The Weekly Journal - February 12 - 18, 2020

Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

www.theweeklyjournal.com

>Carlos Rivera Giusti

Wednesday, February 12- 18, 2020 / no. 042

Millions in Revenue Expected from Puerto Rico Open P12 “Baños de Coamo” Hotel Set to Begin $11.5 Million Renovation P11

El Pretexto: Puerto Rico’s First Culinary Farm Lodge P20

Moving On Up: Puerto Rico Improves on Ease of Doing Business >Archive

>Courtesy El Pretexto

Increase in Sale of Residential Real Estate P18

At no. 65 in World Bank’s 2020 global rankings

W Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

hile there is still much work to be done, Puerto Rico has moved up in the World Bank’s global rankings of Doing Business, moving from no. 70 to no. 65, according to their 2020 report.

The results evidence the improvements that the island has made in improving the local business climate.

Reforms for a more business-friendly environment are important to make doing business easier for the private sector, paving the way for more jobs, expanded commercial activity and higher incomes for many, according to the GO TO PAGE 4

The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, Febuary 12, 2020 >

2

Sujeto a aprobación de crédito. Ciertos términos y condiciones aplican. 1. Oferta especial para solicitantes con crédito excelente (0, 0, 0) y puntuación de crédito de 750 o más, que originen del 10 al 15 de febrero de 2020 y cierren en o antes del 30 de marzo de 2020. Oferta de $0 gastos de originación y descuento aplica a préstamos Convencionales “Conforming” con resultado “Approved Eligible” bajo el programa de DU hasta el 75% LTV en compraventa de residencia principal y hasta un 60% de LTV para renanciamiento (No aplica para unidades de condominio). Para préstamos convencionales “Conforming” cuyo LTV exceda el 80% se requerirá, además, la aprobación de un seguro hipotecario privado. Compraventas o renanciamientos sin sobrante y con un LTV mayor a un 75%, o renanciamientos con sobrante y con un LTV mayor a 60%, conllevan cargos adicionales por concepto del “Loan Level Price Adjustment” que podrían incluirse como partida de gastos en la originación y/o descuento. Esta oferta aplica a propiedades de una sola unidad, para vivienda nueva o existente desde $75,000 hasta un máximo de $510,400. También aplica para préstamos FHA con resultados “Approved Eligible” bajo el programa de DU hasta el 96.5% de LTV en compraventas de residencia principal, un 80% de LTV para renanciamientos con sobrante y hasta un máximo de 97.75% LTV sin sobrante. Para préstamos asegurados por la Administración Federal de Vivienda (FHA) hasta lo que sea menor entre $385,250 o el límite establecido por cada municipio. Este producto requiere seguro hipotecario FHA. Para préstamos RH/VA otras condiciones pueden aplicar. No incluye gastos legales ni incidentales, prepagados ni partidas de seguros o contribuciones.

Oferta sujeta a la entrega de documentos solicitados y a la aprobación de crédito, según los parámetros establecidos por Oriental y la Administración Federal de Vivienda. La oferta de $0 Originación y Descuentos está relacionada a una tasa de interés especíca para cada producto, durante el tiempo de vigencia de la misma. Ofertas podrían variar dependiendo de las condiciones del mercado. No aplica con otras ofertas y/o promociones.

Oriental Bank, Miembro FDIC.

3

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

a week in review Senate Democrats push for full Release Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson expressing serious concerns with the “unprecedented restrictions and delays imposed upon Puerto Rico for the disbursement of $16 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.” Sen. Schumer went on to write, “our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico deserve access to disaster funding that’s free of discriminatory preconditions and unjustified delays”. > AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Puerto Rico ICON Calling Out to Invest with a Purpose Through Opportunity Zones or Local Act 60 tax incentives, investors have a chance to help Puerto Rico and spur sustainable socioeconomic change.

Puerto Rico ICON is calling out to local business leaders and the 6 million members of the Puerto Rican diaspora to become ambassadors of change.

Puerto Rico presents unique investment opportunities that can provide high returns for investors, but, foremost, they will improve the lives of thousands on the island. The organization is hosting an informative conference at La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort on Feb. 25 and 26. >Archive

Powered BY El Vocero de Puerto Rico, 1064 Ave Ponce de León 2nd floor San Juan, PR Postal Address: PO Box 15074, San Juan, PR 00902

Hotels In Puerto Rico Launch offer program for Tourists Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization (DMO), and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, in partnership with 17 local hotels, have launched a website through which visitors to the island can obtain deals on hotel stays and tours. The website features an array of offers, from free nights to on-property credits or special discounts.

For more information, visit http://www.discoverpuertorico.com/deals. >Courtesy

President Salvador Hasbún shasbun@elvocero.com

Human Resources Director Arlene Rolón, PHR arolon@elvocero.com

Managing Editor Yennifer Álvarez yalvarez@wjournalpr.com

Comptroller Félix A. Rosa frosa@elvocero.com

Traffic Director Ilia M. Pérez Centeno iperez@elvocero.com

Multi-Platform Digital Director Stephanie Gómez Álvarez sgomez@elvocero.com

Production Director Eligio Dekony edekony@elvocero.com

Editorial Director Juan Miguel Muñiz Guzmán jmuniz@elvocero.com

Multi-Platform Graphic Director Héctor L. Vázquez hvazquez@elvocero.com

Phone: 787-622-2300, 787-721-2300 Customer Service: 787-622-7480

4

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 World Bank. Business-friendly environments are associated with lower levels of poverty, while “improved regulatory efficiency” can stimulate entrepreneurship, startups, innovation, access to credit and investment.

“We want to create a competitive business climate to improve the economy in the long term… and attract investors in and out of Puerto Rico,” said Financial Oversight and Management Board [FOMB] Executive Director Natalie Jaresko.

During a press briefing earlier this week, she stressed the importance of Puerto Rico implementing structural reforms in three areas: transforming the electricity system and the bankrupt Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority through energy reform; improving the ease of doing business for the private sector; improving human capital and investing in workforce development training.

“We also need the federal funds to rebuild [after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the January earthquakes]. Federal investment is easier if we are not in bankruptcy,” Jaresko said.

The World Bank analyzed 190 economies worldwide in 10 different areas: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. One additional area, employing workers, is also measured but is not included in the rankings.

In its report, the World Bank stressed that the Doing Business rankings are not meant to be an

Financial Oversight and Management Board Executive Director Natalie Jaresko. >Carlos Rivera Giusti

investment guide, but rather a measurement of indicators of ease of doing business.

The 10 economies scoring the highest on the ease of doing business rankings were New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR China,

In fact, With a ranking of 65, Puerto Rico leads the Caribbean region; the second easiest place in the region to do business in is Jamaica, which secured a rank of 71, while the third spot went to St. Lucia with a rank of 93. The worst place to do business in the Caribbean is Haiti, which ranked at 179 globally, just above the Republic of Congo.

Denmark, Republic of Korea, United States, Georgia, United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden.

Top performers typically had online business incorporation processes, electronic tax filing platforms and online procedures for property transfers, said the World Bank.

Various Initiatives Underway

>Archive

Jaresko also noted that, last week, the FOMB announced a new initiative to reduce the backlog of property deeds and other documents yet to be registered in Puerto Rico. The initiative was launched with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the Department of Justice.

The new program, designed to tackle over 400,000 documents that are pending registration in the Property Registry of Puerto Rico, encompasses several major components that include a work-study program of 130 graduate

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

and non-graduate students of the UPR that will be assigned to the agency, as well as five public notaries and five supervisors that will be hired by the Department of Justice.

The oversight board approved a formal request by the UPR to finance the initiative with $386,100 from funds that had been assigned to the institution in previous fiscal years and remained unutilized. The students will receive an hourly wage of $15 for their work at the Property Registry, which could entail the inscription of property documents, analyses of other official forms, such as the cancellation of mortgage deeds or declaration of heirs, as well as estimating the cost of internal revenue stamps for submitted documents.

The Property Registry currently receives over 130,000 documents for inscription annually and, although it has the capacity to process more than this amount with its current staff, it can only reduce the backlog by 31,824 a year, taking into account its workload. At this pace, the agency projects it will take around 14 years to clear the existing backlog.

Meanwhile, the central government has been consolidating agencies, as outlined in the certified Fiscal Plan to simplify and expedite government services by reducing or eliminating redundant operations. Among the agencies being consolidated are the Tax Exemption Office, State Office of Energy Policy, the Regional Center Corp. and the Permits and Endorsements Management Office, all of which are now under the umbrella of the Economic Development and Commerce Department (DDEC by its Spanish initials).

DDEC has also launched the Single Business Portal, a digital tool created to streamline the processes necessary to do business in Puerto Rico, in which an additional 85 “incentive procedures” have been included and divided into 11 categories, such as Air and Maritime Transportation, Agroindustries, Infrastructure and Green Energy, Manufacturing and Tourism.

DDEC Secretary Manuel Laboy has acknowledged the “huge backlog of construction permits,” but said improvements have been made in recent years. In 2015, the average time to get an approval was 98 days. As of early 2019, that was down to 20 days, he said. “Use permits took an average 23 days for approval in 2015 and, in 2019, that was down to seven days, not taking into account the automatic use permits issued.”

The private sector has painted a different scenario, as they outlined the obstacles that prevent businesses from establishing and expanding on the island. The situation is equally bad when trying to obtain various permits at the municipal level and central government levels, they said, complaining of bureaucracy and “too many people involved in the process.”

