The Weekly Journal - February 26 - March 3, 2020

Wednesday,February 26 - March 3, 2020 / no. 044

Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

www.theweeklyjournal.com

Liberty Continues Subscriber Momentum, Finalizing AT&T Acquisition P6 Gov’t Bets on Ocean Thermal Energy Plant in Yabucoa P10

>Courtesy of the Manatee Conservation Center

Cocoa Farming: A Golden Opportunity for Puerto Rico P16

Red Flags Raised on Possible Impact of Trump’s 2021 Budget on Puerto Rico Cuts proposed on social welfare, community development programs

P Rosario Fajardo

Environment Watch: Saving a Baby Manatee P28

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

resident Trump’s 2021 newly released $4.8 trillion budget for the federal government—if passed by the U.S. Congress—would be a blow to thousands of low-income families in Puerto Rico, as the island would get a major cut in the Nutritional Assistance Program, known as PAN for its Spanish acronym.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL perused several Trump budget documents, including the 1,402 page appendix to “A

Budget for America’s Future,” which is published by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

According to page 159 of the voluminous appendix of the proposed federal budget, “Nutritional Assistance for Puerto Rico” would go down from $2.523 billion in 2019, to an estimated $1.938 billion in 2020 and then an estimated $1.971 billion in 2021.

In terms of Trump’s topline budget numbers for the federal government, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (formerly food stamps) would be cut by $182 billion (nearly 30 GO TO PAGE 4

The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, Febuary 26, 2020 > 2

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a week in review FOMB: more Bondholders back Plan Support Agreement The Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) announced that support for the Plan Support Agreement (PSA) with certain bondholders increased from $8 billion to $10 billion of bonds, including Puerto Rican credit unions and traditional municipal investors. The Oversight Board, representing the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the government’s Employee Retirement System, entered into the PSA with certain holders of general obligation bonds on Feb. 9, 2020. >Carlos Rivera Giusti

U.S. Transportation to Grant TwoYear Waiver on Air Cabotage Laws After years of requesting the elimination of air cabotage laws for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Department of Transportation has preliminarily granting a two-year exemption for the island.

The final approval would allow foreign airlines to perform certain cargo and passenger transfer services at international airports in Puerto Rico. It could also attract new or additional foreign air carrier services to airports serving San Juan, Ponce and Aguadilla, which would be of economic benefit to the island. >Josian E. Bruno Gómez

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

Governor Appoints New Chief for BDE and HFA Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced submitted the appointment of CPA Pablo Muñiz Reyes for two Puerto Rico government positions: as president of the Economic Development Bank (BDE) and executive director of the Housing Financing Authority (HFA).

Muñiz Reyes presently serves as deputy director of the HFA. Both designations were submitted to the respective boards of directors of the two bodies for their consideration. >Brandon Cruz González

President Salvador Hasbún shasbun@elvocero.com

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

Comptroller Félix A. Rosa frosa@elvocero.com

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

Production Director Eligio Dekony edekony@elvocero.com

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Phone: 787-622-2300, 787-721-2300

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

Customer Service: 787-622-7480

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 percent) over 10 years.

A temporary assignment of an estimated $1.2 billion in Nutritional Assistance funds for the island, granted after Hurricane Maria in Sept. 2017, will not be renewed. A new disaster, though, has hit Puerto Rico—the earthquakes that struck in January—that largely affected municipalities and thousands of residents in the south. It is unclear if additional PAN funds could be allocated to the island, given these circumstances.

The Nutritional Assistance Program is particularly important for Puerto Rico, as about 40 percent of local residents live below the poverty level and, as such, they depend on social welfare benefits for their families. Based on government figures, an estimated 1.3 million local residents receive PAN benefits.

At the same time, the regular Community Block Development Grants (CDBG), which are separate from CDBG Disaster Recovery funds, would also get huge cuts in Trump’s proposed budget.

According to page 582 of the Appendix, allocations for the regular CDBG program would drop from $3.911 billion in 2019, to an estimated $3.558 billion in 2020 and then to an estimated $389 million in 2021.

The HOME Investment Program, which helps low-income individuals become homeowners through affordable housing, would also be cut, from $1.513 billion in 2019, to an estimated $1.367 in 2020 and an estimated $216 million in 2021.

The regular CDBG funds are used to help disadvantaged communities across the nation through a number of initiatives. CDBG programs include improving urban communities by providing “decent housing and suitable living environments” and creating jobs by expanding and retaining local businesses. The overall aim is to provide economic opportunities for low-income and moderate-

Trump’s budget is an important reason why we should all participate in the upcoming Census, as it is an important base for determining federal funds, including social welfare funds.

-David Carrasquillo, urban planner

is an important base of determining federal funds, including social welfare funds,” he said to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. If Trump’s budget is passed, Carrasquillo warned that it could undo all the assistance that Puerto Rico has received after Maria, even though the federal funding stream has been slow. The Disaster Recovery funds are essential for Puerto Rico to rebuild but, if the regular CDBG funds are cut so drastically, then many low-income communities on the island will not receive the assistance that they still need, he indicated.

Carrasquillo said Trump’s budget highlights why nonprofits are so important to many communities.

“NGOs really have a positive impact, they are on the ground, helping people, working on important projects,” he said.

Economic Impact on Puerto Rico income populations and their local communities.

The CDBG-Disaster Recovery funds have a similar focus as the regular CDBG program, but the Disaster Recovery funds are issued for specific cities, states and territories after a natural disaster, such as hurricanes and other storms, flooding and tornadoes.

While it remains to be seen how Congress will act on Trump’s proposed budget—2020 is an election year and the battle lines have clearly been drawn between Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate on one side and the Democrat-controlled House on the other—the documents are clear about the Trump White House’s priority areas.

“It is disheartening to see that even after all the disasters that have happened in Puerto Rico, that Trump still treats us as second class citizens,” said David Carrasquillo, an urban planner who works with many nonprofits in Puerto Rico.

“Trump’s budget is an important reason why we should all participate in the upcoming Census, as it

Urban planner David Carrasquillo, who works with many nonprofits in Puerto Rico >Archive

Carrasquillo’s concerns go beyond the basic needs of food and housing, but also to the overall economy in Puerto Rico. “If Trump’s cuts go through, it will slow our recovery even more and lead to hardships for more people. There is a lack of understanding from the federal government about what Puerto Rico really needs,” he said.

University of Puerto Rico Economics Professor Juan Lara said Trump’s proposed budget was “bad news” for the island, as he called the proposed cuts on social welfare programs “austerity measures.”

“To the extent that [regular] CDBG funds are cut for states will mean that future funding for Disaster Relief will also be cut,” he said to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. The same would be true for the PAN program because “Puerto Rico, as a matter of policy, gets less than states because we are not treated equally. If the states get cut, this would make it harder for us to parity. Why would they give us more?” he asked.

While the federal budget always requires

University of Puerto Rico Economics Professor Juan Lara >Archive

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participating in SNAP [Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program] enter the job market and work toward self-sufficiency,” the document states.

The federal budget “improves consistency between work requirements in federally funded public assistance programs, including TANF [Temporary Aid for Needy Families] cash assistance, SNAP, Medicaid and rental assistance by requiring that able-bodied, working-age individuals find employment, train for work or do community service in order to receive welfare benefits.

“This enhances service coordination, improves the financial well-being of those receiving assistance, and ensures these public assistance programs are reserved for the most vulnerable populations,” the document adds.

If the individuals do not comply with the work requirements, they would lose the benefits.

Border Security and Immigration Enforcement

Community Development Block Grants and the HOME Investment Program help low-income individuals obtain safe and affordable housing. >Archive

negotiations, Lara said he believes the Democratexpected,” he said. controlled House will fight Trump’s proposed cuts Based on his analysis, the municipalities that on social welfare programs to “soften the blow.” receive the most PAN benefits are San Juan, Ponce, Economist Gustavo Vélez has already warned Bayamón, Caguas and Carolina. Supermarkets in about the possible impact that cuts in social these areas also register the most sales in terms of welfare programs could have PAN beneficiaries. on Puerto Rico’s economy.

It’s not just low-income Trump Promoting Work families that are affected by Among Welfare Recipients any changes in Nutritional The federal budget’s Assistance funding, but also priority areas include tying The Nutritional the food industry, which shows welfare benefits with training Assistance Program is a high level of susceptibility and finding work, or doing particularly important on “external stimuli,” such community service. This for Puerto Rico, as about as federal funds that are not requirement has not yet been 40 percent of local recurring, he indicated. Other implemented in Puerto Rico, residents live below the factors include the island’s although it is included in the poverty level and, as population decrease coupled central government’s Fiscal such, they depend on with an aging population.

