for the benefit of the economic and social development of San Cristóbal.

In the Dominican Republic, the beer market represents nearly 3% of GDP

Santo Domingo, DR.

Having a beer at a party, a cookout, a stadium, or a grocery store not only means toasting good times but also boosts local economies worldwide.

This is confirmed by the 2022 report, “Global Economic Footprint of Beer,” prepared by Oxford Economics on behalf of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance (WBA), which studied for the first time the global economic impact of the beer industry.

The report demonstrates the strong contribution of beer to global gross domestic product (GDP), job creation, and tax collection, a trend that is also reflected in the Dominican economy.

As part of the main conclusions of the Oxford Economics study, which uses data prior to the 2019 pandemic, beer production and distribution contributed US$555 billion to global GDP, a contribution that also translates into economic benefits for local communities, creating a value chain that stretches from farmers to shippers, small retailers, customers, restaurants, bars, and hospitality industry establishments.

This impressive global impact is reflected in the Dominican Republic. According to local data, beer consumption represents 2.7% of GDP. This translates into a positive impact on the economy, the value chain, and especially on small businesses such as grocery stores.

The economic boost of the brewing industry is also reflected in its ability to generate jobs. The Oxford Economics report highlights that this industry generated more than 23 million jobs internationally (1 out of every 110 jobs in the world).

Taking it to the local level, it is estimated that the production and marketing of beer in the Dominican Republic generates more than 130,000 jobs throughout the value chain.

Passenger boom in the AILA: 500 weekly flights on average

The Las Americas International Airport (AILA) is registering a significant increase in passengers, surpassing even its pre-pandemic number of operations, with an average of 500 flights per week at the country’s second-largest airport terminal.

According to statistical data provided by the Flight Operations Department of Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), during the week of August 21-28, 492 operations were registered.

The same data obtained indicate that more than 65% of the flights came from cities in the United States, such as New York, Boston, New Jersey, Miami, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Philadelphia, and Fort Lauderdale.

Regarding the level of passengers mobilized, the data indicates that they arrived with an occupancy factor of more than 95%.

During the summer season, the movement of flights and passengers through the AILA has increased considerably after eliminating the sanitary controls established in the airports and airplanes against Covid-19.

Among the airlines operating these flights from the terminal are American Airlines, Copa Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue Airways, Swiss International Air Lines, Spirit Airlines, Air Red, and other airlines.

While those that operate the route from the airport terminal to European countries include Iberia, Air France, Air Europa, and various airlines that operate charter flights.

Aerodom also operates the international airports Gregorio Luperón in Puerto Plata, President Juan Bosch in Samaná and Joaquín Balaguer in Santo Domingo Norte.

Real estate tourism is experiencing an “unprecedented” boom in the Dominican Republic

After the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) presented the Central Unit of Tourism Procedures, it announced 171 projects under construction in 12 provinces, with construction deadlines in force, including requests for extensions.

Of these, 61 belong to real estate projects, with 25,347 rooms and an investment of US$1,8 billion.

In this regard, Michael Lugo, executive director of the Dominican Association of Tourism Real Estate Companies (ADETI), attributes the boom in real estate tourism to the arrival of the pandemic, which changed the priorities and needs of investors.

“The sector had been growing gradually during the years prior to the pandemic, occupying the role of a second home for many families. The boom and dynamism in sales experienced at the beginning of the pandemic were unprecedented. The priorities and needs of families changed drastically, leading them to move away from the big cities and look for spaces where they could enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

He pointed out that La Altagracia continues to be the province mainly investing in real estate tourism, as well as Miches, Samaná, Puerto Plata, Constanza, and Jarabacoa, among other locations in the country.

“It should be emphasized that each real estate tourism destination has its own focus, vision and projection; its demand will vary according to its location, offer, amenities, philosophy and public. Any area that has a particular attraction has potential and is being developed,” he said, according to Acento.

Referring to the foreigners who invest the most, Lugo explained that each real estate tourist destination has unique attractions that are different from the others, which allows a diversity of investors from different countries.

“For example, in the East zone are many investors from the United States and Canada. However, the Samana area has a lot of investment from European countries. Other foreigners with large investments come from Spain, France, and the United Kingdom,” he said.

He pointed out that 27,000 rooms have been built in the projects of the tourism companies of the guild, in addition to 4,000 rooms currently under construction.

Abinader inaugurates works for RD$520 MM in Puerto Plata

Puerto Plata, D.R.
With an investment of more than RD$520 million, President Luis Abinader yesterday inaugurated the Altamira-Rio Grande highway, the Las Canas bridge in the municipality of Imbert, and the repowering of the San Marcos electrical substation in this province.

Of this investment, RD$377 million corresponds to the road linking the municipality of Altamira with the municipal district of Río Grande. This project, about 20 kilometers long, benefits the 30,000 inhabitants that make up the surroundings of these two communities.

