Green alert for Las Terrenas and Sánchez

Persistent rains and a sudden fall in temperature have been recorded in Dominican Republic for Thursday following a cold front, confirmed this Friday the National Office of Meteorology (ONAMET).

The bad weather affected the North-western, Northern, the valley of Cibao and the border areas, according to the official organization.

The cold front was located over Haiti, and moves now quickly towards the East-South-eastern.

The rains will extend over the whole territory as the phenomenon will move over the country. A fall in temperature at the national level and wind gusts are forecasted, this is why it is recommended to the population to be sheltered or to use hot clothing to protect itself from the cold, the last bulletin of the ONAMET indicates.

For Santo Domingo, they forecast temperatures between 20 and 29 degrees Celsius, for Santiago between 16 and 28, Punta Cana between 21 and 29 and Barahona between 19 and 30.

Green alert

The Center of Emergency Operations (COE) emitted yesterday a green alert for seven provinces where because of the cold front, waves with breakers will occur and could cause the entry of the sea in the low zones and on the beaches.

Precautions measures were recommended for the residents of Altagracia, Hato Mayor, (especially in Sabana de la Mar), Samaná, (Las Terrenas and Sánchez), El Seibo (Miches), María Trinidad Sánchez (Río San Juan), Puerto Plata and Montecristi.

Al Momento, by Saul Pimentel, 04.01.08

Dominican Republic guest country of the International Tourism Fair in Berlin

The countdown started for the tourist poles

In 30 days, the Dominican Republic will exhibit its tourist splendour in Berlin, Germany, as guest country host of the Forty Third Edition of the Fair ITB-2008, which will start next March.

This year, the attention of the 170 countries which will participate to the ITB will concentrate on the stand of the Dominican Republic, which will have an extension of approximately 500 square meters.

Added to this, they are waiting for the visit of five thousand accredited journalists of the whole world and of thousands of visitors who will come to know the tourist projects and to make business.

This year, a Dominican delegation of the public and private sectors directed by the Secretary of Tourism, Felix Jiménez, and composed by hotel companies of the various poles of the country, general managers, contractors, artistic producers, artists, craftsmen, directors of media, journalists specialized in economy and tourism, commentators of television will attend the event.

During the fair, which will take place from March 4, to March 9, 2008, the Dominican nation will have the role of organizing the inaugural ceremony and will also offer several scenes with artistic spectacles, as well as with gastronomical diversity specific to the country.

Felix Jiménez said that the ITB is one of the principal sources of tourist promotion of the world, this is why to be invited as guest country to this occasion will mean an increase in the flow of tourists, both coming from Germany and of everywhere in the world.

He indicated that this fair is the ideal platform to show the various tourist offers of the country, and that it constitutes a true opportunity to negotiate with important companies of the voyages and tourism sector of the whole world.

The International Tourism Fair (ITB by its German initials) is the most important name on a world level with regard to the professional fairs of the tourist sector.

The ITB counts with the participation of 10 thousand exhibitors coming from 170 countries.

El Nuevo Diario, 04.01.08

Evacuations in the province of Samaná for sudden rise of the tide level

22 families evacuated

Ten residences were seriously affected by the rising of the Duey river, including three of them completely destroyed, in Higüey, province of Altagracia, and 22 families were evacuated in Samaná because of the sudden rise of the sea level on the Atlantic coast.

The Center of Emergency Operations (COE) informed that the families were evacuated Saturday and that they are currently accommodated in family or in friend’s houses.

During this time, the National Office of Meteorology informed that the rains will continue, although with a lower intensity, because of a large cloudy field.

In the same way, the COE informed that because of the rains and saturation of the grounds, green alert is maintained for the provinces of Puerto Plata, Montecristi, Sánchez Ramirez, Duarte, especially for the inhabitants of the low Yuna River, and for La Romana.