Plan certified by the Financial social welfare benefits Last year, even with the Oversight and Management for their families. Based millions in PAN funds that Board. on government figures, residents received, along with According to the document, an estimated 1.3 million the $1.2 billion in temporary Trump’s budget “proposes to local residents receive PAN funding after Maria, the break the cycle of poverty that these benefits. food industry reported a 12 traps millions of Americans percent contraction, while [and] reforming welfare restaurants had a 4 percent programs in ways that promote drop, Vélez said. work as the best pathway This highlights the “level out of poverty.” Investments would be made in of vulnerability of the island’s economy, the education and training activities to help individuals food industry and other sectors. They face the find jobs. possibility of even more weakening if the federal “The budget proposes to strengthen work funds [that Puerto Rico needs] do not flow as requirements to help all able-bodied adults

Trump’s budget is clear that border security remains a top priority. Overall 2021 funding for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection ($15.6 billion) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement ($9.9 billion) is 11 percent higher than the fiscal year 2020 level.

Allocations in the Trump budget include “$2 billion for new border wall in locations identified by the Border Patrol as necessary to obtain operational control of the border and impede the flow of illegal crossings,” according to the White House.

Meanwhile, $72 million is earmarked to help Customs and Border officials care for those in its custody, especially children and families, including $40 million for a Humanitarian Care Center in south Texas.

In fact,

The Nutritional Assistance Program not only helps low-income individuals and their families, but also helps “move” the food industry in many communities. >Archive

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Liberty Puerto Rico Reports Strong Growth For 2019

Expects AT&T acquisition to be completed in Q2 2020

L Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

iberty Puerto Rico is continuing its “subscriber momentum” and revenue growth, as it added 13,000 revenue generating units (RGUs) during fourth quarter (Q4) 2019 and 47,000 RGUs for fiscal year 2019.

The company said growth was driven by its

high-speed data products, along with additions in its video and telephony segments. Revenue for Q4 2019 stood at $105.4 million, which represents a reported increase of 12 percent compared to Q4 2018. The company reported $412.1 million in revenue for fiscal year 2019, an increase of 23 percent year-over-year.

Liberty Puerto Rico said its rebased revenue growth of 9 percent was largely a reflection of the recovery from 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“Our extraordinary growth in both revenue and subscribers shows our excellent position in the market,” said Naji Khoury, president and CEO of Liberty Puerto Rico. “We will keep investing in our products and technology, specifically the

continuous improvement of our network and adding more new homes passed to our footprint.”

Khoury stated that Liberty added over 20,000 new homes during 2019, and the company’s new fiber to the home (FTTH) connection has become a standard for new construction, with speed capabilities of up to 1 Gbps. Liberty Puerto Rico also upgraded speeds for about 22,000 homes, which will further enhance the company’s services.

Liberty Puerto Rico’s biggest highlight for fiscal year 2019 was Liberty Latin America’s announcement that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AT&T’s assets in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), which was announced in October.

>Archive

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According to Khoury, the transaction is currently in the regulatory stage, which means that all pertinent regulatory entities at state and federal levels are evaluating the transaction. The projected timeline is for the acquisition to be completed in Q2 2020. In the meantime, both companies continue to operate separately.

In an interview with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, he reiterated that “nothing is going to change” for AT&T customers. “We won’t change rates. There won’t be any changes on roaming and Liberty Puerto travel benefits. We are working Rico’s biggest to ensure that the transition is highlight for seamless for all customers,” he fiscal year 2019 said. was Liberty The acquisition is important for Latin America’s Liberty Puerto Rico “because any announcement telecom company in the world that it has entered that wants to stay competitive in into a definitive the market needs to have mobile agreement to operations,” he indicated. acquire AT&T’s “This investment is further assets in Puerto testimony of our belief in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Rico,” Khoury added. “We intend Virgin Islands to keep – and even improve – (USVI), which was what exists today: superiority of announced in the network, excellent customer October. service and seamless service when you travel. Not only will this transaction bring added benefits for consumers and businesses, but it will also transform and add resiliency to the communication infrastructure in Puerto Rico and the USVI.” THE WEEKLY JOURNAL noted that in its FY 2019 report, Liberty Latin America stated that its total principal amount of debt and finance leases amounted to $8.516 billion, which includes a debt of $1.253 billion borrowed by Liberty Puerto Rico to fund the AT&T Acquisition.

Khoury said the company’s financial numbers remain strong, as cash flow remains positive.

“We believe in running a company with healthy leverage. Even after Hurricane Maria [in Sept.

2017], we had no problems. It is normal to finance an acquisition of that size. We also invested $700 million in the acquisition. We are not financing the acquisition with 100 percent of debt; that would be suicide,” he explained.

In fact,

Other 2019 Highlights

As a leader in internet speed, Liberty Puerto Rico increased speed in its most popular triple-pack combinations from 150 (megabytes per second) Mbps to 200 Mbps in Nov. 2019.

Liberty Business, Liberty Puerto Rico’s business division, also had a productive 2019 with the launch of several new products, including Cloud PBX, which is a virtual switchboard solution with the features of a private branch exchange (PBX) and benefits such as mobility, high performance, simple implementation and affordability. In addition, Liberty Business upgraded the Puerto Rico Convention Center’s entire Internet, Wi-Fi and telephony platforms in 2019.

Meanwhile, Liberty Puerto Rico will soon launch

Naji Khoury, president and CEO of Liberty Puerto Rico >Archive

its new streaming video Android based Hub TV box. Hub TV is a product that serves as a central video content aggregator with access to apps, over-the-top content and traditional IP video, all with a sophisticated recommendation engine and Google Assistant.

Liberty Latin America

Meanwhile, parent company Liberty Latin America reported operating income of $354 million in 2019, compared to operating loss in 2018, as it had a record RGU additions of 283,000 in the region, which is 50 percent higher year-overyear.

“Our region remains underpenetrated by high-

speed connectivity and we leveraged our leading propositions to add 76,000 fixed and 57,000 mobile subscribers in the fourth quarter, taking our total additions for the year to 283,000 and 124,000 subscribers, respectively,” said Balan Nair, CEO of Liberty Latin America.

During the year, the company added or upgraded nearly 500,000 homes across our footprint, which was about 50 percent higher than the previous year. “Although we added or upgraded more homes than anticipated at the start of the year and spent additional capital related to Hurricane Dorian [in the Bahamas], we still achieved our capital expenditure guidance for the year,” Nair said.

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GlaxoSmithKline Relocates to Puerto Rico The company expects the move to create 150 production jobs

G Yennifer Álvarez Jaimes

yalvarez@wjournalpr.com

@yalvarezjaimes

laxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has announced that it will transfer its current manufacturing operations from Carlisle, Penn. to Guayama, Puerto Rico, to consolidate volumes and maximize cost efficiencies.

Jennifer Albano, U.S. Brand Communications Lead for GSK Consumer Healthcare, said to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL that the company “will take a phased approach to move production to Guayama over the next two years.

“We are also making a capital investment in Guayama and creating additional jobs there to support the increased volume,” the GSK spokeswoman added. >Courtesy of GlaxoSmithKline Per THE WEEKLY JOURNAL’s request, Albano explained that the move is expected to create an estimated 150 production jobs in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico.

GlaxoSmithKline uses the “We appreciate GSK’s Carlisle, Penn. site to make confidence in Puerto Rican Emergen-C, a powdered drink talent and resources. We mix, vitamin C supplement. continue working to ensure that Based on the company’s more companies reaffirm their decision, which impacts commitment to the island in this GlaxoSmithKline approximately 260 employees, way. This expansion is excellent is involved in production will be phased out of news for our professionals and the research, Carlisle by mid-2021, with a full the southern region of Puerto development and exit planned by the end of 2021.

Rico because of the economic manufacturing of GlaxoSmithKline is involved benefits it will represent. Our pharmaceutical in the research, development staff will continue to work medicines, vaccines and manufacturing of as a team, together with the and consumer pharmaceutical medicines, company, in search of the best healthcare products. vaccines and consumer opportunities in favor of the Locally, the British healthcare products. Locally, people,” Laboy responded to company also has a the British company also has a this media outlet in a written manufacturing site in manufacturing site in Humacao. statement.

Humacao.

Manuel Laboy, secretary of A source revealed to THE the Department of Economic WEEKLY JOURNAL that the Development and Commerce company’s decision to relocate (DDEC, by its Spanish acronym), welcomed the its manufacturing operations to Puerto Rico was relocation of GSK manufacturing operations to made without engaging in conversations with

In fact,

local government officials. GSK representatives and DDEC officials are supposed to meet this week.