Also, the Las Canas bridge, which was built for RD$57 million, connects dozens of livestock and agricultural communities affected for years by the lack of infrastructure for regional development. In addition, the repowering of the San Marcos substation, replacing a 20-30 MVA power transformer for RD$86 million.

Sidewalks, curbs, cards

The Minister of Public Works, Deligne Ascención, announced that RD$170 million were made available for the construction of sidewalks and curbs in this province’s municipalities and municipal districts. In addition, a motorized pedestrian bridge will be built in Altamira.

Earlier in the day, the President headed the 51st “Primero Tú” (First You) social inclusion day, which is being carried out by the government through the General Directorate of Strategic and Special Projects of the Presidency (Propeep), in favor of people in vulnerable conditions.

To date, about 130 thousand people have benefited throughout the country with these days. Yesterday, more than 2,000 people were treated.

In the activity held in the Nepomuceno Ravelo elementary school, the municipality of Imbert, the head of state, said that the government is doubling the social aid to reach those who need it most.

Parade in honor of Luperón

President Abinader also led the civic-military parade on the occasion of the 183rd anniversary of the birth of the restoration hero General Gregorio Luperón, accompanied by members of his cabinet and military and local authorities.

After the cannon fire in honor of the military hero, who was also President of the Republic, the parade of the military units began under the direction of the commander of the second brigade of the Army, General Fernando Arturo Pérez Jiménez.

The President was accompanied by the Administrative Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza; the President of the Permanent Commission of National Anniversaries, Juan Pablo Uribe; the provincial governor, Claritza Rochtte; the senator Ginette Bournigal, the mayor Roquelito García, deputies Johnny Medina and Emil Durán, and the vice administrative minister Igor Rodríguez, among other officials.

Thousands of people watched the parade on the seafront of Puerto Plata with the participation of different military units of the country, students from other schools, and representatives of local civic organizations.

President visits house-museum

Gregorio Luperón.

President Abinader, before leading the parade, visited the House Museum of General Gregorio Luperón, receiving details of its facilities and the services it provides as national and foreign tourists visit it.

José Briceño Stadium.

The President also made available RD$150 million to remodel the José Briceño Stadium of Puerto Plata, with a joint effort of the Bishopric and the administrative ministries of the Presidency and Sports.

Deputies approve bill that guarantees teaching English as a second language

A bill that seeks to guarantee the teaching of English as a second language in the public schools of the Dominican Republic was approved as a matter of urgency in two consecutive sessions this Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies.

One of the recitals of the bill states that: “The Constitution of the Dominican Republic establishes the right to an integral, quality, permanent education, with equal conditions and opportunities for all persons with no other limitations than those derived from their aptitudes, vocation and aspirations.”

At the request of several deputies, the bill was declared of urgency to be heard in two consecutive sessions.

They unanimously approved the bill by the 131 deputies at the session and passed it to the Senate of the Republic.

The initiative declares that the learning and teaching of the English language in the educational system is a public interest.

According to the bill, the Ministry of Education (Minerd) would be the competent body to design and implement a national teacher training strategy to teach English to students in extended day and polytechnic public schools.

The funds for implementing the law would be allocated to the Ministry of Education in the General State Budget law.

“That the English language has become an important factor, when it comes to achieving labor and personal success, since in most companies they require a certain level of writing, speaking, understanding and reading English for the management of national and international relations,” is what the piece establishes in the seventh recital.

A total of 18 deputies expressed their support for the bill and the importance of young people in learning English.

Deputy Servía Iris Familia indicated that English has been taught in the Dominican Republic for 60 years but that due to the deficiencies, students do not speak it fluently when they leave high school.

Congresswoman Ydenia Doñe emphasized that learning English is a necessity in the country.

Congressman Juan Julio Campos said that English is the most spoken language in the world and that the Dominican Republic must join globalization by learning it.

Hamlet Amado Melo highlighted the importance of the project because he understood that learning English would contribute to the labor and social development of the people.

The XVIII Adoexpo Golf Cup will be held at Punta Espada Golf Club, Cap Cana.

Santo Domingo, DR – The Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) announced for Sunday 18 of this month, the XVII Adoexpo 2022 Golf Cup, an edition that will have an international character because it will mark the beginning of the activities of two crucial Latin American congresses in the areas of business and banking.

The sporting competition will be held at the Punta Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana, with a hundred business people, diplomats, executives of exporting companies, and representatives of the sponsoring entities.

As in previous years, competitors will bet on the best positions in categories “A,” “B,” and “C” under the scramble modality in pairs.

The event was announced at a meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel, headed by the president of Adoexpo, Elizabeth Mena; the technical director of the tournament, Jochi Mella and the executive president of the Asociación de Bancos Múltiples de la República Dominicana (ABA), Rosanna Ruíz.

Mena highlighted that this XVII edition would be linked to the Latin American Congress of Foreign Trade (CLACE) and the Latin American Congress of Technology and Innovation (CLAB), organized by the Latin American Federation of Banks (Felaban) and the ABA.