Sometimes the permits process takes years—a clear disincentive to invest, according to Emilio Colón Zavala, former chairman of the Puerto Rico Builders Association. “We must work so that the procedures established for obtaining permits do not become an obstacle for projects

5

>Courtesy of The Mall of San Juan

Reforms for a more business-friendly environment are important to make doing business easy for the private sector, paving the way for more jobs, expanded commercial activity and higher incomes for many, according to the World Bank. to be executed,” he said. Colón and other private sector leaders said these circumstances have resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs.

Puerto Rico Has The Best Business Climate In The Caribbean

Despite the bumpy road that many in the private sector have to travel, Puerto Rico is the leading economy in the Caribbean when it comes to the ease of doing business, according to the World Bank rankings.

With a ranking of 65, Puerto Rico leads the Caribbean region; the second easiest place in the region to do business in is Jamaica, which secured a rank of 71, while the third spot went to St. Lucia with a rank of 93. The worst place to do business in the Caribbean is Haiti, which ranked at 179 globally, just above the Republic of Congo.

The World Bank said improvements in the Caribbean were concentrated in starting a business, getting electricity, paying taxes and enforcing contracts.

The report also singled out several jurisdictions in the region for improvements they have made.

The Bahamas has recently implemented four business facilitating measures. The country made the process of starting a business faster and less expensive by reducing registration times for business licenses and value-added tax, and by eliminating business registration fees. Authorities cut the time needed for an entrepreneur to complete all required formalities to start a new business in half, to 11.5 days. The Bahamas also strengthened minority investor rights by increasing conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements, clarifying ownership and control structures, and requiring greater corporate transparency.

Barbados introduced three major reforms.

Authorities deployed new software to process electrical connection applications, increased their stock of electrical material needed for connection works and started offering training programs for the electrical utility’s engineers. As a result, it takes 10 fewer days to connect a new warehouse to the electrical grid. Barbados also adopted a law regulating all aspects of mediation as an alternate dispute resolution mechanism.

Belize, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica implemented business climate-improving reforms. Belize enhanced its risk-based management system, reducing intrusive inspections and streamlining the clearance process for both exports and imports. As a result, compliance with import border requirements was accelerated to 30 hours from 48 hours.

6

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Aerial view of Condado Beach in San Juan >Josian E. Bruno Gomez

Puerto Rico And Mother Nature’s Power

WEF’s Global Risks Report rings alarm bells for the near future

W Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

ith clear implications for Puerto Rico, the newly released World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report outlines the longterm risks of extreme

weather, climate change, natural disasters and even political turmoil that many countries could be facing in the coming years.

The WEF report sounds the alarm on extreme weather events with major damage to property, infrastructure and loss of human life; failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation by governments and businesses; and human-made environmental damage and disasters, including environmental crime, such as oil spills, and radioactive contamination.

A “red alert” was also noted on major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse (terrestrial or marine) with irreversible consequences for the environment, resulting in severely depleted resources for humankind as well

as industries; and major natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and geomagnetic storms.

Over 750 global experts and decision makers were also asked to rank their biggest concerns in terms of likelihood and impact and 78 percent said they expect “economic confrontations” and “domestic political polarization” to rise in 2020.

This would prove catastrophic, particularly for addressing urgent challenges like the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and record species decline, the WEF said. The report points to a need for policy makers to match targets for protecting the Earth with ones for boosting economies – and for companies to avoid the risks of potentially disastrous future losses by adjusting to science-

7

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Top Five Global Risks: Extreme weather events Climate change Human-made disasters Biodiversity loss Natural disasters

“This is a wake-up call. I’m an optimist, I believe we will find ways to do this. The bigger issue is how to recalibrate our lifestyles, to live on or over the water because the status quo may not be the future. We have to adapt ourselves to the new conditions—and sooner rather than later,” said Jeffrey Huber, an architect with Brooks+Scarpa in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who is promoting ecofriendly and green building initiatives.

“We don’t know what the future will look like, but we have to adapt, find solutions and use technology in best-management ways… The ‘what if’ scenario needs to be considered and put on the table,” he said.

The issue was highlighted in THE WEEKLY JOURNAL’s reporting on the problems of beach erosion in areas such as Ocean Park in San Juan.

Source: World Economic Forum report

based targets.

“The political landscape is polarized, sea levels are rising and climate fires are burning. This is the year when world leaders must work with all sectors of society to repair and reinvigorate our systems of cooperation, not just for short-term benefit but for tackling our deep-rooted risks,” said Borge Brende, president of the WEF. To younger generations, the state of the planet is even more alarming, as the report highlights how risks are seen by those born after 1980. In the coming years, the younger generations ranked environmental risks higher than other respondents. Almost 90 percent of these respondents believe “extreme heat waves,” “destruction of ecosystems” and “health impacted by pollution” will be aggravated in 2020.

Puerto Rico has been caught up with these challenges in the last couple of years, with the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Sept.

2017; the political turmoil of last July that led to the resignation of former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló; and the January earthquakes that were centered in the south.

Two other major challenges have been Puerto Rico’s economic depression, which lasted more than 10 years, and the central government’s debt crisis, leading to its bankruptcy.

As previously reported by THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, in the face of climate change and the resulting rise in sea levels around the world, coastal communities need to be proactive, not only to do their part in mitigating the environmental damage to planet Earth, but also to prepare for this new reality.

Jeffrey Huber, architect with Brooks+Scarpa in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who is promoting eco-friendly and green building initiatives. >Courtesy

8

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Guidelines for Opportunity Zones Tax Credit An expert on the topic identified issues within the process that should be addressed

S

Cynthia López Cabán

clopez@wjournalpr.com

@cynthia_lope

even months after the approval of the Incentives Code, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its Spanish acronym) published a draft of the regulation that will guide the application process and issuance of decrees and tax credits under the local Opportunity Zones (OZ) program.

The public has 30 days to submit comments and suggestions.

“Once this period ends, we will evaluate and incorporate the recommendations we deem pertinent. Opportunity Zones are estimated to generate over $600 million in investments and create thousands of jobs,” said Manuel Laboy, secretary of economic development and a member of the Committee of Priority Projects in OZ, in a statement.

The 17-page document, posted on the agency’s website (http://www.ddec.pr.gov), was “way overdue,” stated Giovanni Méndez, a tax attorney at the advisory firm Global Economic Optimization in Santurce.

On Dec. 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that created the OZ, a federal incentives program that seeks to bolster economic development in distressed areas by encouraging long-term investments through significant tax breaks. The designation as an OZ lasts for a period of 10 years. As part of this legislation, 98 percent of the island was designated as an OZ. A year and five months later, former governor Ricardo Rosselló signed into law a parallel version of the OZ Act, creating the legal framework for investing in these designated areas and priority projects on the island. This law was later incorporated into the new Incentives Code.

Now, the proposed regulation presented at the end of January, broadly defines the terms “priority projects”, “significant expansion” and “return on investment”, while describing the process of approval and rejection of a request for the tax incentive.

98 percent of the island was designated as an Opportunity Zone. >Gabriel López Albarrán

The draft also states that all projects started after July 1, 2019, the day that the Incentives Code became law, are eligible for investment credit.

Méndez noted that the regulation provided a general definition of a priority project, but it didn’t include the list of commercial activities already approved by the Committee of Priority Projects last August, nor did it expand on those broad categories.

Currently, the list of priority projects appears on the agency’s website. These projects include the development of residential real estate property for low-income housing projects, residential and/ or commercial real property for sale or rent, industrial real estate property for sale or rent and the substantial improvement of an existing commercial property for sale or rent.

“This regulation is late and it doesn’t say if the government prefers investment in buildings, office spaces, businesses. In fact, when it addresses the issue of significant expansion, it talks about businesses and then jumps to real estate without differentiating one from the other,” Méndez pointed out.

“Nor does it say what they (the Committee) are going to evaluate, or if they prefer an element to be a priority project. Give me concrete examples of projects so I can tell clients this is the menu of projects that the government is looking for... The original idea behind the Committee of Priority

Projects was to identify specific projects,” he added.

However, that is not the only shortcoming the attorney noticed.

Méndez explained that according to the proposed regulation, the secretary of economic development has the authority to make the final determination, which means he can issue or deny the tax credit. The secretary is also the official that will evaluate the petition for reconsideration in adverse cases.

“If the official in charge of the review is the same that rejected the petition why can’t it (the regulation) include the other elements or new criteria that you can bring up during the process,” Méndez stated. “Without a list of the elements for reconsideration, I see the process as very discretionary.”

Chapter 4 outlines the elements that measure the return on investment, but it doesn’t include a numeric formula to calibrate it.

“Again, it is discretionary. This section says what the government is going to evaluate, but not how much. They could have established a percentage or a range of percentage,” said the lawyer.

To respond to these concerns, THE WEEKLY JOURNAL sought a reaction from the secretary of economic development. But as of press time, his office hadn’t answered the questions sent by e-mail.

9

< The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, Febuary 12, 2020

10

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Puerto Rico’s Debt Deals In the News Cofina deal blasted while agreement reached on GOs

O Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

ne year after the deal was approved on about $17.6 billion worth of Sales Tax Financing Corp. (Cofina by its Spanish acronym), representing 24 percent of Puerto Rico’s bonded debt load, nonprofit Espacios Abiertos released a study arguing against the proclaimed savings.

According to economist Daniel Santamaría Ots, the $17 billion of savings in the Cofina deal is erroneous. “That calculation, still defended by the [Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB)] and the [commonwealth] government defies the laws of finance, ignores basic principles of asset valuation and calls into question the capacity or intention of those who are supposed to defend the interests of the people of Puerto Rico before the bondholders,” he said.