Sources also revealed that GSK has not received any tax benefits.

While the federal government has provided tax incentives to companies in Puerto Rico since 1921, tax-exemption policies became the main engine of growth after World War II, when the economic development strategy known as “Operation Bootstrap” began.

Once a growing manufacturing hub, Puerto Rico’s manufacturing industry experienced a decline in the mid-2000s after federal tax incentives for businesses that produced goods on the island were phased out, prompting several companies and tens of thousands of their workers to leave.

Until the mid-2000s, Section 936 of the Internal Revenue Code gave mainland United States companies an exemption from federal taxes on income earned in Puerto Rico, whether it came from operations or interest on local bank deposits.

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20TH ANNIVERSARY GRAND GALA

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Benefactores / Benefactors Bruni Lorenzo Claudia & James Lee Francine Arocho Guillermo Paz Josean Díaz Brugueras Lara Mercado y Armando Valdés Lilly y José Alcover Mónica Ponce y Ricardo de Varona Silvia Burt Rojas y Alejandro J. García Carballo Sylvette Brugueras y José A. Díaz Walter Otero Zulma Licha y René de la Cruz Vila Junta de Síndicos / Board of Trustees Arturo J. García-Solá Presidente/President Juan Antonio Larrea French Vicepresidente/Vice President

sábado, 28 de marzo de 2020 Saturday, March 28, 2020 8:00 pm Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino Información de auspicios y boletos Sponsorship and ticket information 787 977-4449, 787 376-4317 mperez@mapr.org de Puerto Rico

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José Domingo Pérez Tesorero/Treasurer Bertita J. Martínez César Reyes Eduardo R. Emanuelli Fernando L. Batlle Gilberto Marxuach Gloria Benítez Guillermo Paz Héctor Feliciano John T. Belk III Marcos Rodríguez-Ema Melba I. Acosta Febo Teruca Rullán Verónica Viso Directora Ejecutiva / Executive Director Marta Mabel Pérez

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Government Unveils Plan for an Ocean Thermal Energy Park in Yabucoa

The proposed plant would produce 500 kilowatts of energy and be developed by the private sector Cynthia López Cabán

clopez@wjournalpr.com

@cynthia_lope

A

midst a fierce debate over the need for energy reform, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce unveiled last week a plan to develop the Puerto Rico Ocean Technology Complex (PROtech), a technological park to generate ocean thermal energy and promote other eco-friendly initiatives, at a price tag of $300 million.

The proposed plant, to be situated on the southeast area of the island, would produce 500 kilowatts of energy through a collaboration with the private sector, which would pick up the tab for the development, according to the government’s proposal.

Economic Development Secretary Manuel Laboy explained during a press conference at the agency’s headquarters in Hato Rey that the project had been in the works for three years, and

Secretary of Economic Development Manuel Laboy said the ocean thermal energy park in Yabucoa should be completed in five years. >Carlos Rivera Giusti

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of 2022, with a completion date set for the first quarter of 2025, according to the project’s timeline.

“It is estimated that approximately $300 million will be needed for the entire construction.

Developers will be able to request incentives available through the Opportunity Zones program and CDBG-DR funds,” mentioned Laboy.

Besides the ocean thermal energy conversion plant, the park hopes to launch emerging industries like algae farming, mariculture and aquaculture, as well as a recreational center, a research institute and other local ventures.

“This is a project that we will need to develop through partnerships between municipal and state governments, the private sector, organizations such as Invest Puerto Rico and academia,” highlighted the secretary of economic development.

“Under Gov. Wanda Vázquez’s administration, we have implemented several initiatives in accordance with the Puerto Rico Public Policy Law, which establishes the need to comply with a renewable energy portfolio to reach a minimum of 40 percent of renewable energy for or before of 2025; 60 percent on or before 2040; and 100 percent by or before 2050. This project is very important to achieve these long-term goals,” he added.

When THE WEEKLY JOURNAL inquired about the scope of the project and how it tied into Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority (Prepa) proposed modernization grid plan, the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) or the transition charge included in the Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) with bondholders, Laboy admitted that To craft its master plan, the government followed the lead of similar projects in Hawaii (image above) and Japan. >Courtesy the ocean thermal energy conversion plant would not make a dent in an energy reform or that it would follow the lead of similar initiatives and 56 percent. transformation of the system due to its size. in Hawaii and Japan in order to transform the “This master plan is designed for execution.

“This is a 500 kilowatts project. It is a drop island into a world-class example and center for It is not an additional study that is going to end of water in the Integrated Resource Plan. Since sustainable ocean economy. up in a drawer. This was the plan conceived for it’s so small you won’t see it reflected there, but “This project is extremely important and execution, that is why Prepa’s executive innovative. After several studies on feasibility, it took us almost three director endorses this economic and environmental impact, we years,” Laboy stated initiative,” he insisted. elaborated the master plan for PROtech, which when asked about “This conversation is will be developed in the municipality of Yabucoa, other grandiloquent not meant to delve but will have a positive impact on the economy government initiatives into Prepa’s situation. of Puerto Rico’s entire southeast region,” Laboy that simply fade into This is about pilot said alongside representatives from Invest PR, the memory. plant that has to University of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Science, He estimated that comply with all Technology and Research Trust and Mayor of PROtech would take regulations.”

Yabucoa Rafael Surillo, among other officials. five years to develop.

The proposed The natural qualities of the zone -waters The first of five phases debt restructuring with temperatures of 36 degrees Fahrenheit starts next month, agreement imposes and depths of 1,000 meters- make it a perfect with the Request for a transition charge match for the project since ocean thermal energy Qualifications process. on all consumers that conversion (OTEC) technology produces energy by The government has remain connected harnessing the temperature differences between yet to identify possible to Prepa’s grid, even ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters. investors for the those residents -Secretary of Economic Development “This is a regional development project. It will project. Land surveys and businesses Manuel Laboy impact the southeast region that is well in need and the initial that generate their of capital and economic development,” indicated permitting process own electricity.

Laboy in reference to the crisis created in the should begin during Environmental and zone by the ongoing seismic activity that caused the third quarter of this year, while the third consumer advocate groups have warned that the 6.4 magnitude earthquake six weeks ago. phase is set to start during the second quarter of this charge will disincentivize the generation According to the master plan, the project 2021. of sustainable energy on the island, the U.S. should generate some 10,000 jobs in an area with The fourth phase of development and jurisdiction with the most expensive electricity poverty rates that oscillate between 45 percent construction should begin during the first quarter rate.

It is estimated that approximately $300 million will be needed for the entire construction. Developers will be able to request incentives available through the Opportunity Zones program and CDBG-DR funds.

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INK Inc., a mobile game that turns the gamer into a tattoo artist, has been downloaded 100 million times since it was launched last November. >Archive

SRG Studios: A Local Company Making Headway in the Gaming World The studio developed Ink Inc., the second most installed mobile game worldwide in Nov. 2019, but the first downloaded game on iPhone and the third on Android devices Cynthia López Cabán

clopez@wjournalpr.com

@cynthia_lope

T

hey both laughed at the question. Then, Michael Hoyos, CEO of SRG Studios, recalled the first time he met his business partner, Jorge Castillo, director of their video game design studio, located at a coworking space in

San Juan.

“It was a mystical and spiritual coincidence, synergy,” recalled Hoyos, while Castillo nodded in agreement.

At the time, Hoyos was looking for allies to start a video game company. Castillo, on the other hand, was teaching and dealing with the failure of his own business.

“A friend told me about this meeting of hobbyists at a biker bar. I decided to go scout for talent. Since I wanted to be taken seriously, I wore a suit, an item of clothing that I never wear.

It was hot and I was drenched in sweat,” Hoyos reminisced.

That night at Handlebar, he met people that introduced him to Castillo. Shortly after, they met in a small cramped office in Cupey and, among sips of coffee, began a work collaboration. Four years later, SRG Studios was born.

Today, the pair of gamers is making history.

In partnership with Lion Studios, a subsidiary of AppLovin, the studio developed Ink Inc., the second-most installed mobile game worldwide in

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Nov. 2019, according to Sensor Tower, but the top downloaded game on the App Store, and the third most downloaded application on Google Play. A month later, Ink Inc. grabbed the fifth spot among the top games downloaded worldwide, second place with iPhones and fifth among Android users.

Thus far, the video game that turns the gamer into a tattoo artist, has been downloaded 100 million times (with close to 36 million installs in November) and generated the company over $300,000 in revenues only from the advertisement on the app. In terms of demographics, both men and women enjoy the game, evenly splitting the downloads.