Moreover, the level of alarm was increased to yellow for El Seibo, especially Miches; Hato Mayor, mainly Sabana de la Mar and Samaná, especially Las Terrenas and Sánchez. Also for María Trinidad Sánchez, especially Río San Juan.

Yesterday, it also rained in the Capital, province of Santo Domingo and in other places of the country and the cold front is maintained because of a frontal displacement according to forecasts’ of the National Office of Meteorology.

El Caribe, by Roberto Valenzuela, 07.01.08

Ministers of 33 countries will analyze the environmental situation in Latin America and in the Caribbean

Climatic change

Ministers and representatives of the Environment of 33 countries of Latin America and of the Caribbean will meet in Santo Domingo between January 27, and February 1, to analyze the environmental situation in the area, informed official sources.

During the XVI Meeting of the Forum of the Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, they will debate on the climatic change, the integrated handling of the ecosystems and the new strategies to stop the deterioration of the natural resources, according to organizers’ of the activity.

The participants of the meeting will also evaluate the advances in the implementation of the Latin-American and Caribbean Initiative for the Sustainable Development (ILAC), the regional action plan, the quality of the air and the state of the implementation and the future prospects for the environmental multilateral agreements.

The Dominican Minister of the Environment, Omar Ramirez, stressed that the meeting will take place five years after the approval of the ILAC, which sets up actions to make true the mandates of the Social Summit on the Sustainable Development.

Listín Diario, 08.01.08

INAPA will increase the drinking water cover

Completion of work of the aqueducts of Samaná – Las Galeras – Las Terrenas and Nagua

The National Institute of Drinking waters and Sewers (INAPA) will increase the drinking water cover, which is currently covering 60 percent of the population, by the completion of work of the aqueducts in construction in various points of the country and by the installation of drinking water systems in the Communities which do not have this vital service or which receive it in an irregular way, this in order to achieve the goals relating to drinking water, forming part of the Objectives of Development of the Millennium.

Engineer Frank Rodriguez, director of the INAPA, informed that the Government works so that 90 to 95 percent of the population has a water service guaranteed in 2012, that is to say three years before the regional objective of UNO, which proposes to reduce by 50 percent the number of people not receiving water from here to 2015.

We will work this year with the increase in the cover so that a greater quantity of Dominican has access to drinking water, this is why we will finish all the aqueducts in construction, among them that of San Pedro de Macorís, that of Hato Mayor, the networks of La Romana and the aqueducts of Samaná – Las Galeras – Las Terrenas and of Nagua. It is an ambitious plan of president Fernández , he expressed, while he announced that as of this month, they will begin work of the aqueduct of Higüey.

The civil servant said that by provision of the President, in addition of working with the increase in the cover, they will optimize also the quality of the water distributed through the networks.

He said that the objective is that the population can directly consume the tap water.

We signed last December a convention with the Technologicinstitute ofMonterreyinMexico, to begin this month a pilot program to optimize the quality of water. This project will be called Aqua de la Llave (tap water) because people will be able to directly consume it .

He supported that the access to water is a human right; this is why during his management they will not suspend the water service to any family, but that they will work so that every user is aware that it is necessary to pay for an effective service of quality.

In this way, he announced the implementation of a massive program of education to the users, which will be called Culture of Water, in coordination with the Assemblies of Neighbors of each sector, having for goal that the people learn how to use the water in opportune manner and to save it.

Engineer Rodriguez explained that they also will encourage the users to pay the service if they receive it correctly, because the mechanism to make the water drinkable and the pipes to connect the private residences is very expensive.

He specified that within the framework of the program of education to the users, they will use media like the radio and television, as well as the schools and the home visits.

El Nuevo Diario, 09.01.08

Implementation of new rules to protect the whales in Dominican water

Every year, tens of whales of the North Atlantic visit the waters close to Samaná

The Secretariat of the Environment and six other organizations signed a memorandum agreement by which new rules were laid down to protect the whales which come in Dominican water at that season.