Santamaría said the deal incorrectly calculated the savings against a 100 percent repayment Economist Daniel Santamaría Ots argues his case against the Cofina deal. >Courtesy of Espacios Abiertos “promise” that was broken when the island went bankrupt in 2016. The 100 percent benchmark should not had to be “constantly” updated have been the starting point and reworked. for negotiations. Instead, it The fiscal plan revisions have should have been the Cofina included savings projections, bonds’ price levels in the weeks population estimates and Cofina bonds before Hurricane Maria hit real gross national product are backed by sales the island in Sept. 2017, he (GNP) growth. As a result, tax revenues. The charged. The bonds surged after Puerto Rico’s ability to pay deal, which was the hurricane, as the markets has been overestimated, approved by U.S. reflected the expectations of as have the projected District Court Judge massive federal aid to Puerto savings, Santamaría said.

Laura Taylor Swain, Rico.

Cofina bonds are backed allowed senior He also said the deal by sales tax revenues. The bondholders to overestimated savings from deal, which was approved recover 93 percent structural reforms and

by U.S. District Court Judge of their original underestimated the contractive Laura Taylor Swain, allowed effects of austerity measures. senior bondholders to recover These “errors” can be seen in 93 percent of their original the six fiscal plans that Puerto Rico has had investment, while junior bondholders recovered between March 2017 and May 2019, which have only 56 percent.

In fact,

Supporters of the deal noted that the Cofina agreement will decrease debt service on the sales tax-backed debt by $17.5 billion over nearly 40 years, saving the island about $456 million every year.

Deal Reached on GOs

Meanwhile, the oversight board and major creditors of General Obligation (GO) debt, reached an agreement on $35 billion of outstanding liabilities. The settlement reduces the commonwealth outstanding debt by $24 billion, representing a decrease of 70 percent.

The supporting parties include holders of 45 percent of Puerto Rico’s constitutional debt.

“Bankruptcy is holding Puerto Rico back. We need to resolve it and with this agreement, Puerto Rico will resolve it faster, protecting the pensions of retirees and the government services the people of Puerto Rico need and deserve as specified in the Oversight Board’s certified Fiscal Plan and budget,” said FOMB Executive Director Natalie Jaresko.

“This agreement among a cross-section of major creditors and the oversight board represents a significant step forward for Puerto Rico on its path to exiting bankruptcy on sound financial footing,” said Matt Rodrigue of Miller Buckfire & Co., in his capacity as the Lawful Constitutional Debt Coalition’s financial advisor.

“In addition to reducing the commonwealth’s outstanding debt by approximately $24 billion, the settlement shortens the timeline for debt repayment by 10 years and places a cap on annual debt service, which will keep payments at or below 9.16 percent of government revenues,” he added.

Santamaría also criticized the GO deal, saying “these bonds were what the board allegedly wanted to challenge for violating constitutional limits.

“Initially, the board offered the possibility of agreeing with the 2014 GO bondholders with cuts of 65 percent, that is, their recovery value would be 35 cents per dollar if the bondholders agreed. After the pre-agreement, they are already trading at 70 cents per dollar,” he noted.

“Puerto Rico is heading towards unsustainable payments of its debt. It has already happened with Cofina… it is happening with the central government bonds.”

11

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The popular Coamo hot springs are located in a facility called Baños de Coamo, where you will find an outdoor spa-like environment with two pools, showers, bathrooms and open-air seating. >Courtesy Discover Puerto Rico

New Life On The Horizon For “Baños de Coamo” Hotel Private company to invest $11.5 million for complete renovation

“A Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

total loss” was how some described the “Baños de Coamo” Hotel after Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico in Sept.

2017, devastating the island and the facilities in question.

The well-known “parador”, or small inn, suffered more than $7 million in damages, including its 23 rooms and meeting areas, restaurant, bar, the thermal baths and its regular swimming pool.

The hotel had been administered by the Coamo municipality, while the land and facilities remained in the hands of the “Administración de Terrenos”, or Lands Authority. Due to the extensive damages caused by Maria, the hotel has been closed for more than two years. However, the thermal baths, which are located behind the property, have been open to the public for some time.

The central government was considering selling issued. The winning proposal was agreed upon and the property, but due to strong opposition, the approved by the Lands Authority’s governing board. idea was shelved. Today, though, things are Rep. Manuel Claudio Rodríguez, who represents looking up.

District 7, which includes Coamo, said he was A private company, Coamo Spring Investments pleased with the latest developments on the hotel’s LLC, has been given the go-ahead reconstruction, “since it is not only to begin a full reconstruction of a great tourist attraction for all the facilities. The company will Coameños but for visitors alike, also manage the hotel in the longthus impacting the economy.” term, with a contract of 30 years.

According to Lands Authority The hot springs in Coamo, Executive Director Dalcia Lebrón According to local on the south-central part of the Nieves, “the proposed project legend, Juan Ponce island, were discovered in 1847 considers the development de León was in and became the main attraction of the hotel’s facilities in Plots search of these of a sanatorium-style hotel called B and C of the property with springs, believing “Los Baños de Coamo”. According a private investment of 11.5 they might be to local legend, Juan Ponce de million. A committee evaluated the coveted León set off to find these hot the submitted application and Fountain of Youth. springs believing they might be favorably recommended the the coveted Fountain of Youth. lease of the property for the development of the proposed The hot springs facilities, separate project. The recommendation of from the hotel, were renovated and modernized in 2010 and now include two pools, the committee was approved by the governing board of the administration.” a spa, a gift shop and a café.

Claudio Rodríguez said he and the municipality The House Committee on the Integrated would be “closely monitoring the next steps” of the Development of the South Central Region had been project, such as receiving the necessary permits, evaluating the status of the hotel’s reconstruction so that construction work could begin in the near and, in coordination with Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos García Padilla, a request for proposals was future.

In fact,

12

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Approximately 130 players will participate in the event. >Courtesy

Economic Impact of Puerto Rico Open Estimated at $3 Million

With millions of projected viewers, the chairman expects an even greater impact in the long run Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

T

he Puerto Rico Open announced that its upcoming 12th edition will be held next week, with an estimated economic impact of $3 million to the local tourism and hospitality sector.

The Puerto Rico Open is an official tournament in the Professional Golfers’ Association’s (PGA) Tour and it gathers top athletes for a week of professional camaraderie. This year,

the competition will be held from Feb. 20 to 23 at the Hyatt Regency Golf and Country Club in Rio Grande, formerly known as Coco Beach.

The tournament has been pushed ahead by about a month in order to accommodate players from other countries. Although the Puerto Rico Open organizers received complaints over changing the date, this could actually prove to be more beneficial because it is not close to Easter week, when locals tend to travel. In addition,

13

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

February weather is less hot and dry, the latter of which provides for a more challenging golf course.

David Chafey, chairman of the Puerto Rico Open’s Board of Directors, affirmed to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL that the event will serve as a motor to rev up the tourism economy and support local businesses in the short- and long-term.

According to Chafey, there have been roughly 3,500 to 4,000 nightly room reservations made for the week of the event. Although the cumulative number of nights reserved falls between that estimate, the number of visitors per room, per night could be even higher.

“There are more than 3,000 nights booked.

There are hundreds of thousands of people who come to Puerto Rico to eat, drink and party that weekend,” Chafey stated.

Between airline tickets, hotel fees and consumption on the island, the Puerto Rico Open is estimated to generate $3 million in the tourism economy. The event itself will feature multiple food trucks and catering services from local entrepreneurs, as well as local and Puerto Rico-based brands like Bacardí, which will have its own lounging area near the 18th hole.

Chafey stressed that this impact would be an immediate effect. However, given the PGA Tour’s popularity worldwide and the Golf Channel’s ample viewership, the chairman observed that there is the possibility of a far greater return on investment in the long run.

Orchestrating and operating the Puerto Rico Open costs roughly $7 million, with the bulk of the contributions coming from the Puerto Rico Golf Association ($3.5 million), and a minor chunk provided by the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. ($1.5 million to $2 million), among others. Chafey noted that the government’s contribution would be easily recovered through the Sales and Use Tax (IVU by its Spanish acronym) collected during the event, as well as the 30 percent tax withheld from the grand prize.

Meanwhile, the Golf Channel, Chafey informed, has more than 300 million subscribers in 200 countries and jurisdictions or commonwealths.

Moreover, the channel plays the tournament live for five hours, with 4.3 million viewers for an average of 42 minutes.

Apart from extensive coverage of the tournament itself, the Golf Channel also features interviews with locals, showcases tourism destinations across the island, promotes and assortment of visitor experiences and more.

“They aren’t in the golf course 100 percent of the time; they also promote Puerto Rico and they do so in the best way possible,” Chafey asserted.

He expects the positive coverage of the island to prompt viewers into eventually visiting the island or establishing a business.

“That is an economic impact in a very narrow timeframe. That is the immediate impact. My greatest hope, and the reason for my devotion, is not about this year’s impact, but the impact on the entire tourism [sector]—for several companies that are planning on building hotels in Puerto Rico to think, ‘hey, we can build a hotel here,’” he stated.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL asked if the hotel or flight reservations have been impacted due to mainland and international coverage about the

seismic activities that devastated the southern region of the island and affected electric energy services throughout January. Chafey affirmed that reservations “have remained stable” despite concerns over further natural disasters.