Not only is the company making headway in the technology start-up world, the founders no longer have to scout for talent in pubs. Now, students from different universities intern at the modern studio, with plans to double its workforce by the summer, from 16 to 30 artists, programmers, engineers and developers.

Recently, Hoyos, Castillo and Jonathan Alapont, a producer at the creative company, sat with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL to share some insight into this emerging industry, which they hail as an engine of job creation and innovation on the island.

The numbers seem to validate that premise.

There are more than 2.5 billion gamers around the world, according to WePC, a publication that specializes in technology. The gaming industry reached a global market size of $135 billion in 2018. It’s expected to increase to $196 billion in 2025, Forbes also reported.

“My company failed because I didn’t have the business acumen needed. Back then, I worked under the presumption that if you made art, they would come. Well, it really does not work like that,” Castillo stated.

The new company also stumbled at first, despite the business plan and the injection of capital.

“Remember, this industry didn’t exist in Puerto Rico. We don’t have other models. There is nothing like this. This isn’t an art company. It’s not a technology company and it is not a design company,” Hoyos pointed out. “We design, create and code video games, which are the most multidisciplinary artistic expressions you can imagine.”

Things turned around when the ‘partners in game’ began to pay more attention to global trends and consumer behavior instead of their own interests. “We use data to make decisions, to help us decide what type of game we should design, the theme and even the color,” Hoyos said.

The change of vision also meant that the company would put on hold more complicated video games to focus on hyper-casual games, a genre that experienced unprecedented growth over the past year.

Hyper-casual games incorporate simple mechanics that offer instant gameplay. Literally, you tap the screen and play. This quality, and the fun factor, makes them highly addictive and engaging, according to experts.

SRG saw the trend and jumped on the wagon.

And they are pretty good at it. Last year, the studio also launched the popular Rope N Roll and Sausage Wars.

Prior to those games, they developed an app for

We focus on what’s called mass market, so our products resonate with a world audience.

-Michael Hoyos, CEO of SRG Studios

the Games and Digital Platforms Division of NBC Universal. With a budget of close to $1 million, the studio created a mobile game based on Jaws, the giant white shark in the movie directed by Steven Spielberg. However, the game was retired after NBC shut down the division.

“We focus on what’s called mass market, so our products resonate with a world audience.

For instance, Ink Inc. has 100 million downloads, less than 1 percent are from Puerto Rico. In the U.S. alone it racked up between 20 to 25 million downloads,” Hoyos mentioned. “I love this moment in history that we are living in. It’s an era where you have a dream or an idea and with one stroke of the hand you can distribute it simultaneously to the entire world.”

Hoyos and Castillo explained that the company makes money through advertisement, but also receives a cut when a gamer purchases the app to avoid the ads. Since they are going after a broader audience, the company decided to ban Tinder adds on the app.

“This is a lucrative business. Let’s say that a

game returns 5 times the cost of developing it in a single month,” Hoyos revealed, whose company works on eight to 10 games per month. “The potential for thriving games businesses in Puerto Rico has never been better.”

The Gaming Industry Needs Time to Grow and Develop

“Creating games in Puerto Rico is still a new notion to most. Investors began taking a closer look at local tech companies just recently, within the last five years. Cases such as SRG Studios, Brands Of, UVA, to name a few, become important because they show that the ecosystem is maturing and that the talent available can execute sophisticated technology-driven models...

This increases interest, curbs perceived risks and gives investors confidence in what can be achieved, expanding the possibilities of the kinds of businesses that can thrive on the island,” he argued.

The entrepreneur recognized the challenges of doing business on the island but in spite of the limitations, he’s confident that Puerto Rico can offer a nurturing ecosystem for tech companies.

“This allows for incredibly creative, nimble and resilient teams to emerge. I wouldn’t go anywhere else,” Hoyos insisted.

“To me, games are the next step, the low hanging fruit of the software world; they’re a fun way to learn one of the most valuable skills in the world: coding... Game development is the ideal bridge to help create a more sophisticated workforce without killing fun and penalizing creativity,” he said.

SRG Studios promotes a creative and relaxed working environment. In the picture, the team at work. >Courtesy

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

The Gaming Commission will have seven members. Pictured are Sports and Recreation Secretary Adriana Sánchez, an ex officio member of the board, and Gaming Commission Executive Director José Maymó. >Carlos Rivera Giusti

Sports Betting Regulation Moving Along, Says Regulator

Recruitment process for a regulations expert to begin this week

S

Cynthia López Cabán

clopez@wjournalpr.com

@cynthia_lope

even months after the enactment of sports betting legislation, the new Gaming Commission is ready to kick off the process of Request for Proposals (RFP) for experts that may assist the board in drafting the regulation that will establish the regulatory criteria for an industry that could bring about $68 million to Puerto Rico’s coffers by the year 2022.

José Maymó Azize, executive director of the Gaming Commission, told THE WEEKLY JOURNAL that the bidding process should begin this week, after the government publishes the requirements for the RFP. “We understand that there are different companies that can contribute the knowledge they have acquired in other jurisdictions and bring that knowledge to Puerto Rico, where we are facing the challenges of a new industry, which is quite complicated,” Maymó said. “It is not to write it, but to give us the recommendations and work hand in hand with the commission for the formulation of that

regulation and of any other regulation that is required.”

Last July, former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed a bill that legalized sports betting on the island following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which overturned a federal law that defined the legal status of sports betting throughout the nation. In short, the highest court of justice concluded that Congress could not issue direct orders to state legislatures, hence Congress could not prevent them from establishing their own regulations.

After the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, 42 states have or are moving towards legalizing sports betting, according to Business Insider. For instance, 11 states have legalized sports betting within their borders, including New York and New Jersey.

Sports betting in the U.S. is projected to rake in a revenue of $3 billion a year by 2023.

The local legislation, which also legalized e-sports betting and fantasy sports, has been promoted as a source of government revenue.

Bets can be placed at any place authorized by the commission, such as casinos, racetracks, hotels and hostels, among others. The bill set a 7 percent rate in the case of physical bets and 12 percent in bets placed on the internet.

“The commission will have to decide if it’s going to formulate one regulation for sports betting or various regulations for each field like e-sports and fantasy games. My recommendation would be to create separate

regulations, but we are a collegial body that decides by majority rule,” Maymó stated.

According to the law, the Gaming Commission must have seven members, five ex officio members and two representatives from the private sector. Secretary of Economic Development Manuel Laboy presides the board.

The other members are Secretary of Sports and Recreation Adriana Sánchez Parés, Glorimar Ripoll Balet, the government’s principal chief innovation and information officer, Suzanne Roig Fuertes, head of the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA by its Spanish acronym) and the executive director of the Tourism Company, Carla Campos Vidal.

Maymó indicated that the governor’s Appointment Office is evaluating several names, and that in the near future Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced should designate the two representatives from the private sector.

“I know the situation with the appointments has worried some, but we need a quorum of four to make decisions,” he said. “Plus, now that we are entering the phase of crafting the regulation is when we need those two members.”

Maymó recognized that time was ticking but pointed out the regulation required expertise that the members of the board do not have. “We are working on this with certain haste but also with the necessary rigor.”

Until the regulation is formulated and approved, all sports betting is still illegal on the island.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

eBay Executive Touts the Benefits of the

Online Marketplace

Sees strong growth in Puerto Rico in the past two years

W Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

ith many small and midsize businesses in Puerto Rico trying to improve their sales, both locally and abroad, eBay, the multinational e-commerce company, has become the “go to” online marketplace for many people.

While eBay does not release any numbers on its buyers and sellers, “what I can tell you is that the number of active eBay sellers from Puerto Rico has had a double-digit percentage of growth in the last two years,” said Xavier Aguirre, senior manager of Business Development, eBay Some of the Latin America. categories with Some of the categories with the most sales by Puerto most sales by Puerto Rican eBay Rican eBay sellers sellers are car and truck parts, are car and truck cellphones and smartphones, parts, cellphones men’s shoes, wristwatches, video and smartphones, games, vitamins and minerals, men’s shoes, video game consoles, weight wristwatches, video management products, digital games, vitamins cameras and men’s accessories. and minerals, video For many local artisans, who game consoles, Xavier Aguirre, senior manager of are often self-employed or weight management Business Development, eBay Latin working to make extra income, products, digital America >Courtesy eBay jewelry, wooden sculptures, and cameras and men’s products are also being exported arts and crafts are other popular accessories. to Canada, Singapore and China. items.