The signature was supported by the representatives of the Secretariat of Tourism, the Navy, the Association of the Boats Owners of the Bay of Samaná, the Center For the Conservation and Eco Development of the Bay of Samaná and the operators of the Banco de la Plata.

Every year, tens of whales of the North Atlantic visit the waters close to Samaná, in the Northeastern Dominican coast, to mate and to give birth.

Hundreds of people benefit from this beautiful occasion to closely watch the Cetaceans.

The whale watching season begins on January 15, and finishes towards mid-April.

This watching season converted into the period of the greatest economic dynamism of Samaná and of the close sectors.

Al Momento, 10.01.08

Zero degrees just 40 kilometers from a Dominican tropical beach !

Cold front

Less than 40 kilometers from the tropical beach at Monte Rio, Azua (south) the Alto Bandera army post, near Constanza (central), registered a temperature of zero degrees Celsius last night and three degrees this morning, the country’s lowest in the last few hours.

The National Meteorology Office said a stationary cold front is causing the record-low temperatures, which reached 12 degrees Celsius in the town Constanza this morning.

Meteorology said the low’s presence in the country’s northern region and a North-Northeast wind flow will continue to bring occasional showers, which the radar at Punta Cana registered last night and at dawn.

It said the rains will continue mostly in the North, Northeast, East and Southeast.

Dominican Today, 09.01.08

Chavez gets Colombia’s guerrillas to release 2 hostages

Rojas and the ex congresswoman González were released

President Hugo Chávez said today the guerrilla group FARC has already handed over Clara Rojas and Consuelo González the two hostages it had promised to release Colombian territory, and has spoken with them on their way to Venezuelan territory.

Via a direct message from the place in the Colombian jungle where the captives were released, a point which Chávez said was totally unknown to me, the Venezuelan minister of the Interior, Ramon Rodriguez Chacín, told him in a voice which sounded emotional, that he was receiving the two hostages at that very moment.

Rojas and the ex congresswoman González were released to Chavez’s reprenstatives, Rodriguez said.

Dominican Today, 10.01.08

Energy subsidy for 2008 will be of 650 million U $

IMF requirements

The resources which will bring the government in 2008 to subsidize the consumers with low incomes will reach the 650 million dollars.

This is one of the key points required by the International Monetary Funds and it will be included in the budget of the public expenses which was approved by the House of Commons. The economic team of the Government considered that this high sum was mainly due to the fact that during the three last years, the programs which were carried out to try to recover the electric sector were satisfactory and effective, since the covers of distribution were increased until reaching more than 80% in many zones served by the electricity companies.

In the same way, it is indicated that the program carried out by the official organizations of the electric sector jointly with the private companies of electricity, and under the supervision of the Superintendence of Electricity was a success.

It should be stressed that last year, they succeeded in obtaining in many villages and cities of the interior of the country as well as in several sectors of the capital and the province of Santo Domingo, a 24 hours service of energy, as it is the case in the towns of Hato Mayor, El Seibo, Santiago Rodríguez, Jarabacoa, Cabarete, Las Terrenas, Salcedo, San Pedro de Macorís, San Cristóbal, Baní, among other delimitations of the national geography.

El Nuevo Diario, by Gilberto Hernández, 09.01.08

Dominican Republic, number one in tourists arrivals

3 million travelers

The Dominican Republic has surpassed all other Caribbean countries in the number of tourist arrivals in 2007, according to the most recent figures from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

From January through October of 2007, more than 3 million travelers have made the trek to the D.R.’s delightful white sand shores, far more than any other Caribbean destination. This figure does not include the thousands of travelers who cruised to this tropical paradise on the island of Hispaniola.

As the Dominican Republic continues to grow as a popular destination, its lineup of tourism offerings expands, with the addition of upscale boutique hotels, more of its ever-so-popular all-inclusive resorts, and championship golf courses. But as the sun sets, appearing to sink into the depths of the calm Caribbean Sea, the search for nightlife is on.