Tourism’s GDP Contribution “Absurdly Low”

Chafey reiterated that he conceived the Puerto Rico Open with PRGA President Sidney Wolf during the Aníbal Acevedo Vilá administration in the late 2000s with the goal to create a worldclass tournament that would boost Puerto Rico’s tourism economy.

“The tournament has two goals: one is to make Puerto Rico renowned worldwide… and the economy cannot rely on many of the other things that are here in Puerto Rico. There are pharmaceuticals with tax incentives, but that isn’t a sustainable economic model. So, Puerto Rico needs to identify what will be its economic model,” he said. Although he clarified that the manufacturing sector won’t necessarily collapse with the eventual fallout of Act 154, he stressed that tourism should have a greater impact on the overall economy.

Tourism comprises roughly 7 percent of the government’s gross domestic product (GDP), which Chafey deemed “absurdly low” compared to other Caribbean islands with more limited offers in terms of activities or geography. “If I were in charge of tourism, my goal would be to make it 10 percent of the economy in five years, and 20 percent in another five years,” he said.

David Chafey is chairman of the Puerto Rico Open’s Board of Directors. >Courtesy

The 12th edition of the Puerto Rico Open will be held from Feb. 17 to 23. >Courtesy

14

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Private Sector Boosts Job Gains in 2Q-2019 Quarter ends with 43,684 new jobs Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

The most recent Business Employment Dynamics report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that the private sector in Puerto Rico closed off the second quarter of 2019 with 4,218 new jobs in net terms.

The national study, published in the BLS’ website, concluded that by June 2019 the private sector generated, in gross terms, 43,684 jobs, with a total 39,466 in job losses.

The private sector is largely responsible for the island’s net gains in employment throughout the second quarter of 2019. During that time, 8,370

established companies expanded their services and 1,688 new businesses opened, for a total 10,058 private businesses that increased their employee portfolio. In contrast, 7,629 businesses downsized and 1,268 closed.

Considering both gains and losses, the second quarter of 2019 ended with 1,263 new businesses that resulted in 6,245 jobs, which represents 11 more new establishments than the previous quarter and 141 more jobs.

Despite these gains, that period ended with 4,207 less jobs than the first quarter of 2019 and 8,592 less jobs than the same period in 2018.

Moreover, the losses reported in the period were greater than those from the first quarter of 2019 by 4,975 jobs. However, the number of losses in that second quarter is lower than the same time frame in 2018 by 1,876 jobs.

10,058 businesses in the private sector created new jobs through expansions or openings. >Archive

One interpretation for the noticeable difference between the second quarters of 2018 and 2019 is that throughout the first half of 2019 a myriad of businesses that had stopped operations for lack of energy or infrastructural issues caused

by Hurricane Maria in 2017 began operating. By comparison, the fourth quarter of 2018 closed off with 40,125 job gains and 45,122 losses, -8.87 percent less jobs created and 14.33 percent more losses than the second quarter of 2019.

All in all, Puerto Rico ended its second quarter of 2019 with a job loss rate of 5.8 percent, a lower rate than 31 states. Meanwhile, the island had a job gains rate of 6.4 percent, higher than rates reported for 37 states.

15

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Puerto Rico Gov’t and Oversight Board Debate Over Approval on Debt Deals would be established to “ensure sufficient funds for pension benefits.” This funding source would allegedly receive contributions from Puerto Rico’s cash surpluses, as projected in the fiscal plan.

Based on the fiscal plan’s projections, the pension reserve is forecast to receive roughly $6 billion in government contributions over the next eight years. If the central government generates a higher cash surplus than projected per the fiscal plan, retirees would receive 10 percent of that surplus in additional cash.

“Bankruptcy is holding Puerto Rico back. We need to resolve it and with this agreement, Puerto Rico will resolve it faster, protecting the pensions of retirees and the government services the people of Puerto Rico need and deserve, as specified in the Oversight Board’s certified fiscal plan and budget,” Jaresko said.

Vázquez had approved the fiscal entity’s former PSA, presented early into her administration last September.

Gov. Wanda Vázquez cites concerns over retirees’ pensions Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

Shortly after federally-appointed officials announced an agreement with certain bondholders of Puerto Rico to decrease the island’s multibillion-dollar public debt by 70 percent, Governor Wanda Vázquez rejected it under the premise that it would cause a strain on government retirees.

The Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) established by the U.S. Congress to monitor the central government’s budget and debt repayment, announced on Feb. 9 that the new settlement would reduce the U.S. jurisdiction’s debt service from $90.4 billion to $39.7 billion, or 56 percent. This includes principal and interest from the Sales Tax Financing Corp. (Cofina by its Spanish acronym) senior lien bonds.

Moreover, the agreement would shrink $35 billion of debt and other liabilities down to $24 billion, or 70 percent, to less than $11 billion, which entails an additional $1 billion reduction in relation to the previous settlement from Sept.

2019. Compared to the previous agreement, debt maturity is limited to 20 years instead of 30 years, and creditor support would increase from roughly $3 billion to about $8 billion.

FOMB Chairman José Carrión III stated that, “the new and more favorable agreement is a win for Puerto Rico. It lowers total debt payments relative to the agreement we reached last year, pays off Commonwealth debt sooner, and has significantly more support from bondholders, further facilitating Puerto Rico’s exit from the bankruptcy that has stretched over three years.”

Meanwhile, FOMB Executed Director Natalie Jaresko claimed that the new agreement is “another step forward for Puerto Rico, one that gets the island much closer to ending bankruptcy and to the beginning of a true economic recovery.”

As reported by the Associated Press, Vázquez

Also Rejects Prepa RSA

Governor Wanda Vázquez is concerned over the most recent agreement reached with bondholders. >Brandon Cruz González

nonetheless rejected the new agreement, stressing that it still requires legislative approval and that it would pose an unfair trade for government retirees due to its impact on the pension system.

“If the bondholders receive better treatment in the bankruptcy process, so should retirees… This is an issue of basic justice,” the governor stated, although most retirees would not see a negative impact on their pensions.

The FOMB had addressed the new deal’s impact on pensions on the official Plan Support Agreement (PSA) announcement presentation.

The document stated that 75 percent of current and future retirees, as well as medical insurance benefits and those whose pensions are less than $1,200 a month, would be unaffected. However, government retirees who earn more than $1,200 on a monthly basis would face an 8.5 percent pension cut.

According to the FOMB, a pension reserve

Both the governor and the legislature rejected the FOMB’s recent restructuring support agreement (RSA) for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa), prompting the oversight board to “look for alternatives” to push both agreements, although Jaresko did not detail what those alternatives could be when pressed by reporters. Both agreements will be formally presented before U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who oversees the island’s bankruptcy process. However, they require approval from the legislature.

The Prepa RSA is an $8.3 billion settlement on the public utility’s debt that contemplates exchanging the current bonds for new securities, to be funded through a non-bypassable charge on clients’ bills. The non-bypassable charge, referred to as the “Transition Charge,” faces opposition from multiple sectors of civil society. The legislature has already said that it will not approve the RSA. For more information on the agreements, visit https://oversightboard.pr.gov/documents/.

The Weekly Journal reporter Rosario Fajardo contributed to this story.

16

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

V2A

Shares Their Successful Business Model I The company recently opened offices in Miami and the Dominican Republic

Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

n recent years, Puerto Rico’s business ecosystem and investment environment have experienced notable changes— such as with the rise of exportation, a booming tourism economy and various tax incentives to boost economic activity and job creation. Due to diversifying

V2A Directors Roberto Jiménez, Juan González, Graciela Salcedo and Manuel Calderón. >Brandon Cruz Gónzález

trends in multiple sectors, and changing demographics, it is imperative for Puerto Ricobased companies to adapt and incorporate strategic planning that will not only result in a more robust portfolio, but will also aid in the process of slowing down a mass exodus of local professionals.

V2A, short for Vision to Action, is a San Juanbased professional services firm with more than a decade of experience in helping companies define

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Xavier Diví, analytics/insights manager. >Brandon Cruz González

and achieve their goals by targeting key areas of business development: strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, organizational planning, operations, project management, sales and marketing.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL visited V2A’s headquarters at suite 401 in District View Plaza on Fernández Juncos avenue in San Juan to meet with directors Graciela Salcedo, Roberto Jiménez, Juan González, Manuel Calderón and Xavier Diví, Analytics/Insights manager, to delve into the company’s client base, expansion process and recipe for success.

The company was established in 2004 with the idea of revolutionizing corporate culture in order to bolster economic growth. According to Calderón, V2A works with a variety of industries and different types of services, such as telecommunications, banking, insurance, health care, nonprofit organizations, utilities, consumer goods, life sciences and more.

Specifically, 30 percent of V2A’s client base offer financial services, 25 percent hail from the public sector, 15 percent provide consumer goods, 10 percent work in life sciences, 10 percent are nonprofits, and the remaining 10 percent come from various other sectors. Regarding V2A’s most requested services, 30 percent are strategic planning, 20 percent are organizational planning, 20 percent are operations, 15 percent are sales and marketing and 10 percent are support in mergers and acquisitions.

The company also creates a series of reports containing information on the banking industry, as well as industry knowledge and insights, some available to the public and others curated for its members. The company collects data from multiple reliable sources, from the public and private sectors, and offer a comprehensive analysis to showcase financial trends.

“We want to let the people of Puerto Rico know things that perhaps are not talked about regularly or that are discussed with little

depth. When we encounter databases with available information that allows us to arrive at conclusions for certain issues that are relevant to Puerto Rico, then we analyze them. This helps the people understand where we stand,” Divi explained. Moreover, they hope these reports prompt people to become more engaged and make educated business or investment decisions.