“Starting next September 18 with this tournament, in the framework of Adoexpo’s 50th anniversary, we will be supporting these events as part of an alliance with the ABA and Felaban, which recognize the importance for the export sector, aligned with the country’s strategy as a regional trade reference and logistics hub,” he said.

Jochi Mella, technical director of the tournament, explained that in addition to the first three places, special prizes would be awarded for the Longest Drive and the Closest to the Pin.

He also said that as is customary in this competition, after the contest, there will be a trophy ceremony, multiple raffles, and gifts at the end of the event, courtesy of sponsors and Adoexpo.

The executive president of the ABA, Rosanna Ruiz, highlighted the importance of this alliance after stating that “the attendance at the CLAB and CLACE congresses of multilateral trading interests, banks, Bigtech and Fintech of the region gives us the opportunity to show, as an export and economic sector, the comparative and competitive advantages of the Dominican market, so that our country can become a hub of innovation and exports in Central America, the Caribbean, and the world.”

Sponsors and allies

This XVII Adoexpo Golf Tournament is sponsored in the “Large Exporter” category by the Dominican Mining Corporation (Cormidom) and Gerdau Metaldom, while in the “Exporter” category are Cemento Cibao, Haina International Terminals (Hit), and Cemento Panam.

The sponsors of the “Entrepreneur” category are Ageport, Banco Lafise, Domicem, Despachos Portuarios Hispaniola (DPH), Implementos & Maquinarias (IMCA), J. Armando Bermúdez, Kinnox, London Consulting, Marítima Dominicana (Mardom) and Scotiabank.

The tournament’s strategic allies are Banco BHD, Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, Cortés Hermanos, Henriquez Soluciones Logísticas, Industrias Banilejas (Induban), Industrias San Miguel (Ism), La Aurora, Newlink, Oliver & Oliver (Ron Punta Cana), Pasteurizadora Rica, Ron Barceló, Seabord Marine and La Reina (Serta).

The annual sponsors in the “Platinum” category are Banco Banreservas, Corporación Minera Dominicana (Cormidom), DP World Caucedo, Falconbridge Dominicana (Falcondo), Gerdau Metaldom, Grupo SID, Banco Popular, in the “Gold” category is Laboratorio Rowe, in the “Silver” category is Banco Lafise, Cemento Cibao, Kinnox, Mardom, Mardom, Plastifar and Pasteurizadora Rica.

Solar-powered street lighting allows savings between 20 and 40 %

The Dominican Republic could save between 20 and 40% of the current cost of public lighting if solar energy solutions replace the luminaires that use conventional electricity.

This was explained by Felipe Sanches, director for Latin America of Fonroche Lightning, an expert in solar street lighting and a world leader in the sector with a presence in more than 70 countries.

He emphasized that the luminaires that use solar light do not require wiring and have minimal maintenance; the battery is changed every 10 to 12 years and guarantees 365 nights of lighting per year.

He highlighted that they offer an innovative technology consisting of a photovoltaic panel that captures solar energy, stores it in batteries, and illuminates through the night.

He added that this product continues to work even in rainy periods with little radiation and is resistant to strong winds caused by hurricanes.

Sanches expressed that they are developing a pilot project together with the private sector in Punta Cana, Bávaro, and La Altagracia, with the installation of 10 solar lights, which will be shown to the public authorities and the private sector.

And in the country, they are participating hand in hand with the French multinational electrical services company France Energie.

Alain Conte, founding president of France Energie, explained that “this is not a massive product, but a customized solar solution in which we measure the last 10 years of solar radiation in the project location, through the Worst Case Scenario process, which takes the month with the worst radiation and the longest night to create the solar street lighting solution that adapts to the needs and reality based on these parameters.”

This technology arrives for the first time in the Caribbean and was presented yesterday in the Dominican Republic as an innovative solar lighting solution.

Club Med launches discounts of up to 45% in its Dominican Republic resorts

Club Med Resorts has launched its “Your Wanderlust Awaits” sale, where travelers can save up to 45% and can book now through November 1, 2022, with travel dates beginning September 24, 2022, through May 5, 2023.

Participating resorts include Club Med Punta Cana and Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, Dominican Republic; Club Med Cancun, Mexico; Club Med Quebec, Canada; Club Med Ixtapa Pacifico, Mexico; Club Med Columbus, Bahamas; Club Med Turkoise, Turks and Caicos; Club Med Caravelle, Guadeloupe, French Caribbean; and Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique, French Caribbean.

The “Your Wanderlust Awaits” sale will enable savings to travelers when combining their vacations with airfare, resulting in leaves with room rates as low as US$135pp / night at participating resorts.

Other benefits of the sale include staying free for children under four without a single supplement. In addition, by bundling resort and airfare into one, visitors can save 10 percent and receive free airport transfers.

Club Med is committed to the safety of its guests. It offers an Emergency Assistance Program for anyone traveling between now and December 31, 2023, which covers emergency medical expenses, including those related to Covid-19. They also offer a flexible cancellation policy where guests can cancel for a full refund before 61 days of their stay.