Casino Dominicus, the newest luxury, high-stakes casino in the D.R., is located just 13 miles from the La Romana/Casa de Campo International Airport, and is true Las Vegas style gambling. High rollers and bold casual players can both enjoy this high-energy casino, which has the highest gambling limits in the nation.

Dominican Today, 14.01.08

The Aqueduct of Samaná will boost the Tourist Pole

Las Terrenas will be supplied with drinking water with an independent aqueduct

The representative sectors of this Province considered that the multiple aqueduct that carries out the National Institute of Drinking waters and Sewers (INAPA) in this delimitation will have a strong impact as well in the healthiness of the Community as in the investments and the generation of currencies, because it will guarantee water of quality to the population and a to a great quantity of international visitors who choose this tourist destination for the holidays or to invest.

The governor of the Province, like local chiefs and Community leaders supported that they awaited a long time this construction without being heard, this is why they thanked President Leonel Fernández for having undertaken work.

They said that the work not only will fill a need felt by all the population, but that it also in its process of construction generated a great economic dynamism and creation of many jobs.

The Executive, Doctor Elsa de Leon, supported that the multiple aqueduct has a great importance for the province, where progress is moving, because it will help so that Samaná develops as it should be.

When the aqueduct will be finished we will put a term to the problem of water in Samaná, Las Terrenas and Las Galerasshe expressed.

For lack of water, many projects were paralyzed, because there were foreigners willing to invest, but nobody can live where there is no water. In this Community we never had tap water. There are people who have the land, who have the house and who cannot live there. When we have an aqueduct in Juana Vicenta we will be richer because the aqueduct will stimulate the investments. We have many very beautiful lands with sea view, she emphasized.

On his side, Domingo Báez, President of the Association of the Craftsmen of the Province, said that the aqueduct not only will profit them with a water of quality, but also will give a lift to the tourism which will be generated thanks to an optimal drinking water service.

The executive director of the INAPA, Frank Rodriguez, informed that the multiple aqueduct of Samaná shows significant advances, thanks to the fact that they are maintaining a good rhythm of work which will guarantee the completion of work in time and for which they enroll local resources. He indicated that from the 800 working stations which the construction produced; more than 400 people reside in this province.

The Civil servant specified that Las Terrenas will be supplied with drinking water with an independent aqueduct, which will have its structure in theCosónRiver, and which will have a fast treatment plant of filtration by gravity, with a capacity of 250 liters per seconds.

It will moreover have two pumping stations, stepping lines to Las Terrenas and Cosón and to the corresponding regulating tanks.

He indicated that this aqueduct will also supply El Portillo.

Engineer Rodriguez said that the two systems, in which they will invest 5,435 million RD $, were conceived by taking into account a demographic growth which in 2028 could exceed the 160 thousand people, including the stay of the tourists.

El Nuevo Diario, 16.01.08

Highway Santo Domingo-Samaná will be inaugurated in April

El Catey, Las Terrenas, Samaná

The first stage of the Santo Domingo – Samaná highway, section between the road Las Américas and Rincón de Molinillo, is in its final phase while work of the second stage was begun: the Boulevard of the Atlantic, which goes towards the Samaná province.

This information was communicated by the secretary of Public Works and Communications, Víctor Díaz Rúa, who advanced that the first phase of the way will be inaugurated at the latest in next April. Work goes well. We work at good rhythm, but considering the problems caused by the storms Noel and Olga, it was necessary to postpone the diary of March for April, he added.

The civil servant informed that the first stage of the work is finished by 85%, although he stressed that there are several sections where one carries out earth movings, because it is in these spaces that one finds the mines from where the material was extracted for filling.

He explained that the second stage of work starts in Rincón de Molinillo and crosses by the El Catey airport, by Las Terrenas and finishes in Samaná.

He informed that at the same time, Public works also began the asphalting of the new sections Nagua-Sánchez and Sánchez-Samaná, which are in process of deterioration.

The executive president of the concessionary company Highway of the North-East, Armín Ricardo García Acuña, informed that until now, they asphalted 41 kilometres of way.