We have to keep making Puerto Rico more competitive so that there can be more companies, which in turn provide more opportunities.

-Roberto Jiménez, V2A director

V2A Launched in Other Markets

After 15 years in the local market, V2A opened offices in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, and the city of Miami last year. However, the Puerto Rican company had been working on projects in both cities for years before formally opening their offices.

“We have been doing work outside of Puerto Rico for 10 years. We were doing projects in Miami probably as early as 2013 or 2014,” Calderón said. González added that they had been managing projects for the Dominican Republic between 2012 and 2013, and later between 2016 and 2018.

All in all, V2A employs approximately 50 people with different educational backgrounds.

17 80 percent of these work in Puerto Rico and the remaining 20 percent are spread out between the other two offices.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL asked the directors if there were additional plans for expansion in the near future. They replied that, while that may be an option, they prefer to focus on their current endeavors.

“Our growth strategy is an organic strategy, where the most important thing is not to overlook the quality of the service we provide.

We don’t believe in exponential growth that could jeopardize the quality of our work… We will grow in an organized way,” González affirmed.

Meanwhile, Jiménez said, “we are a company that remains based here and with these investment projects, [expanding] requires time, requires investment, and requires the development of those markets. We want to provide support and care to the Dominican Republic, to bring that office to another level, as with the office in Florida. Once those are at a stage that allows for growth in those markets, then definitively.”

The company officials also stressed V2A’s mission to provide well-paid job opportunities and career development to local professionals who reside on the island or had emigrated for study or work. Calderón estimated that in recent years, 50 percent of their recruits already lived in Puerto Rico and the other 50 percent had relocated but wanted to return to the island.

“We make an effort to attract talent that left to study outside of Puerto Rico but who want to contribute to the island, and they find in us a good alternative where they see the potential to grow professionally, to be exposed to various industries. We give them growth opportunities, training and expose them to challenging and interesting projects,” Salcedo asserted.

V2A has also made fomenting a warm, friendly environment for its employees a priority, with Kincentric naming the company as one of Puerto Rico’s best employers in 2018 and 2019. Their motto, Salcedo said, is “work hard, play hard.”

Their open-concept office has a gaming area with “foosball” and ping-pong tables, individual lockers for employees, large windows with a view of Condado, a comfortably furnished eating area, and a customizable calendar where employees can share ideas for community engagement.

According to Calderón, employees sometimes bring their children or pets as well. This, the directors claim, boosts productivity and worker engagement and allows employees to feel valued by their employers.

So, what should companies do to replicate V2A’s success?

“They must continue working on the things that make Puerto Rico more competitive because, in the end, these teams of young adults graduated from good universities with technical degrees in engineering, statistics, finance… and they just want good jobs—interesting jobs that are meaningful and allow them to keep growing,” Jiménez said. “[Employees] want to have time to contribute to their communities and enjoy the riches of Puerto Rico, but they also want a job where they can really learn. We have to keep making Puerto Rico more competitive so that there can be more companies, which in turn provide more opportunities,” he added.

18

>Archive

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Increase in the Value and Sale of Residential Real Estate The tendency is helping banks reduce their inventory and sustain real estate market prices

B

Ileanexis Vera Rosado

ivera@elvocero.com

@iverarosado

anks are seeing their inventory of repossessed homes decrease due to a need of housing and a lack of new projects.

In Dec. 2019, out of the 944 homes sold, 50 were new and 894 had been previously owned.

When compared to Dec. 2018, this represents an increase of 5 percent, when 903 homes were sold, out of which 52 were new and 851 had been previously owned. According to Silvio López, president of the Mortgage Bank Association, this tendency is helping banks reduce their inventory and sustain real estate market prices.

“We managed to close 2019 with an increase in

prices and amount of homes sold, which seems to indicate that the market is bouncing back.

The numbers indicate that there is an increase in the sale of previously owned properties, due in part to the lack of new construction projects, which, in turn, is due in great measure to the recession. Banks and developers are being much more cautious with their investments. This lack of homes has allowed banks to unload part of their inventories, so there aren’t that many repossessed homes available anymore,” said López.

López went on to say that nowadays it’s harder for families to find homes, which has made prices increase. The average price for a home today ranges between $120,000 and $200,000, although there are more expensive properties on the market. López believes that there may soon be another boom in construction of homes in the aforementioned price range because there’s a demand for it.

“Although there are always luxury homes on the market, most people look for home with a tag of no higher than $200,000,” he stated.

According to López, 70 percent to 80 percent of all properties on the island have been around

for around 30-40 years and are not up to code.

López also said that about 50 percent of these properties were not built in accordance to government standards.

“There is not only a need for new homes, but also new projects that are built according to current codes. Puerto Rico needs to start building safe homes with prices that are determined by the developers and the market. The market has finally started stabilizing after Maria, and we expect the current trend to continue,” added López.

According to the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF, by its Spanish acronym), 4,826 homes were sold from July to November of fiscal year 2020, a 3.2 percent increase over last year’s number. During this time, the sale of previously owned homes rose 9.9 percent and the sale of new homes declined by 48.4 percent.

On Nov. 2019, property sales rose by 13.7 percent, which amounts to 881 units. According to OCIF, from January to November of 2019 there was a 3.4 increase in sales when compared to the same period in 2018. During that period, the sale of older homes rose by 12.5 percent.

19

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

By Anthony Maceira

By Rafael “Tatito” Hernández

Former Public Affairs Secretary of La Fortaleza and Former Executive Director of P.R. Ports Authority

House of Representatives Minority Leader

G

overnment systems rely on a separation of powers which avoids power resting on a single person or institution. The system establishes the duty of the legislative assembly to disseminate and guarantees transparent public management with a constant and responsible oversight. The naturally-occurring clash of powers has reached the courts, where legislative responsibility has been strengthened.

A legislative body cannot do its work wisely or effectively in the absence of information regarding the situations which legislation is intended to affect or change. When the legislative body does not possess the required information –which occurs frequently– there must be a recourse to obtain it. — McGrain v. Daugherty.

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico has recognized and accepted that the power of the legislative branch to investigate is “a sequel and an indispensable part of the power to legislate,” as per Peña Clos v. Cartagena Ortiz.

Due to political fragility, a lack of electoral autonomy, the weak character and lack of interest in Puerto Rico’s governmental matters, there is an imbalance of power. The most prudent action would have been for the legislature to oversee the executive branch from day one, but this has never been the case. This becomes especially necessary when the governor belongs to the same party that dominates the legislature, with the exception of those times when there are problems within the same party or when there is an internal battle for power.

In recent days, we have witnessed this during the public

Prudent or Unwise hearings regarding the mismanagement of supplies in the south after the earthquakes.

Three years after Maria, a government that has been involved in scandal after scandal, has not been investigated by a complicit legislature. Now, four months before the primaries and nine months ahead of the general elections, they decide to initiate an investigation. Why? The first formal investigation performed on this administration is a living example that doing the right thing clashes with the political interests of the majority. The legislature, in its role as investigator, must take immediate action in the face of continuing incidents of misuse of federal aid during emergencies. However, one must wonder if this initiative proposed by members of the majority is because they really feel the pain of the people; or if it is an act to take advantage of the circumstances for a political vendetta against a candidate who they do not endorse.

To avoid misunderstandings, legislative supervision and oversight must be permanent, constant and firm, regardless of which party the executive leader belongs to. For these purposes, we proposed, as part of our platform, the establishment of a permanent calendar of discussion sessions with the primary agencies within the executive branch. In addition, we proposed the establishment of permanent commissions to monitor specific aspects such as corroborating compliance with public policy.

I am convinced that guaranteeing transparency, accountability and compliance with public policy is not an unwise act, it is the right thing to do. Because of it, I will always choose to be PRUDENT.

P

Act 73 AND THE Ease Doing Business in Puerto Rico

uerto Rico has approved many reforms aimed at easing doing business on the island. One of my favorites, without a doubt, is the Procurement Reform of 2019.

Although I won’t to go into much detail, I will at least explain what this new law and public policy brings to the table. A similar model of this law was successfully implemented in places like California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Illinois and Louisiana.

Nowadays, acquiring accurate knowledge about government procedures is a nuisance. Sometimes, the government tries to solve everything by imposing more regulation, and we can agree that in many cases it has done the opposite. That’s the case with current procurement procedures in Puerto Rico, which have hundreds of different sets of rules in place.

Uniform regulation provides clarity to both the public and private sector.

Doubts, last-minute requirements, a lack of transparency and other negative factors have been evident for years in Puerto Rico’s procurement processes. This should end now with the approval of Act 73-209, also known as the “General Services Administration (GSA) Act for the Centralization of Purchases of the Government of Puerto Rico 2019.”

For years, public instrumentalities have operated as small governments, implementing independent procedures that do not mesh well with others.

According to its Statement of Motives, Act 73 has as its main purposes: (i) transforming GSA, by making it the only government entity empowered to establish and carry out any procedure for the acquisition of goods and services by the government; and, (ii) the restructuring of its processes for the acquisition of goods and services, in a manner that simplifies such processes. Both objectives are of vital importance if we intend to steer the government of Puerto Rico towards transparency, being open for business

and fiscal health. But, what does this mean?