For sellers in the region, Puerto Compared with other countries Rico is one of the main markets in the region, Puerto Rico has in Latin America in terms of sales the advantage that local sellers volume. use the U.S. Postal Service, which is relatively less “Being on eBay helps to increase sales for those expensive than other services of its kind. with brick-and-mortar stores,” Aguirre said to THE The company said while the mainland United WEEKLY JOURNAL. The online company enables States is the top destination for local sellers, many

In fact,

sellers to grow and scale their business by giving them access to buyers from all over the world, he indicated. “We have 183 million buyers and we don’t compete with our sellers.”

In that sense, he said, the online marketplace helps local businesses’ bottom lines and helps those in the digital economy gain additional incomes. “We connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world. We help you sell your products beyond the local marketplace. We increase economic opportunities for people,” he said.

Aguirre was recently in Puerto Rico and participated in the Clinton Foundation’s recent event on post-disaster recovery in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. He participated in the panel, “Going Global: Expanding Market Access for Caribbean Artisans,” with the aim of highlighting opportunities in the digital economy.

Aguirre indicated that eBay provides the platform and support that sellers need to grow their businesses, as he highlighted its “user friendly” platform. In 2018, the company launched an enhanced version of “Crece con eBay,” an educational platform in Spanish dedicated to supporting the international growth of Latin American and the Caribbean. The platform takes buyers, such as retail entrepreneurs and small and midsize business, through several modules on how to sell and export on eBay. Once the buyers complete all the modules, they are eligible to set up their eBay store, free of charge, for three months.

For native English speakers, the online course and all the required support is found on the company’s regular website, http://www.eBay.com “They can have up to 250 [products or] listings.

They take the online course. They learn the basics of selling online. It’s risk free and doesn’t cost a thing,” Aguirre said. eBay is available in 190 markets around the world, in more than 1,500 cities and has 1.4 billion listings. An estimated 80 percent of products listed are “new.” In the United States, using eBay, a watch and a smartphone are sold every five seconds, while a TV, video or audio item is sold every four seconds.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Farmers in Aguada are aiming to generate $15 million annually from cocoa harvests. >iStock

Cocoa: The Future of Puerto Rico’s Farming Industry?

Expert affirms cocoa trees could potentially double agriculture’s GDP contribution

T Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

he future of Puerto Rico’s farming industry could blossom through a previously under the radar contender: chocolate.

According to the most recent data, agriculture contributed only 0.78 percent of the island’s

gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, or roughly $800 million. However, an expert in the cocoa industry stated that if local farmers committed to that product, they could potentially boost revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars and even boost agricultural tourism, or agritourism.

Juan Echevarría founded Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat in Aguada in 2009 after researching cocoa’s potential on the island. Since then, he has grown and exported this plant and encouraged residents to do the same. When he began this project, he only had a 72-acre farm with 1,800 cocoa trees; now, the business owns more than 30,000 trees and is currently developing more farming spaces.

Echevarría inspired fellow farmers to plant one million trees in Aguada within the next five years.

After calculating the net revenue that each tree could produce, he concluded that this project could contribute roughly $15 million annually to the

western municipality’s economy.

“This is extremely feasible because in the case of Aguada, the town has 18 barrios, and one million

Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolate offers a series of workshops, including one on grafting, pictured. >Courtesy

/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

17

trees would require 1,400 acres. If we divide those acres between 18 barrios, each barrio would only need to farm 72 acres to achieve that goal… We could have a major cocoa industry by basically growing trees in home gardens,” Echevarría told THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. If other municipalities followed Aguada’s example, agriculture could potentially double its contribution to Puerto Rico’s GDP. Contrary to other seasonal crops, cocoa can be harvested throughout the entire year due to Puerto Rico’s idyllic and consistent humidity, precipitation and temperature. Echevarría explained that the exceptions would be dry areas in the south like Ponce and Coamo, where they would need irrigation systems, or certain coastal zones prone to flooding, which could affect this type of deep-rooted tree.

“Basically, 90 percent of the island is apt to grow cocoa, from Rincón to Río Grande,” he said. “What we are projecting is that one cocoa acre, in which some 700 trees can be grown at the distance that we recommend, should be generating between $15,000 to $18,000 per acre to the farmer once it is in full Echevarría said that each acre of cocoa trees could generate between $15,000 and $18,000 a year. >iStock production, which can happen from the third year onward.”

Ethically Sourced, High-Quality Chocolate Moreover, Puerto Rico is one of the few U.S. Another factor that sets Puerto Rico’s cocoa apart jurisdictions that can foster this industry. The is its quality and the labor laws that protect local expert said that cocoa can only be harvested 20 farmers.

70 percent of the world’s cocoa seeds are degrees north or south of the equator and in warm produced in African countries of Ghana, Nigeria, temperatures. For example, although these trees Cameroon and the Ivory Coast. While these countries could be grown in southern Florida, when the produce most of the world’s cocoa, it is a commercial temperature dropped, they would die, which doesn’t type of seed.

Puerto Rican farmers use a cocoa seed make for a profitable investment. dubbed the “cacao fino de aroma” in Ecuador, which Echevarría said that Hawaii and Puerto Rico is the world’s largest producer of this kind of seed. are the only U.S. jurisdictions that would be The “fino de aroma” cocoa only comprises 5 percent geographically able to develop a strong cocoa of the world’s chocolate and is highly coveted by industry. However, he said that Hawaii “will never master chefs and chocolatiers. export... because they have such an incredible “There is a continuous demand for this product amount of tourists throughout the year that from more avid whatever they chocolatiers who do produce, it will be not have access to that sold there. Puerto product because it is not Rico is the one that readily available. In that can export cocoa to sense, Puerto Rico would the U.S. [mainland] benefit tremendously and we will never from growing more farms produce enough that produce this type [cocoa] to satisfy that of cocoa, because the market’s demands.”

-Juan Echevarría, founder of Hacienda demand is there. We have He noted that the Jeanmarie Chocolat a demand that we cannot U.S. mainland is the cater to at this time,” he world’s top primary said, adding that some of consumer, so there his clients include master would always be chocolatiers from cities demand from local like New York, Hollywood (Los Angeles) and Miami. farmers.

Furthermore, due to state and federal child and To get faster and better results, Echevarría stated labor laws, consumers can rest assured that Puerto that farmers should use the grafting horticultural Rico’s cocoa is 100 percent ethically sourced, unlike technique instead of growing cocoa seeds. in other countries such as Ghana and the Ivory “We use the grafting technique, in which we graft Coast. The latter’s violations of the International a known tree in other cocoa trees and those are the Labour Organization’s Child Labour Standards have ones that are grown on the farm because they are prompted multiple consumers to scout for ethical a copy of the tree that we want. Commercial farms sources—another market that local farmers can are developed that way to ensure quality... which is cater to. important because Puerto Rico cannot produce any “In 10 years… the cocoa industry will be Puerto regular cocoa; Puerto Rico needs to produce the best Rico’s most prosperous farming industry... Every cocoa in the world,” Echevarría affirmed. time we send samples to chocolatiers they go crazy After grafting, the plant takes about four to five with the quality that we are producing. And there years to produce crops to its full capacity. After will always be demand; Puerto Rico can be covered these are fully grown, the crop can be harvested Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat sells “fino de aroma” entirely in cocoa trees and we would sell it all,” continuously every 20 days or so, and each tree can cocoa seeds and products to a variety of chocolatiers. live up to 100 years.

Echevarría asserted. >Courtesy

In 10 years… the cocoa industry will be Puerto Rico’s most prosperous farming industry.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Fiestón Cultural Seeks to Promote Local Artists While Boosting

Tourism Economy The three-day celebration begins on Feb. 28 at Old San Juan’s Cuartel de Ballajá

and art-centered academic institutions, culture and preservation. With this festivity, we are celebrating Ballajá at large,” Ruiz Cortés said. he Institute of Puerto Rican Jessabet Vicas Capo, director of the ICP’s Culture (ICP by its Spanish Popular Arts Program, told THE WEEKLY initials) and the State Office of JOURNAL that last year’s edition of Fiestón Historic Conservation are urging Cultural helped artists make more than $270,000 the public to attend the third in sales, without counting Sunday, which is the edition of Fiestón Cultural, one day with the highest reported public attendance. of Puerto Rico’s largest art fairs, Moreover, five of the six private businesses that and celebrate the Ballajá Cultural Barrio in Old operate at Cuartel de Ballajá boosted their sales San Juan all the while incentivizing the island’s between 200 and 400 percent. The ICP invested tourism economy. nearly $43,000 in funds from the National ICP Executive Director Carlos Ruiz Cortés Endowment of the Arts, meaning that the return affirmed that Fiestón Cultural seeks to mesh on investment was roughly six times higher, together without factoring different types in travel and food of cultural expenses. and artistic “The ICP’s expressions in a efforts have a family-friendly multiplier effect and inclusive on the cultural environment and creative while supporting economy. At the institute’s historic times like vision to boost the present, we Old San Juan’s need to invest on economic the resources that development enforce a social through and economic artistry and development the promotion for Puerto Rico. of the Ballajá The Puerto Rican Cultural Barrio. government’s The third edition of this celebration will feature live musical This event, to investment on the performances by a variety of groups and bands in a family-friendly be held over ICP represents a environment. >Courtesy ICP the upcoming scenario where weekend, is both purposes are part of the series of activities held to celebrate the promoted successfully and efficiently,” she said.