This part was supposed to be terminated in February but we were delayed because of the damages caused by the storms Noel and Olga. We make all the possible efforts to finish, even, before the date planned, he added.

Listín Diario, by Adriana Peguero, 17.01.08

Viva Wyndham Resorts General managers rewarded by ASONAHORES

Viva Wyndham Samaná y Bahía Estela By Viva rewarded

A General Managers group of the Viva Wyndham Resorts chain have been rewarded for their labor of more than 10 uninterrupted years in the tourism industry service for the General Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Santo Domingo (Asociación Nacional de Hoteles y Restaurantes de Santo Domingo ASONAHORES).

The recognized executives were Marcello Cutri, Viva Wyndham Samaná y Bahía Estela By Viva General Manager; Renzo Chiapello, General Manager of the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach y Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace; and Massimo Caraguti, Viva Wyndham Tangerine & Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada General Manager, who, moreover was designed as the new General Manager of the Viva Wyndham Dominicus and Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace.

Luís López, Asociación Nacional de Hoteles y Restaurantes (ASONAHORES) president, said that these appreciations serve as an encouragement to keep providing an excellent service to their clients in the different country tourist points.

Rafael Blanco Canto the chain executive vice-president said that Viva Wyndham Resorts will keep providing a true vacation experience through excellence in service and leadership, furthermore he announced as novelties for this year the appointment of three general managers and two junior managers in Dominican Republic and in Mexico properties to ensure that their hotels remain offering to guests an excellent and affordable vacation offer.

El Nuevo Diario, 17.01.08

Pujals announces the promise of Leonel to work for the childhood

Samaná, Sánchez and Las Terrenas would benefit from this action

LAS TERRENAS, Samaná. – the Senator Prim Pujals announced that President Leonel Fernández promised to the three principal communes of this province, the execution of priority works and infrastructure, in favor of childhood and youth, such as sporting installations, recreation and infantile distraction, among other initiatives which will help the consolidation of the social plans for the children.

He considered that the communes of Samaná, Sánchez and of Las Terrenas would benefit from this action which would be undertaken mainly in favor of the children and the young people, at the time of a new government of President Fernández.

The legislator spoke within the framework of a massive meeting carried out by the Senatorial Office and the municipal city council of Las Terrenas, in order to celebrate the children and the young people who applauded with enthusiasm, just like their parents, the words of Pujals. While speaking at this meeting which took place in the Polideportivo, the senatorial representative of the province expressed that the respective children, young people and their parents mustawait the best for the forthcoming government of President Leonel Fernández.

We wanted to wait until the Christmas Days and the first week of January are behind in order to organize this massive meeting with the children and the young people, in order to be able in a quiet environment to communicate ideas and to deliver some gifts to the children, as well on my behalf as in that of the mayor of Las Terrenas, Jose Alexis Martínez, the legislator said.

The mayor approved the initiative of the senator Pujals, to commit himself continuing to carry out other meetings with the participation of youth in the future.

MEETING OF LAS TERRENAS

In this commune the activity had the support of the mayor and of the vice syndicates, who addressed the messages of congratulation to the hundreds of children joined together in the multi-purpose room of this tourist commune.

The legislator, with his wife Mrs. Gladis de Pujals, crossed hundreds of kilometers between Friday and Sunday on the roads of this province and organized spectacles of clowns and delivered bicycles, dolls, balls and other gifts and delicacies.

El Nuevo Diario, 18.01.08

Masses, vigils as Dominicans mark La Altagracia day today

Spiritual matriarch to many Dominicans

The country celebrates today Monday the day of La Altagracia, spiritual matriarch to many Dominicans, as thousands of people from all corners of the nation head to the city Higuey (east) to honor the Virgin, a tradition which began with an alleged apparition of Mary’s image several centuries ago.

People of all ages and economic strata head to the Our Lady of La Altagracia Basilica, located in the province which takes her name, to take offerings or fulfill promises made to the Virgin.

