Canadian doctors attend to improve medical services in the Dominican Republic

Canada Doctors of the World, an international charity organization, supports the Municipal Hospital of San Luis, in the outskirts of the capital, improving the medical services for women and infants of its adjacent communities.

The launch of the project “Improving the Health of the Population of San Luis and Adjacent Zones” marks the start of the work in that hospital, including the construction of areas for surgery and a delivery room.

In response to the high demand for health services in this community and at their request, the project “Voluntary Sector Program” was approved and developed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Government of Quebec (MRI), with a financing of C$650,000 for three years, to benefit more than 50,000 people in different areas, bases in the Hospital San Luis.

Present in the event were International Cooperation secretary America Bastidas; Canada ambassador Patricia Fortier; Doctors of the World president Dr. Nicolas Bergeron, and main director André Bertrand, Country Coordinator Dr. Marie Gessy Richard, and Government, Santo Domingo Province, and San Luis City Council officials.

Also present in the event, which coincides with the Doctors of the World’s 10th Anniversary, were the famous Canadian comedians Natalie Brawn and Suzanne Clément, both appointed the organization’s good will ambassadors, who took part in the tour of the facilities.

Doctors of the World Canada (MdM) is a non-governmental organization whose primary goal is to provide medical assistance and help vulnerable populations in situations of poverty, natural disasters, military crisis and exclusion around the world, and currently develops projects in Canada, Nicaragua, Haiti and Zimbabwe.

Project to establish how much Dominican property's are worth

The National Cadastre Agency (DGCN) negotiates with two companies, a Spanish and another Israeli, to conduct the first mapping of the entire country’s real estate divisions.

DGCN director Bolivar Marte said the companies would be paid 25 million dollars for the project, that would have to be approved by Congress.

He said the mapping is of great importance, since the country’s real estate includes areas for farming, tourism, commercial and water sources, and in the course of two years all citizens will be able to know “how much the Dominican Republic is worth in each of its areas.”

The Cadastre director said the mapping would help solve the serious problem of land titling, in the sense that each property, regardless its size, will be in a cartographic system in which anyone will be able to see, thanks to satellite communications where a house, a building or a piece of land are located.

Marte said the companies that would conduct the mapping assure that it would be concluded in two years, with minimum errors, and includes an ad campaign in all the media to inform the population about the project.

Dominican Telecomm builds antenna towers to improve phone service

Dominican Telecomm Institute (Indotel) president Jose Rafael Vargas said the installation of antennas and towers expands the coverage and improves the quality of landline and wireless telephone service across the country.

The official, speaking with community organizations and leaders prior to inaugurating 15 Informatics Training Centers (CCI) in San Juan de la Maguana and Elías Piña, said the facilities contribute to technologically develop this zone.

Vargas, who was recognized by San Juan’s authorities during the activity held in provincial government offices, thanked those present for their support of the official program to provide Internet access of the youngsters and adults.

"If you see many antennas, many towers and many excavations being done everywhere, blame Indotel, we are to blame; it’s the only way we have to solve the communication problem in communities," Vargas said.

Palmera de Cabarete Resort & Spa to open Dominican Republic 2011 in

Palmera de Cabarete Resort & Spa, opening in 2011 as the first luxury resort on Dominican Republic's north coast, has named KWE group, a Miami-based travel, hospitality and lifestyle marketing firm, to handle global marketing and sales.

The $200 million, 138-suite resort is located on 19.5 beachfront acres on 1,000 feet of private shoreline, part of the largest expanse of uninterrupted beach in the Caribbean.

The announcement was made by Darren Law, President and Chief Executive Officer of NID Holdings LLC, developers of Palmera de Cabarete.

KWE group specializes in luxury lifestyle with a focus on destinations, resorts and real estate, and is recognized as a thought leader in luxury lifestyle trends. The firm is headed by President and Chief Strategist Karen Weiner Escalera, who will be responsible for the international marketing and public relations for Palmera.

Ms. Escalera was recently named one of the "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing" by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

KWE group's real estate division is directed by Vice President Sandy Carrier, a top real estate sales and marketing professional in the luxury market. The firm's program for Palmera de Cabarete includes international real estate marketing and sales including analysis and planning, sales strategies, development of an elite broker network program, and hands-on involvement in the entire sales process.

Ms. Carrier is a Certified International Specialist (CIPS), a charter member of the Broward Master Broker Forum, and an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), South Florida/Caribbean Council. Her accomplishments include marketing and sales for Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., Arvida's Weston luxury home community in Weston, Fla., EarthMark Companies' Mariner's Club in Key Largo, Fla., and the DUO luxury property on the Diplomat Golf Course in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Palmera de Cabarete's management and design team enjoy a pedigree of the world's finest resorts, from Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos to The Regent Palms in the Turks and Caicos.

Plans include 138 one- to three-bedroom suites ranging from 2,000 to more than 4,500 square feet. Three expansive, oceanfront freshwater infinity pools provide a focal point for Palmera de Cabarete Resort & Spa, and will be ensconced in eco-friendly garden landscaping.

Amenities will also include a full-service branded spa and wellness facility, tennis, gourmet dining, conference facilities, room service, 24 hour concierge, and children's activity program.

Palmera de Cabarete Resort & Spa will offer the first five-star luxury living experience in Cabarete, the adventure sports capital of the Caribbean, offering world-class windsurfing, kite boarding, surfing, mountain biking, hiking, canyoning, and white water rafting.

Dominican Republic strengthens commitment to renewable energy

The Dominican government has further demonstrated its commitment to sustainable development by signing an agreement with U.S. firm Sunovia Energy Technologies for the installation of the country's first solar energy plant.

The contract, signed within the scope of a Dominican law providing incentives for foreign investment, will involve an investment of roughly $200 million and provide jobs to some 2,500 workers.

"President Leonel Fernandez and his team have shown a tremendous passion for solving the country's energy difficulties; they've realized that having a bilateral focus, including the responsible production of renewable energy, and adopting practices that conserve energy are critical steps that must be taken if the country is to achieve energy independence in the long term," Sunovia Energy Technologies CEO Carl Smith said.

For his part, Eddy Martinez, secretary of state and executive director of the Dominican Republic's Export and Investment Center, said the agreement "is the result of the intense work we've carried out for years, in keeping with the worldwide trend of reducing dependence on crude and, at the same time, creating new jobs and attracting new investment to the (country)."

The contract signed with Sunovia Energy Technologies is part of a wave of new investment in renewable energy in the Dominican Republic that also involves other U.S. companies such as Masada Resource Group, STC Engineering and Burbano Recycling, which have set up electricity and bio-fuels plants.

Martinez said, meanwhile, that his country not only wants to attract investors in renewable energy, but also to expand investment in the stem-cell research and genetically modified foods sectors and in the development of hybrid vehicles.