500th anniversary of the San Juan islet.

Carla Campos, executive director of the Puerto “This type of activity strengthens tourism Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC), is also one of the event’s and the economy of our barrio, which hosts the sponsors. headquarters of the primary government entities “We are proud to join the [ICP] in putting

T Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

Visitors will be able to attend a workshop where they can learn about the different techniques employed in creating folkloric masks, a Puerto Rican tradition. >Courtesy ICP

together this event that heightens our heritage and tradition as a tool to strengthen Puerto Rico’s tourism sector. Our culture is what distinguishes us as a people and opportunities like these highlight those characteristics, while supporting local artists and businesses that rely on tourism activity. We urge everyone to stop by because by promoting domestic tourism we make our own contribution,” Campos stated.

The three-day celebration from Feb. 28 to March 1 will include, among others, live musical performances from a variety of genres. Some of the artists and groups that have confirmed their assistance are Plenéalo, La Secta Allstar, Pirulo y la Tribu, Danny Rivera, Bomba Cunyabe, Restauración Cultural, Circo Llanero, Jarana Jaguar, Coro Ser de Puerto Rico and Versos de Mujer. Also scheduled are Conjunto Criollo, Ballet Folklórico Sabor Boricua, the Puerto Rico Police Band, various musical groups from the University of Puerto Rico, and Batacumbele, who will perform a tribute to renowned percussionist Ángel “Cachete” Maldonado.

Apart from live concerts and performances, attendees will be enveloped in different kinds of exhibits and works by local artists.

Students from the School of Plastic Arts and Design, which is located in Old San Juan, will be showcasing their work in the market.

Moreover, roughly 20 artists from different municipalities will hold an artisanal mask exhibit at the Casa Blanca Museum from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the celebration. Furthermore, attendees will be able to participate in different types of workshops and even design their own “vejigante” masks. “With this exhibit, we aim to rescue the Puerto Rican tradition of mask-making, highlighting our culture and folklore. Apart from the traditional masks made from paper mache and coconut, the public will be able to enjoy masks made from other media, such as textiles, mud and wood,” an ICP spokesperson said.

Fiestón Cultural will also host several tours to learn about the area’s architecture, informational stops led by university and community organizations, and other activities that will be showcased prominently from the internal patio to the outskirts of Cuartel de Ballajá.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

By: Teresita Fuentes, CPA

O

Tax on Tax on Tax, The Mayor of Dorado Raps to the Government’s Favorite Beat

n Jan. 28, 2020, the municipality of Dorado approved Ordinance 49, levying a special tax on the sale or transfer of real estate property in Dorado valued at $1 million and above. The tax is applied on a gradual scale that starts at 1 percent of the value of the property between $1M and $5M; 0.75 percent on the value between $5M and $10M; and another 0.5 percent on the value between $10M and $20M. The tax will apply to sales exchanges, transfers and involuntary transactions such as expropriations or forfeitures as long as there is the need for a public deed and a notary in the transaction. The ordinance also creates a special fund that the municipality can use for security, maintenance, education, sports

activities, recreational and tourist areas, cultural, artistic and culinary activities, among others.

All parties included in these transactions are responsible for notifying the municipality of transactions three days in advance and are subject to a 50 percent penalty and 10 percent interest for noncompliance.

The municipality’s authority may be challenged in court due to the characteristics of an indirect tax on sales that is regulated by the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code that is assessed by the secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico.

Ironically, the ordinance reads like the social criticism of rap song lyrics—except this time, it’s the government hitting the people with its moral discourse—as if Puerto Ricans were not paying enough taxes.

The wording of the ordinance is

By: Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz Architect and entrepreneur

T

Small Business Minded

he 2020 Doing Business report has just been published by the World Bank Group. This latest report compares data from 190 economies and key cities across the world on the topic of business regulation and its implementation.

It focuses on domestic small and medium-size companies and measures regulations that apply throughout their life cycle.

The report provides a snapshot on vital topics crucial to the ease of doing business around the world.

The exercise includes getting permits, paying taxes, getting electricity, investor protection, contract enforcement, property registry, trading, issues of insolvency and labor laws. In short, it gives investors a clear picture on what they need to know in order to open and operate a small to medium sized business within a particular economy.

Unfortunately, this is not welcoming news for Puerto Rico. Since 2007, the island has gone from a ranking of 27 on ease of doing business, to an abysmal 65. This is essential information because Puerto Rico’s small business sector represents 99.7

offensive. It refers to the tax as a “modest contribution” and seems to suggest that property owners and buyers would be unreasonable not to accept this type of levy. The ordinance also states that it is not fair that sellers and buyers of high value properties, as well as realtors, banks and attorneys, derive profits from these transactions in Dorado without contributing any economic resources to the municipality, which is simply not true. A number of taxes already apply to these transactions, this is just another dip into the pockets of professionals and property owners who already move the municipality’s economy. This policy is shortsighted and would set a dangerous precedent.

The ordinance ignores the fact that the island already has a highly taxed system and does not recognize the value that the municipality has in attracting investors to capitalize investments and establish residence in the municipality. In addition, the ordinance was passed without adequate discussion with the community of Dorado, and particularly omitting transactions that could have an immediate impact by this ordinance. Who foots the bill of an already set transaction price in the face of a sudden new tax imposed on this transaction? This tax will do more harm than good and will be one

more factor that will jeopardize job creation and income generation in Dorado.

The local legislature also conveniently forgot the fact that the properties involved in these transactions already contribute tax revenues to the municipality in the form of property taxes and construction excise taxes. In addition, the volume of business tax that attorneys, banks and realtors pay whenever they do business in the municipality is another factor to consider.

Finally, what precedent does this set? Will other municipalities start to levy similar taxes? On real property sales in their municipalities using other definitions for high value properties? At a time when the economy of Puerto Rico is hurting due to the loss of tourism revenues from cruise ships and conventions, we cannot afford to continue adding roadblocks to businesses and investors who intend to bring their capital to Puerto Rico, create jobs and provide business opportunities in the process. My advice to our mayors is simple: work with your constituents towards a common goal and foster the growth of your economy by bringing new business and not further eroding what you have, reduce barriers and taxes, don’t create new ones.

percent of all businesses on the island.

In other words, the report tells us that in the last 13 years, the ease of creating, investing and/or operating all existing businesses on the island has worsened by a margin of almost three.

While regions like the Middle East and North Africa have seen dramatic improvements during the last decade, either reducing or eliminating barriers to entry, Puerto Rico has done the opposite. In the last decade, we have endured several permit reforms that have taken us from a spot as 135 to a subpar 143, surprisingly, during a time when permit submittals has been reduced tenfold. Most damaging are the upsetting results in crucial areas like ease of paying taxes and opening new businesses, which were significantly downgraded from 39 in 2007, to 163 in 2020, and from 7 thirteen years ago to its current place at 59.

There is no excuse.

Many of the countries that have improved in the rankings have done so during harsh economic times by just simplifying systems and reducing bureaucracy. While

regulation is essential, the excessive rules and subsequent legislation transformations in Puerto Rico have suffocated most of the formal economic growth and pushed many businesses into the darkness of the informal sector or out of the island.

While the ones who follow the rules are being suffocated, stay behind and pay the price of stagnation.

This is unacceptable.

As part of the 99.7 percent of small business owners in Puerto Rico, and after having owned a business for almost 20 years, I am disheartened by this precipitous fall. These oppressive rules have decimated the local entrepreneur’s ability to be nimble and agile while adapting to the current global economy.

We must continue to reject the excessive bureaucracy that prevents economic activity and not allow ourselves to languish into small mindedness. We are living in a global economy. In order to compete in the world, we must acquire a business mindset. That is the only option available to us if we want to succeed at globally.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Bacardi Master Blender

Celebrates 40th Anniversary With

Limited Edition Rum

José “Joe” Gómez is responsible for the elaboration of the spirit titan’s rum offerings

W Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

hen José “Joe” A. Gómez started working at Bacardi in 1980, he would have never imagined that 40 years later he would be launching a special rum to honor his commitment and influence with one of the most prominent spirit distributors of the world. Nowadays, he shows the world his passion for Bacardi Rum as its master blender, responsible for the elaboration of the internationally renowned elixirs.