Dominican Today, 21.01.08

New U.S. ID card will speed entry to Caribbean by sea

It will enable to bypass long lines at the border

U.S. citizens who frequently travel by car to Canada or Mexico, or by sea to the Caribbean will soon find crossing borders a lot easier and faster thanks to a new identification card introduced by the U.S. State Department, newspaper Diario Libre said Tuesday.

The card will be half the size of a normal passport and cost less, and contain an electronic security chip approved by the Department of Homeland Security that will enable the bearer to bypass long lines at the border.

It will only be valid for travel by land or sea; citizens will still have to present a valid passport for air travel.

According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, the card was designed primarily to meet the needs of people living in border communities. The card will be valid for 10 years and cost US $45.

U.S. citizens will be able to apply for the cards on February 1, 2008, but the cards won’t become available until later in the spring, the statement said.

Dominican Today, 22.01.08

Las Terrenas: Presentation and discussion on project of sustainable tourism development

Sustainable development

The Dominican Organization of Sustainable Tourism, ODTS, within the framework of Dominican Republic, a Project of a Country towards the Sustainable Development promoted by the Council for the Sustainable Development and Promotion of the Dominican Republic, CONDESPI, was created to become an autonomous Dominican Institution.

To act in the whole national and international sphere with an only aim of promoting and of obtaining the SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT of the Dominican tourist activity and the environmental, social and economic sectors by grouping them and by integrating them into this one; while making grow the DOMINICANIDAD (” dominicanity” ) and the PROMOTION of our country, within the framework of a democratic, moral, ethical and right, legitimate and legal model, with a mutual respect and a total solidarity.

At such ends, an event will take place in the living room of the Aligio Hotel, in Las Terrenas, on next Saturday January 26, at 10:00 AM.

LTL, Editorial staff, 23.01.08

Santana Páez begins to the cinema by playing the chief of the National Police force

El Caballero de la Medianoche (” The Knight of Midnight” ) will be on January 31, in movie theaters of the country

Jimmy Sierra is happier than ever because this time, he has in the hands a film which, he believes, will conquer the heart of the Dominicans, since it acts of a more commercial film, in which the General Bernardo Santana Páez begins on the screen as chief of the National Police.

The Knight of Midnight is the title of the film which will be launched in the cinemas of the country on January 31, a drama with suspense which should be well welcomed by the public.

The idea is to incorporate us in a vision a little bit more commercial than the educational, historical and cultural subjects, which characterized my preceding cinematographic work.

About the participation of the ex chief of the National police force, Bernardo Santana Paéz, the scenario writer explained that he played his role in a very natural way, with serious and professionalism, this is why he qualified him as being one of the best roles.

The film proposes in addition a casting of professionals of quality who play their role with a lot of talent.

El Día Digital, by Fausto Polanco, 23.01.08

Hotels launch a strategy of promotion in European Union

Principal world tourism events

To prevent that the problems which affect the economy of the United States, one of the principal countries of tourists provenance, do not also affect the country, the representatives of the hotel sector and of the Dominican government launched a promotional strategy to attract a greater quantity of visitors of Europe, Asia and Latin America.

This plan includes the promotion of the country in the principal world tourism events as the International Fair of Tourism 2008 (Fitur) which will take place in Spain from January 30 to February 3, the International Fair of Tourism Berlin (ITB 2008) which will take place in March and to which the Dominican Republic will be the guest country.

The country will be also promoted through important medias, radio, television, newspapers; in the buses, trains and in the streets with great traffic of various cities.

Hoy Digital, by Soila Paniagua, 24.01.08

Forest cover is spreading, Dominican environment chief says

Quisqueya Verde Plan

The Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarena) said the country’s forest cover is at 33 percent, figure which places Dominican Republic as one of the four Latin America and the Caribbean countries with higher-than-average numbers in that area, and also has the second-fastest reforestation rate.