An expert entity in charge of carrying out, regulating and standardizing the process guarantees that there are no different requirements throughout agencies, corporations and those Municipalities that decide to enter under Act 73. Every process must follow the same set of rules and GSA will be the one to audit compliance. There will no longer be more than 200 regulations on procurement. Everyone interested in bidding will have to follow the same rules, regardless of the agency they are working with. This becomes even more necessary now when billions of dollars in federal funds are expected to be disbursed for recovery efforts.

It’s important to note that each entity will continue to establish its own set of needs. GSA leads the process, but it doesn’t dictate what an agency needs or doesn’t. GSA’s role is to ensure a fair, public and recorded process under Act 73. No more dealings will be agreed upon in dark rooms, and agency heads will no longer have power over the committee members tasked with evaluating bids, given that the act creates a centralized bid board.

Another significant change translates into substantial savings. By conducting centralized category auctions and multiple selection contracts, volume ensures better prices.

For all the above reasons, Act 732019 is state-of-the-art legislation that successfully adopts contemporary purchasing models established in other jurisdictions. Government procurement will be standardized, free from political ups and downs and completely transparent. The government will be able to use a single buyer in order to obtain better prices, while for the private sector this means having to master only one process, instead of navigating hundreds of different rules.

The law is not perfect but it certainly addresses “unpleasant surprises” and finally creates a process that eases doing business in Puerto Rico. Of course, the success of this legislation lies in it being implemented as it should be.

20

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

El Pretexto: A Fine Spot to Soak Up the Spirit of the Island

Tucked in the Cayey mountains, Puerto Rico’s first culinary farm lodge offers quiet beauty, agricultural bounty and soul food

W Cynthia López Cabán

clopez@wjournalpr.com

@cynthia_lope

ithout a doubt, Puerto Rico is best known for its turquoise water and white sand beaches.

But a farm lodge that opened almost two years ago is quietly

changing that conception and redefining the local tourism model along the way.

High in the mountains of Cayey, in the centralsoutheast part of the island, and just an hour from the sun-baked shores of San Juan, El Pretexto celebrates all that is majestic about the countryside, while offering guests a space where comfort and serenity reign.

This exuberant cottage in the neighborhood of Cercadillo is Puerto Rico’s first culinary farm lodge and the creation of Crystal Díaz Rojas, a self-proclaimed foodie, and entrepreneur, who has turned her home into a welcoming spot for travelers and locals craving a respite from the city roar and searching for meaningful food and trip experiences.

“I want tourists to have the possibility of enjoying the countryside in an inviting place so they can take away that Puerto Rico is more than beaches and casinos,” said Díaz.

And, with hard work and a lot of heart, the former marketing executive is achieving the goal.

Condé Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure magazine and Lonely Planet have all written rave reviews, praising the unique natural attributes of El Pretexto. Plus, Díaz holds the super host distinction on Airbnb, where the farm stay has a rating of five stars, the highest mark it can get.

Even though the place has an effortless and relaxed ambiance, every single detail has been carefully thought out to celebrate the island’s raw beauty and even recognize its idiosyncrasy like the jar of foam earplugs on a counter for the guests that can’t sleep because of the chirp of the coquí frog. The decor embraces earthy colors, natureinspired textures, and an unpretentious organic warmth.

The lodge’s amalgam of rustic, modern and artistic vibe also reflects the owner’s character and devotion to ecological farming and the

The scenery shines brightest from the main house deck at sunset, when the sky lights up in dazzling tones of yellow and orange. >Photos courtesy Rafael Ruiz

21

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The mountain retreat which runs on solar energy, collects rainwater and turns leftovers into compost.

project. The mountain retreat, which runs on solar energy, collects rainwater and turns leftovers into compost, offers five guestrooms, spread across two villas and a barn house in almost two acres of land. The rooms are spacious and decorated with Díaz’s own paintings. Hanging on the walls are dream catchers or frames with inspirational words, but you won’t find a television on the premises. Instead, the host encourages guests to play with board games and enjoy other amenities like outdoor walks, massages or yoga classes.

The spacious balconies and wide windows afford spectacular views of the hillside and the vivid landscape. But the scenery shines brightest from the main house deck at sunset when the sky lights up in dazzling tones of yellow and orange.

“Our concept is different,” warned Díaz. “We aren’t a restaurant, but we serve breakfast and dinner to our guests made of fresh high-quality locally grown products, that we grow here or buy from local farmers.”

From the deck, you can devise papaya, star fruit and banana trees close to the beds of spices and greens growing on the property’s foothill. El Pretexto, and adult-only venue and a smoke-free Bed and Breakfast, has its own small agroecological farming area, an orchard, an endemic agro-forest, and a beehive.

Díaz, a self-taught cook who learned the basics from her mom and has taken agriculture classes, is the lodge’s chef and host.

Last weekend, during THE WEEKLY JOURNAL’s visit, she surprised guests with delicious cod fritters with an avocado topping as appetizers and a tender and juicy pork loin stuffed with cheese and spinach served on a bed of rice and beans and a side of tasty mashed taro as the main dish. A mouth-watering pumpkin cake with a scoop of vanilla ice adorned with an edible flower completed the culinary journey.

Soft folksy music played in the background as an almost full moon rose over the lodge. Then, with contagious energy, Díaz presented each creation and briefly explained the history and

origin of ingredients. “People want to connect with the origin of the food they are eating,” she told me later of the importance of food knowledge in order to promote sustainability and stop hurting the planet. After serving her soul food, she joined the table sharing anecdotes of her travels and the story of her boyfriend’s broken ankle like an old friend. Díaz’s partner in crime, as she calls him, is Rafael Ruiz, a photographer and the creator of the popular food blog La Mafia.

Dinner was served at one of the eight outdoor tables on the large wooden deck, where El Pretexto hosts its monthly pop-up events. An open table experience, a pop-up showcases the culinary talents of the invited chef, while guests mingle and share their passion for food with the pastelcolored sunset as the awe-inspiring backdrop.

The next pop-up on the agenda features chef Carl Krause, who is flying in from Oregon, and local chefs José Carles from Cabo Rojo and Natalia Vallejo of Cocina al Fondo. The dates: February 29 and March 1.

“I see El Pretexto growing. Not adding rooms but becoming more sustainable and serving as an example of rural economic development,” Díaz indicated. “Right, Puerto Rico doesn’t have a model. Only 36 of the 78 municipalities have a coastline, the rest is countryside. There is a huge opportunity when it comes to agrotourism. It’s a global trend.”

And the entrepreneur knows what she’s talking about. Since El Pretexto opened travelers from Australia, Japan, China, Italy, Germany, Poland, Argentina, Mexico, and the U.S. have rented a car to drive all the way to a small community in the middle of nowhere seduced by the lodge’s authentic and homey charm.

“When you know what you are eating, it has

Crystal Díaz Rojas, a self-proclaimed foodie and entrepreneur, is the owner of El Pretexto.

more value. It stops being food for food. There is a lot of curiosity. People want to understand the richness of our gastronomy,” she insisted. “The land, the earth, gives you a level of knowledge that you don’t from a degree, and I want to pursue a doctoral degree. But no diploma gives you the knowledge gained from doing things with your hands, of being self-sustaining and not depend on anyone, or depend as little as possible. It is a wisdom that no university can give you.”

Like the retreat’s name, which means “the excuse” or “the ploy”, El Pretexto offers a good reason to unplug and destress, while rediscovering the island’s beauty and diversity.

El Pretexto is not a restaurant, but it serves breakfast and dinner its guests, elaborated with fresh locally grown products that are grow on the farm or purchased from local farmers.

22

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Shibō: The Racy

Shibō opened its doors in Oct. 2016 with a menu crafted by chef Jonathan Cruz, fusing Latin and Asian Cuisine. >Courtesy Ismael Martínez

Neighbor on Loíza Street This restaurant mixes Latin and Asian cuisine to create a savory menu and a memorable culinary experience

C Cynthia López Cabán

clopez@wjournalpr.com

@cynthia_lope

hef Jonathan Cruz doesn’t play with the usual palette of flavors at Shibō. Quite the contrary. He’s crafted a hybrid style that fuses Latin and Asian cuisine with his own pizzazz. Certain dishes are bold and racy while others are light and delicate bites. All creations excite your taste buds.

Established three years ago, Shibō also embodies Cruz’s curiosity and travel experiences to countries like Perú, Thailand, México and Spain, which have influenced his cooking.

“I find inspiration traveling,” he told THE WEEKLY

JOURNAL during a tasting at the restaurant last week.

The next trip? He plans to visit Japan in April.

While the kitchen can be a stressful environment, the chef found a way to lower the heat in the quarters where he spends longs hours working and discovering flavors every day.

“This is a demanding job so I wanted to cook something that I had fun with. When you have fun, like I do concocting ingredients, the job stops being a sacrifice and it becomes a learning experience,” Cruz explained.

“I go for things you won’t find in other places. I like unexpected things,” he added on a night the place was bursting with customers.

He means it.

Located towards the end of Loíza street in San

Juan, a neighborhood known for its gastronomic and bar scene, Shibō offers diners a culinary journey that incorporates a clever use of textures, colors and seasonings. Due to its distinctive approach to food, two years ago, Eater magazine named the restaurant as one of the nine hottest new spots in San Juan and, just a few weeks ago, the specialized website Big 7 Travel picked it as one of the best 25 places to eat in Puerto Rico.

“Shibō is Asian soul food at its best. And, while it’s not necessarily something you’d expect to find in Puerto Rico, it’s a delightful respite from the tantalizing traditional flavors of local dishes,” noted Big 7 Travel when it granted Shibō the 24th spot on its list.