Gómez became part of the Bacardi family shortly after obtaining his bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, and Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica. For seven years, he worked in the company’s Environmental Department, where he was part of the group that developed the anaerobic filter that treats the waste of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is used as fuel to operate the distillery. He also served as the laboratory manager of Analytical Technologies Inc., an environmental laboratory and subsidiary of the Bacardi corporation.

Gómez has been able to shine as the entity’s master blender at Casa Bacardi, the distillery in Cataño. His job responsibilities include the creation and development of new products, purchasing of raw materials, supervising the rum elaboration process and rectifying the product to ensure that it complies with the established parameters.

In a one-on-one with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, Gómez explained that he will celebrate his 40th anniversary on Sept. 20, 2020. To commemorate his longstanding devotion to Bacardi, the company asked him to design a limited edition bottle containing his favorite blend of the rum variables they offer.

José Gómez designed his commemorative edition based on his favorite blend of rum variables offered by Bacardi. >Courtesy

“[The result] is a rum that has two 10-year bases, and another base of 20 years. If you add up the bases, you have the years that I have worked for Bacardi,” he beamed, adding that this rum will be highly exclusive.

The master blender explained that he is currently thinking about how to approach the marketing tactic. Due to regulations, rums must be labeled with the minimum number of years in their bases. That is, an Añejo 8, for example, has a base that has been aged for eight years, but it could be blended with bases that are several years older.

“If you were to describe this [upcoming] rum, it

would be a Reserve 10, or we could give it another name and say that it is up to 20. This means that one of its bases has been aged for up to 20 years, but we are not claiming the whole bottle,” he elaborated. “Although it contains a component with enormous participation that has been aged for 20 years, you cannot claim 20 because it has younger components. But I didn’t [design this] over aging years, but because I based it off my personal favorites from Bacardi’s bases.”

Gómez recalled that “for many years,” Bacardi only offered white rum, known as Bacardi Carta Blanca or Superior; amber rum, or Bacardi Carta

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

There are no words to describe how I feel. It is absolutely incredible; there is no other way to say it.

José “Joe” Gómez, Bacardi’s Master Blender

Bacardi is offering a series of differently aged rums in a portfolio known as “Bacardi 2020.” >Courtesy

born; that hasn’t changed. Are we big? Yes… but the processes are exactly the same,” he added.

Despite Gómez’s esteemed presence in the company’s largest plant, he remains decidedly humble, repeatedly stating that his work is only made possible with the help of his team and the hundreds of people who keep Casa Bacardi running.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL asked Gómez how it feels to travel around the globe and see people from a variety of cultural backgrounds enjoying the products that he envisioned. “There are no words to describe how I feel. It is absolutely incredible; there is no other way to say it,” he replied.

Oro; and Bacardi 8, whose lowest base was aged for eight years and was available only to the Bacardi family and close acquaintances. “Bacardi 8 was a family recipe. It was enjoyed by the family and those who make it, but it wasn’t commercially available,” he noted.

With Bacardi Reserva Limitada, a 12-year rum, Gómez and his team decided to fill the gap by providing differently aged varieties, such as Bacardi Añejo 4, which also included a spinoff that was made in a different type of barrel.

A Rum Powerhouse

Bacardi Limited offers a variety of products apart from rum, including more than 200 brands and labels. It is the world’s largest privately held, family-owned spirits company.

Although the company has its headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda, the distillery in Puerto Rico produces between 85 and 86 percent of the Bacardi rum consumed globally. Because of Bacardi’s offer, and the multiple other rum distilleries on the island, Puerto Rico is regarded as the rum capital of the world.

“This plant in Cataño has about 146 direct employees, but between contractors and others, we are talking about more than 200 Puerto Rican workers,” Gómez said, adding that there are currently between 460,000 to 470,000 barrels of rum undergoing the aging process.

Gómez takes pride in this fact, noting that the company is able to provide quality spirits regardless of its mass-production scale.

“We may be a significantly large plant due to the fact that we supply the greatest percentage of the global market that Bacardi caters to, but that doesn’t mean that the different processes that comprise Bacardi’s entire development are not the same that were employed when the company was

“The Cathedral” is one of the buildings that comprise Casa Bacardi, located in Cataño. Casa Bacardi offers a variety of tours. >Courtesy

22

/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Don’t Be Fooled by the Name, La Coffeetera is About a Lot

MoreThan Coffee

Coffees topped with chocolate, whipped cream and cinnamon are not all this place is about. Their new lunch and dinner menu will have you coming back for more.

T Marimar Rosario

correccion@wjournalpr.com

@Mmar1212

here’s a lot of coffee shops, but not all of them are set apart by a decidedly delicious menu that is based on Puerto Ricans’ favorite dishes.

La Coffeteera, a cozy locale at 1953 McLeary St. in Ocean Park, has recently added new lunch and dinner options that are sure to delight even the pickiest of patrons. A restaurant that used to stand out because of brunch staples like its signature

Coffeetera griddle sandwich, a pancake sandwich filled with crispy bacon, muenster cheese, scrambled eggs and served with cheesy fries, will now delight you for dinner with dishes like avocado stuffed with “chicharrón de pollo” (Puerto Rican style friend chicken).

The delicious stuffed avocado is served on a bed of lettuce with cherry tomatoes and the crispy chicken’s prune-based sweet and sour sauce is simply on point. If this hefty serving is not enough to fill you up, pick a side like “mamposteao” rice or “mofongo” (mashed plantain) mounds.

La Coffeetera aims to please and also offers a twist on the standard Caprese salad, aptly named Root vegetable soup made with plantain, potato, carrot, purple yam and malanga.

The creamy soup is topped with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and cilantro pesto. > Courtesy Ismael Martínez

Delicious vegetable lo mein with sweet peas, brussels sprouts, carrots, corn and green beans. Patrons may add shrimp, New York steak, salmon or chicken.> Courtesy Ismael Martínez

the avocado and tomato salad with local cheese.

This eye-catching salad is drizzled with extra olive oil and has sprinklings of garlic salt that accentuate the flavors. The locally made white cheese affords the salad that extra bite and texture, which enables this salad to be either a side or a full meal.

For vegan lovers, there’s the avocado bean salad. This medley of chickpeas, pink, white and black beans, onions, tomatoes and avocados is doused in passion fruit vinaigrette and may be served as a wrap as well, in which case it comes with a side of malanga chips.

If you are looking for a hearty meal after a day of surfing, La Coffeetera also has tasty dinner options. Start your evening with a root vegetable soup that is made with plantain, carrot, potato, purple yam and malanga and topped with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and cilantro pesto.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020 For your next course, you cannot go wrong with the New York prime steak strips served with a creamy mushroom side and “mofongo” mounds on the side, topped with aioli. The “mofongo” is soft yet crunchy, and the aioli gives it an extra dash of creamy-goodness flavor.

Although one may think that La Coffeetera is only about coffee, the truth is that they have a fully stocked bar serving up delicious cocktails like blue passion mojito, made with blueberry and passion fruit, or the more traditional bar staple, the Moscow mule.

Avocado stuffed with Puerto Rican style fried chicken in a sweet and sour prune-based sauce. > Courtesy Ismael Martínez

La Coffeetera: Not Just A Hobby Anymore

La Coffeetera is the brainchild of Carlos Sotero, a creative 37-year-old who thinks of eating as one of life’s pleasures.

“I studied finance in college, got a master’s in marketing and became credit manager at Kraft Foods. After a while I move to the auto industry, managing a car wash but I love eating out. After a hard week’s work, I relish eating good food,” said Sotero.

“La Coffeetera was born out of me wanting a place I could invite my friends to, where we could enjoy a good meal together, a good breakfast, which is what I started with. Everybody has breakfast, it’s a good meal to have with a friend,” he continued.

Sotero is incredibly friendly and, what initially started as a hobby in the summer of 2017, turned into a full-fledged restaurant.

“Initially I had simple breakfast items on the menu; sandwiches, pastries and coffee. However, after Hurricane Maria, I kind of reinvented the wheel, so to speak,” chuckled Sotero.

“I decided to add heavier items to the menu like eggs and oatmeal. Initially, we had brunch on the weekends but this area is full of tourists and people going to the beach, so we decided to offer breakfast and brunch during the weekdays,” he continued.

For Sotero, adding lunch and menu items means that the restaurant has had a complete evolution.

Looking towards the future, he hopes to open another La Coffeetera, but he’s still unsure of when and where. What is definite is that this endeavor

that he embarked on all on his own, has definitely proved to be fruitful.