Omar Ramirez, quoted by the newspaper El Dia, said Semarena plants from 7 to 10 million trees per year, including last year. From 1997 to date around 110 million trees have been planted, which is something very important, in will and in valuation.

The official said a policy evolves from government to State only when several administrations maintain.

Ramirez added that in reforestations, Semarena’s experts use 28 native and endemic tree species, mahogany and melina among them.

Dominican Today, 25.01.08

195th birthday of the patrician Juan Pablo Duarte

Homeland Father

Date of birthday of Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez (Santo Domingo, DR, January 26th, 1813 – Caracas, Venezuela, July 15th, 1876) who was one of the 3 Padres de la Patria (fathers of the homeland), with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Ramón Matías Mella, founder and national hero of the Dominican Republic.

His parents were Juan Jose Duarte, who came from Vejer de la Frontera in the Spanish province of Cadiz, and Manuela Diez Jiménez, who came from el Seibo, and herself daughter of Spanish father and Dominican mother.

After the invasion of the Haitian troops of Toussaint Louverture in 1801, the Duarte were exiled in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

The family came back to the country at the end of the war of the Reconquista (1809), and they settled in Santo Domingo.

His father had a shop of navy effects and of hardware, unique in the city at this time, located at Atarazana (western part of the Río Ozama).

Juan Pablo was born on January 26th, 1813 and was baptized in the Church of Santa Bárbara on February 4th, 1813.

A little bit of history on :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pablo_Duarte

LTL, Editorial staff, 26.01.08

The 25 most beautiful beaches in the world

Las Terrenas in 4th position

The newspaper El Mercurio of Chile published two weeks ago its own list of the 25 best beaches of the world of the last decade.

The selection was made on the basis of opinion of journalists who traveled throughout the whole world during years.

Among the beaches of the continent we can find Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela, the Antilles, the Dominican Republic and the United States.

The newspaper promises that all these destinations will satisfy the more demanding tastes. The most solicited are the virgin and deserted beaches.

What could be more beautiful than a broad band of sand where the most difficult is to choose the best place to extend the towel ?

Here the most beautiful beaches chosen by the nature and loneliness lovers:

In first place the beach of Tetiaroa inTahiti, in second place Thulhaagiri beach in Maldives, in third position Fort George Key in Turk and Caicos and in fourth, Las Terrenas in Dominican Republic.

LTL, Editorial staff, (source LT7) 28.01.08

The project El Portillo Beach Club & amp; Spa, will be built in Samaná

Promotion of tourism development

The project El Portillo Beach Club & amp; Spa, of which the purpose is to promote the tourism development of Samaná, was presented to contractors and personalities at the time of a reception offered by Ramón Ernesto Morales and Ramón Prieto, managers of the residential plan.

They informed that El Portillo Beach Club & amp; Spa will have the role of developing a high level Community boutique which will offer to its purchasers a safe, accessible and family place on one of the paradisiacal beaches of Dominican Republic.

A document explains that the project located on the northern coast of the Peninsula of Samaná, is designed around the existing natural resources, while respecting and by taking care of the vegetation and the environment in order to meet the requirements of exclusive tourism.

It stresses that the residences of El Portillo Beach Club & amp; Spa will be divided into three types of units which will have air conditioning, dining room, living room, terrace, kitchen and laundry room.

The text indicates that from outside, every residence will form part of a unit which will maintain harmony and integration with the complex. While inside, every residence will have its own personality, the owners will have the choice between several options of decoration and furniture for their residences, suggested by the famous decorator of interiors Patricia Reid.

The design of the mentioned project is carried out under the responsibility of the architects Antonio Segundo Imbert, Gustavo Moré and Esteban Prieto Vicioso.

Some data

Three types of units of the project called Beach Villas, Island Villas and Lagoon Villas will include 370 rooms which will be divided into 55 beach villas and 101 apartments.

The project is carried out by the company Promotores de Desarrollo Portillo, S.A and it includes more than 170.00 square meters, including the aerodrome of Portillo.