You feel the restaurant’s eclectic and bold vibe from the moment you walk into this warm and

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

23

This is a demanding job so I wanted to cook something that I had fun with. When you have fun, like I do concocting ingredients, the job stops being a sacrifice and becomes a learning experience.

-Chef Jonathan Cruz

friendly environment decorated with blue and black walls, fern wallpaper, buddhas, luscious plants and a water fountain. “Taste our flavors,” shouts a neon sign on the wall, while some of the chairs have the Chinese translation of “Rise Up” engraved on the back, a reminder of the effort it took to reopen the place after Hurricane Maria and a take of sorts on Maya Angelou’s famous phrase “I still stand.”

From the exuberant decor, you move to the intriguing menu. It includes hors d’oeuvres like fufu dumplings or small pockets of beef and sweet plantain with eel sauce; longaniza kimcheese, a cheddar cheese fondue with Puerto Rican sausage served with wonton nachos; enoki fries or tempura mushrooms with truffle oil and cilantro; Korean fried chicharrón, which is your choice of fried calamari or chicken drenched in gochujang sauce, a sweet and spicy Korean sauce, sprinkled with scallions and sesame seeds; and nori chip pockets filled with spicy tuna-salmon and cream cheese on a bed of avocado purée and ponzu sauce to dip them in.

For the sushi and fish lover, there is fresh-fromthe-sea sashimi. If you are feeling adventurous, and don’t mind meat, you can eat the Guavate roll, a smoked pork sushi roll with yellow plantain and avocado topped with grated smoked tuna, inspired by the town of Cayey, known for its trademark roasted pig.

The khao soi noodles is a velvety soup made with coconut, red and yellow curry sauce, egg noodles, egg wonton strips, a dash of lime and cilantro. >Courtesy Shib

After Hurricane Maria, the restaurant was closed for several months until the Bar Rescue program remodeled the place. >Courtesy Ismael Martínez

The tom sum salad is a mix of shredded unripe papaya, cabbage, carrots, peppers and cherry tomatoes, doused in a Thai lemon vinaigrette and anchovy sauce. >Courtesy Shib

Cruz’s mastery of the ingredients and flair emerges in each dish, from the delicate inspirations to the spicy compositions. For example, he serves the tom sum salad in an elongated sleek black plate contrasting the vivid colors of the carrots, cherry tomatoes and peppers with the papaya’s demure green. Made from shredded unripe papaya, cabbage and drenched in a Thai lemon vinaigrette and anchovy sauce, this salad is a signature dish in Thailand and a popular plate in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Simply delish, to steal a line from foodie celebrity Rachel Ray. For meat-eaters, the philipino sisig is a joyous experience. Served in a hot cast-iron skillet, the dish combines skirt steak, chicken and pork, seasoned with onion, peppers, chili, lime and cilantro, topped with a sunny side egg, and served with white rice on the side. Prior to cooking, the meats marinated in Filipino-Thai sauce that leaves a trail of tanginess in the air as the waiter carries the plate to the table.

My favorite dish was the tacu tacu, a seared tuna steak sitting on a bed of rice and Peruvian

black bean puree with a drizzle of eel sauce. Just irresistible.

Another winner were the khao soi noodles, a velvety soup made with coconut, red and yellow curry sauce, egg noodles, egg wonton strips, a dash of lime and cilantro. This dish hit every note on my mouth.

A passion fruit fan, I was stoked to try the maracuya “tiradito”, or sashimi, on a bed of passion fruit sauce, red onions and cilantro, sprinkled with yummy roasted, crunchy Peruvian corn. It blew me away.

To finish the journey on a sweet note, the chef served a pandan leaf soufflé similar to yerba buena, and used in Thai and southeast Asian dishes, topped with vanilla ice cream and blueberries.

Even though Cruz emphasizes his fusion technique, his cuisine does more. It shows how these different flavors overlap and complement each other in ways you may never have noticed.

Prices are reasonable, it has an ample selection of vegetarian dishes and the cocktail list is inviting. It even has a sake sangria and a white lotus cocktail.

You should give it a try.

The Guavate roll is a smoked pork sushi roll with yellow plantain and avocado, topped with grated smoked tuna. >Courtesy Shib

24

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Mission: Fool Carnivores 100% HP refers to “hecho de plantas” or plant-based, and this slogan is the brainchild of José “DJ Funky Joe” Vallenilla, his son, John Paul, and chef José Bonilla from restaurant El Punto Vegano

G Marimar Rosario

correccion@wjournalpr.com

@Mmar1212

et ready for the 100% HP lifestyle! Fret not, it is not HP as in the definition most commonly associated to this phrase in Spanish, not by any means. 100% HP refers to “hecho de plantas” or plantbased, and this slogan is the brainchild of José “DJ Funky Joe” Vallenilla, his son, John Paul Vallenilla, and chef José Bonilla from the Cataño restaurant, El Punto Vegano.

“What we want is to give people more options.

Mainly, we want to target those who eat meat.

We want them to try these foods, to see what a diet without meat would be like, to see how their bodies react once they stop eating meat. We want them to, for example, when they want to eat a burger, know they have this option; if they want to eat an “empanadilla”, we want them to know there’s this other option, one that doesn’t have meat.” said DJ Funky Joe.

100% HP Menu *Meat “empanadilla”: Impossible beef with garlic, onion, red peppers in a wheat wrap *Broccoli cheddar “empanadilla”: Sauteéd broccoli, cassava-based cheddar cheese in a wheat wrap *Pizza “empanadilla”: tomatoes, basil, garlic, cassava-based mozzarella cheese in a wheat wrap *”Alcapurrias”: Impossible beef *”Pastelillo”: Impossible beef, puff pastry John Paul Vallenilla, José “ DJ Funky Joe” Vallenilla and chef José Bonilla. >Marimar Rosario

25

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

“We are always on the lookout for the best and freshest vegan products.”

-John Paul Vallenilla “That’s our beef,” he continued. “Our issue is with meat. That’s it, we want to offer multiple options so that people don’t need to eat meat. We want to fool carnivores, that is our mission. We want to give them a 100% HP product,” he added.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, plant-based diets lower a person’s risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, obesity and digestive disease. Studies have also shown that this type of diet may also help lower cholesterol levels. In DJ Funky Joe’s case, being a vegan was something that happened organically, little by little, as he saw his health improve. He said that it has been over a year since he has taken any sort of medication, he hasn’t needed as much as acetaminophen for a headache since switching to a 100% HP lifestyle.

In his journey within the plant-based lifestyle, DJ Funky Joe ran into Bonilla, who has always led the vegan life. His restaurant soon became a favorite of the Funky Joe’s and from then a partnership emerged.

Along with his son, John Paul, they embarked on a mission to learn more about veganism, about plant-based diets and the many options available.

Their voyage took them all the way to California, to new restaurants, farmer’s markets and food fairs, all devoted to the vegan lifestyle. Although Puerto Rico has always had vegan options, this trio decided that they wanted veganism to become something more mainstream, to be something effortless and to provide foods that are just like the typical junk food the locals consume.

From this desire, 100% HP was born. Funky Joe, John Paul and Bonilla like to think of themselves as “veganism’s evil brother”, as the ones who will change any meat eater’s mind when it comes to the vegan lifestyle.

“We want to make this fun,” added John Paul.

Together, in Dec. 2019, they opened a shop at Eco’s Sports Park where they started selling vegan “empanadillas”. Over Christmas, and after many trial runs, they also started selling vegan “pasteles” through the Uva App. Fast forward to today and, not only are they still selling “pasteles” over the Uva App, but they have expanded their menu to include locally made craft sodas, “empanadillas”, “pastelillos”, “alcapurrias” and coffee, all vegan and made with the now well-known Impossible beef.

The “pastelillos”, little bites of sweet and savory heaven, were created with the help of pastry chef Amparo Díaz. It was Díaz who was charged with coming up with the perfect vegan puff pastry recipe to create a “pastelillo” worthy of the 100% HP tag; and that she did. Her “pastelillo” is the perfect complement to Carlos “Carli” Gutierrez’s

Sweet and savory “pastelillos” made with 100 percent vegan Impossible beef. >Marimar Rosario

Christmas year round! Delicious 100 percent vegan “pasteles” and rice with pigeon peas. >Marimar Rosario

coffee, sold in Cayey at Carli’s Coffee Shop.

“Our frapuccino is made with local coffee from Adjuntas, almond milk and pistachio and coconut syrup,” explained Gutierrez.

The craft sodas come in an assortment of flavors, from one made with ginger and lime, to another made with soursop, coconut, rosemary and pineapple. The ingredients for these delicious craft sodas are locally sourced, with the drinks themselves being made in Miramar by R & D

Licorería.

The 100% HP lifestyle has quickly spread.

Production of the “pasteles” has had to be outsourced to a factory in Mayagüez, Wonderen’s Foods; Funky Joe is slated to open a burger restaurant in Miramar next month and he has also started working on opening a vegan food court on Tanca street in Old San Juan. Just last week Funky Joe announced that his 100% HP products will also be sold in Orlando, Fla. at selected retailers.

26

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Stay On Trend This Valentine’s Day Celebrate love and friendship in the season’s hottest styles

F

Yomaris Rodríguez

yrodriguez@elvocero.com

@yomarisr

eb. 14 is the perfect day to celebrate love and friendship. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday, so the celebration could be drawn out through the weekend.

Get ready for it with a new outfit for every day!

There are several trends this season and of course, red, the color of love, is one of them.