Listín Diario, by José Bautista, 29.01.08

US $800M in renewable energy projects await Dominican President’s nod

Regulation should be signed into law

The regulation to apply the Renewable Energies Incentive Legislation 57-07 has been in the National Palace for more than two weeks awaiting review before president Leonel Fernandez signs it into Law.

This regulation had to be ready on November 30 and National Energy Commission president Arístides Fernandez Zucco, who drafted the bill, met the deadline, but it has yet to take effect.

Interested sectors were asked to suggest any modifications on the document, while the CNE has requests for US $800 million worth of investment in renewable energy projects.

In fact the CNE president will formally announce those investments at 10 a.m. today, although none of them would materialize without securing the legislation’s tax exemptions.

On November 15 Fernandez announced the Power Contingency Plan as one his administration’s most important efforts to save energy, but already two and-a-half months have passed since that speech and the legislation still lacks a regulatory factor to apply it.

Afterwards Industry and Commerce minister Melanio Paredes also said the regulation was ready and that the chief executive would possibly take advantage of the First International Energy Week staged in the country last week to sign the regulation, which didn’t happen either.

Fernandez Zucco, interviewed by the newspaper Listin Diario, said he sent the regulation to Executive Branch Legal adviser Cesar Pina more than two weeks, but that it was still under review.

He said he would meet with Pina on Monday, in an effort to get the bill singed into Law as soon as possible, in order to take advantage of the renewable energy projects by local and international investors.

Dominican Today, 30.01.08

Blue Flag for Playa Cosón

More Dominican beaches get Blue Flag recognition

The international certification Blue Flag was given to two more Dominican beaches, which helps consolidate Dominican Republic’s competitiveness as a tourism destination.

Blue Flag is an international environmental certification granted to beaches that meet the sanitary standards of quality bath water, information and environmental education, access and services, safety and cleanliness.

The beaches that have met all of the international program’s criteria, through the work coordinated between the National Competitiveness Council (CNC), the Puerto Plata and Samaná clusters, and the Dominican Republic Environmental Law Institute (IDARD), are Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata (north), and Cosón, Samaná (northeast). Dominicus-Bayahíbe, in La Altagracia province, (east) was the first beach to be given the distinction.

Blue Flag is the only beach and coastal zone management program in the country, which will provide Dominican beaches with a suitable and focused use and sustainable vision, said CNC adviser Jaime Moreno, quoted by the newspaper Hoy.

Dominican Today, 31.01.08

World power cut !

Respite of 5 minutes

Alliance for the Planet, groups of more than 70 environmental associations, convened all the citizens of the world to give a respite to the Earth during 5 minutes on Friday February 1, between 18:55 and 19:00 o’clock, Dominican time.

By turning off all the lights, machines and electrical appliance during only 5 minutes we can prolong the planet life of 10 years, with what we regard today as the greatest mobilization of citizens against the climatic change.

February 01, therefore, we will turn off everything between18:55 and 19:00 (Dominican time), and not only the electric light but also the candles.

Total power cut

If we succeed in recording a true fall of the consumption of electricity, we will manage to draw the attention of the rest of the people and of the media, and perhaps thus the honorable deputies and the senators of the whole world will realize finally that we are all worried about the planet and that the global warming must be a subject of debate, education, concrete action.

A lot of countries in the world are organized in mass for this Friday and more numerous we will be, better it will be.

The Dominican Republic cannot remain behind. We cannot allow letting continue to assassinate our only house.

Why on February 1 ?

This day, in Paris, they will present the new report of the group of climatic experts of the United Nations, which will refer on last conclusions being studied with regard to the serious climatic crisis which afflicts our planet.

Let circulate this news !

Because if everybody takes part, this action will have a real importance, it will be covered by all the media in all the countries and a total attention will be obtained.

Only five minutes of rest for the planet.

Fore more information: http://www.otromundoesposible.com/

Everybody against the wasting of energy ! !

El Día Digital, 31.01.08