“There’s a lot of red and fuchsia, which we have been seeing since last year. At Guilty, we have an assortment of casual dresses, rompers and pieces in this color combination that may be used for

Green leopard print skirt.> Courtesy Guilty

An assymetric hem and ruffles lend this dress a fun, feminine vibe.> Courtesy Guilty

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

27

Spring is in full swing as evidenced by this print with flowers and butterflies.> Courtesy Guilty

Nautical styles are also in vogue. > Courtesy Guilty

Blouson sleeves, one the season’s trends. > Courtesy Guilty

work or every day, and that you can tone down with another solid,” said Suhaily Sepúlveda, coowner of Guilty.

Animal prints continue to be in vogue, and newer styles are making them more versatile.

“Animal print is still big, and now it’s not only limited to leopard print, we are starting to see snake print. They are also available in bright colors. For example, a red leopard print, or in green, turquoise and terracotta with bright colors,” Sepúlveda continued.

Sleeves are also another big trend when it comes to blouses and dresses.

“Dramatic, voluminous sleeves and exaggerated shoulders are also very trendy.

These details add a very feminine touch,” said Sepúlveda before adding that, as per usual, “florals and bright colors like yellow” will also be part of the season’s trends.

Suhaily and Armando Sánchez founded Guilty in 2017. This Puerto Rican company offers women the option of having new clothes to wear every month, without having to invest in dry cleaning or even shipping. For a monthly fee, Guilty will deliver the season’s hottest styles straight to every woman’s door.

“We began six weeks after Hurricane Maria.

We wanted to bring a sense of normalcy to Puerto Rico, but with an innovative concept.

Every member has access to a catalogue where they can choose the styles they want to receive, creating a sort of virtual closet. The idea is for them to have an assortment of pieces that they can rent and don’t have to purchase,” said Sepúlveda.

Log on to http://www.lookguilty.com for a look at Guilty’s inventory of over a 1,000 pieces, from cocktail dresses to work wear, ranging in size

from extra-small to extra-large.

28

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The Caribbean World Series was held the first week of February. >Carlos Rivera Giusti

The Puerto Rican

Baseball Experience I

Delicious food and great music but without a seventh-inning stretch and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” Hallee Patterson

have always enjoyed going to baseball games because the energy of the crowd is so much fun, and the Puerto Rican enthusiasm for the games at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium can’t be beat!

However, there is no seventh-inning stretch and they do not sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”.

In 1942, Hiram Bithorn was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, making him the first Puerto Rican player in the major leagues. The Puerto Rican professional league has played here for 80 years.

You can enjoy the Puerto Rico’s professional baseball starting on November. The Roberto Clemente Professional baseball League is the main professional baseball league on the island.

There were five teams playing this year: “Criollos de Caguas”, “Gigantes de Carolina”, “Cangrejeros de Santurce”, “Indios de Mayagüez” and “Atenienses de Manatí”. One of following two teams will join next year: “Tiburones de Aguadilla” or “Leones de Ponce”.

This year, you can also enjoy when the Mets play the Marlins for a three-game series in San Juan at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium from April 28 to April 30.

The Marlins and Mets are no strangers to squaring off on the island. They faced each other at

Hiram Bithorn Stadium in 2010. This will mark the fourth time that both franchises play in Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean World Series was held during the first week of February. Santurce’s team represented Puerto Rico. The other teams were from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and Colombia. We learned that Colombia entered because the Cuban team could not get visas.

The Bulls of the Dominican Republic won the 2020 Caribbean Series championship by beating the Cardinals of Venezuela 9-3, in a match held at Hiram Bithorn stadium.

Walking up to the ballpark to enjoy the Caribbean Classic was equal parts ballgame and street fair. My eyes went everywhere. I saw many booths in front of the stadium selling sunglasses and rub-on tattoos, all baseball related.

There were huge areas where sponsored booths were taking pictures of children with the Puerto Rican flag in the background. There was music from different directions. The one thing I wanted to buy was a score sheet, but I was told Puerto Rican fans were not interested in keeping score. What they did bring to the game was noise makers. I plan on buying one for my next visit.

When we went to the ticket window to purchase our tickets, I was amazed at the low price. In Chicago, we have paid up to $100, here we paid $20, and the cost for a regular season game is less.

What caught my eye was the food. They were selling fruits! A man in front of me was eating mangos. Therefore, I thought it would be interesting to show the type of food offered: HOT DOGS: Here they are topped with onions and cheese.

FRUIT: Sold in cups, it is offered by vendors who carry boxes on their heads through the stands.

“CARNE FRITA” or FRIED MEAT: chunks of pork with plantains.

“BACALAITOS” or CODFISH FRITTERS: All I could think of was indigestion, but I am told they are delicious.

“PINCHOS” or SKEWERS: There were sausage, chicken cordon bleu, pork and beef skewers available, all with plantains.

CANDY: This really caught my attention.

There were vendors selling drinks, cotton candy, pizza, pork rinds, plantain chips, potato chips, Dorito’s and peanuts, but no Crackerjack’s.

DRINKS: The beer cost $3, as opposed to Chicago where the cost is $10. They also offered piña coladas and mojitos. I learned these drinks were only offered during the Caribbean Classic.

The fans went wild when Puerto Rico scored during the Caribbean World Series. There were people singing, shouting and playing music instruments, all of which made the experience super exciting. I would strongly urge you to enjoy America’s pastime.

29

< The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, Febuary 12, 2020

30

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Ponce’s Welcome Fiesta

Will you be on a cruise docking in Ponce on Feb. 13? Will you be visiting the area? Then, you’re in for quite a treat! Get ready to experience what Puerto Rican hospitality is all about.

Starting at 7:30 a.m., the municipality, along with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, is hosting a welcome party complete with artisans, music, rum samples, photo-ops and more.

Tourist guides will also be on-hand to answer any questions you may have and share their Ponce must-do list.

At 11 a.m., there will be a traditional “plena” show at Ponce’s iconic Plaza Las Delicias, so make sure to stop by and enjoy Puerto Rico’s unique rhythm.

When: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Where: Ponce’s Port and Plazas Las Delicias, Ponce

Tu Sinfónica en Bahía: Historias de Amor

Join the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (OSPR) for a special Valentine’s Day concert. The romantic evening will be held at Bahía Urbana, an outdoor venue space in Old San Juan. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra free of charge and surrounded by the breathtaking views of Old San Juan’s bay area.

When: Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.

Where: Bahía Urbana, San Juan

One on One with Ambassador Susan E. Rice: in Conversation with Erin Pelton In conversation with Erin Pelton, founder of Puerto Rico Live, Susan E. Rice will offer an insider’s account of some of the most complex issues faced by the United States over the last three decades – from “Black Hawk Down” in Somalia, to a secret channel to Iran, the Ebola epidemic and the relations with Cuba during the Obama years. She will reveal previously untold stories behind recent national security challenges, including confrontations with Russia and China, the U.S. response to Russian interference in the 2016 election and the surreal transition to the Trump administration.

When: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, 299 De Diego Ave., San Juan

Tommy Torres 2020 Tour

Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and record producer Tommy Torres was named the #1 Hot Latin Tracks Producer of 2007 by Billboard Magazine and Composer of the Year at the 2010 ASCAP’s Latin Music Awards. Torres has written and produced songs for many artists including Ricky Martin.

When: Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.

31

/ Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Film Screening: Brincando El Charco and Luna Vieja

Join the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art for a special film screening that will feature “Brincando el Charco: Portraits of a Puerto Rican” (1994), by Frances Negrón-Muntaner . The movie is a thoughtful look at female identity through the lenses of a Puerto Rican women living in the United States. Afterward, the short film “Luna Vieja” (2013), directed by Raisa Bonnet will be screened.

When: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.

Where: Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art, Ponce de León Ave. , Santurce

Family Day at the Museum

For the 16th consecutive year, the Puerto Rico Art Museum is opening its door for a day of family fun.

During the event, attendees will be able to explore the museum’s exhibitions, participate in guided tours, take part in creative workshops and more.

When: Sunday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

Where: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, 299 De Diego Ave., San Juan

Rincón Art Walk

The Rincón Art Walk is held every Thursday at Rincón’s town square— making it a muststop for anyone exploring this quintessential beach town. At this fair, you’ll find numerous local artisans, enjoy live music and delight in the festive spirit of locals. Once you’re done checking out the Art Walk, it’s time to venture into one of the many local restaurants that surround the square.

When: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m.

Where: Plaza del Recreo, Rincón

Puerto Rico Open Basic Photography Class Known as the most fun and tropical tournament in the PGA TOUR, the Puerto Rico Open has been celebrated in the Championship Course at Coco Beach since 2008. It combines great golf, a beautiful beachfront setting, live entertainment, and the signature warm hospitality that distinguishes Puerto Ricans.

When: Monday, Feb. 17 to Sunday, Feb. 23 Where: Coco Beach, Río Grande

Do you have a digital camera but don’t know how to use it in manual mode? Do you like to take pictures on trips?

If your answer is yes, you should enroll in this course to learn how to use your camera. For more info: (787) 602-1954 When: Saturday, Feb. 15 at 9 a.m.

Where: Old San Juan

San Juan National Historic Site’s 71st Park Anniversary

Happy Birthday to the San Juan National Historic Site! Established on Feb. 14, 1949, it is Puerto Rico’s first and only national park. On this day, there will be a variety of activities at both forts for all to come and enjoy. Entry to the forts will be free.

When: Friday, Feb. 14 at 9 a.m.

Where: El Morro and San Cristobal Fort, Old San Juan