“This restaurant is 100 percent mine. The initial investment of $125,000 was all mine. After Maria struck I had to invest an additional $75,000 to get the restaurant back in shape because everything was destroyed. We also had to expand the kitchen and buy new equipment in order to expand the menu,” he stated.

Although one may think that after Hurricane Maria closing up shop and relocating would be the safest move, Sotero decided to stick it out because, for him, Ocean Park was the perfect place in which to set up his concept “I wanted a nice, casual place where people could go and grab a drink, relax with friends. The idea was to have a friendly neighborhood spot.

From 7:30 a.m. to about 9:30 a.m., we get a hefty dose of customers whose names we already know, and that’s what I wanted. For a woman to be here having her coffee and then maybe her friend joins her, that kind of environment,” Sotero said.

La Coffeetera offers lunch and dinner menu items from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., sandwiches are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and brunch is available from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Delicious vegetable lo mein with sweet peas, brussels sprouts, carrots, corn and green beans. Patrons may add shrimp, New York steak, salmon or chicken. > Courtesy Ismael Martínez

Avocado bean salad with passion fruit vinaigrette. This salad may also be ordered as a wrap and served with malanga chips on the side. > Courtesy Ismael Martínez

Avocado and tomato salad with Puerto Rican white cheese. This dish may be ordered as a side or an entrée. > Courtesy Ismael Martínez

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

A New Heavenly Puerto Rican Sweets Factory Opens in Mayagüez

Encanto Boricua produces five different traditional sweets

@yalvarezjaimes

ncanto Boricua factory, which produces traditional pastries, cookies and other sweets, has opened in Mayagüez, creating a dozen jobs.

Encanto Boricua’s owners, Rebecca Irizarry and Edward Laracuente, want to highlight Puerto Rican culture and maintain the production of traditional sweets in Puerto Rico.

The local factory was officially reborn on Jan. 31, 2020, after Irizarry reopened the facility that her father had closed a few years ago.

In 2011, Edwin Irizarry decided to close the sweets factory and enjoy his retirement, but his daughter decided to resume operations of Dulces Puerto Rico under a new brand, Encanto Boricua. The factory had originally been operating since the 1990s.

Encanto Boricua produces the original “bombotó,” a doughy sweet bun; the cinnamon and ginger “cucas,” a kind of cracker; the “besitos de coco,” the Puerto Rican version of coconut macaroons; the “mantecaditos”, a tender, crisp and buttery cracker, and the guava puffy pastries, among others.

In Puerto Rico, sweet treats are ready to tempt you around every corner, and these sweets melt in your mouth.

In March, Encanto Boricua will launch a new traditional sweet to add to its list of creations: a new kind of cracker in different flavors.

Their goal is to distribute and export Encanto Boricua’s products throughout the island and the mainland U.S. To date, the factory produces hundreds of sweets daily and the owners are already selling the products in 18 municipalities.

“We are grateful for the support that merchants have given us. Although Puerto Rico is going through difficult times, it’s incredible to see the support and reception our products have had in such a short time,” said Edward Laracuente to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL.

>Courtesy of Encanto Boricua

yalvarez@wjournalpr.com

Some of Encanto Boricua’s sweets:

>Courtesy of Encanto Boricua

E

Yennifer Álvarez Jaimes

“We wanted to bring something different to the market, launching typical products so that people can be proud of our island and what we represent as Puerto Ricans,” he added.

The young entrepreneurs went on to say that Encanto Boricua is currently looking for sales representatives around the island.

Encanto Boricua is located at 344 Ramón Emeterio Betances St. in Mayagüez. For more information, call them at (787) 832-7070.

“Pastelillos de Guayaba” Layers of light, buttery phyllo dough stuffed with sticky guava sauce and topped with powdered sugar. These fruit-filled squares make for a wonderful sweet treat after any meal or as a snack with a cup of coffee.

“Mantecaditos” The especially popular “mantecaditos” or “polvorones” are the Puerto Rican version of shortbread cookies. This delicacy is rooted in Spanish culinary traditions that are very much alive on the island. The little sweets are sometimes topped with sprinkles, guava sauce or eaten plain. Believe me, once you bite into the crisp-but-crumbly, buttery cookie, you won’t be able to stop.

“Besitos de Coco” These coconut kisses don’t have a standard shape — sometimes they come in spheres, squares or rich mounds of sweetness — but regardless of the form, “besitos de coco” are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside with a subtle coconut flavor throughout. Wash these golden treats down with a glass of milk or coffee for a delightful experience.

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Don’t just jog or walk for exercise; start plogging and help the environment. >Archive

It’s Not Necessarily Our Trash…But it is Our Island

Plogging gains advocates in San Juan

T

Hallee Patterson

he other day I noticed a group of people picking up trash in Old San Juan. I felt compelled to ask what they were doing.

“We are plogging,” Jaime Domenech explained. “It is a Swedish word. Joining the words picking up trash and jogging mixed into one. Plocka (pick up in Swedish) and jogga (jogging in Swedish) equals plogga. In short, it means to pick up. We walk every Saturday in different areas picking up trash.”

Jaime and his brother-in-law, Dr. John M. Pagán, see plogging as a way to motivate family and friends to exercise together with a collective purpose. So, they went on Facebook and told other residents in Puerto Rico where they could meet them on Saturday mornings to participate in what is becoming the “sustainable sport of the future.”

The plogging movement was created in Sweden

by Erik Ahlström. When he moved to Stockholm from a small skiing community, Ahlström became frustrated with the amount of litter he saw while riding his bike to work every day. He decided to

the ones I learned about. change his exercise routine to jogging so that he 5. Plogging is proven to burn more calories than could also pick up trash. Soon, friends started a normal run since ploggers joining him with the intention of often incorporate movements both improving their personal into their exercise routine, such well-being and the natural as squats when you bend down surroundings. to pick up litter. It also requires To participate in this sport, you To participate in more arm strength to hold all the need only purchase a grabber the sport of plogging, litter. Half an hour of plogging reaching tool to pick up trash (if you need only will burn 288 calories on average you do not want to bend down), purchase a grabber - compared to just 235 calories plastic gloves and a plastic kitchen reaching tool to pick from regular jogging. bag. You can walk and/or jog with up trash (if you do not friends and family at your leisure. want to bend down), Here are some ideas to help Facts to Think About: plastic gloves and a motivate more ploggers in Puerto If the world continues littering plastic kitchen bag.

Rico: as we do today, then by 2025: You can walk and/or 1. Use social media to organize • There will be more plastic jog with friends and an event. The bigger the group, the than fish in our oceans. family at your leisure. more fun you can have.

• 99 percent of all seabirds will 2. Change your plogging area have eaten plastic. weekly. When you return to the • It takes 450 years for a plastic same spot, see if your trash pick bottle to break down and, in the ocean, as plastic up has made a difference. breaks down into little micro pieces, they will be 3. Be prepared for people to ask questions. Take eaten by sea life, harming them. time to explain this new exercise movement to • Chewing gum takes 20 to 25 years to break them so you can motivate more ploggers. down and a cigarette butt 1 to 5 years.

4. If your group needs to be inspired, there is • Let’s spread the gospel of being a global plogga group. There are ploggers in over environmentally conscientious and remember: We 40 countries whose purpose is to dialogue and are all responsible for the world we live in. exchange ideas to help inspire each other. Plogging Be humble, pick up trash and become a “Proud World, @plogga and the Facebook page Plogga are Litter Picker.”

In fact,

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Puerto Rican Filmmaker

Tells the Story of Struggling Communities in the Bronx ‘Decade of Fire’ uncovers the systemic racism that marginalized AfricanAmericans and Puerto Ricans in the 1970s

T

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL Staff

newsroom@wjournalpr.com

hey were called “minorities” and their communities were “marginalized.” The system cared more about baseball and gentrification, perhaps, than their subsistence in the Bronx.

They were not aware of their

>Decade of Fire’s Facebook page

tenacity and will.

“Decade of Fire” is a documentary about the fires that engulfed the southern Bronx in the 1970s, when Puerto Rican and African-American residents were blamed for the devastation, even when they struggled every day to salvage their neighborhoods. In this documentary, filmed in New York, co-director Vivian Vázquez Irizarry—a Bronx native with Puerto Rican ancestry—pursues the truth in regard to these fires, unearthing how racist and discriminatory policies still permeate the main American metropolis.

Vázquez Irizarry, also an activist within the Bronx community, joined veteran director and producer Gretchen Hildebrand, whose films mostly deal with politics and humanism. Julia Steele Allen and Neyda Martínez, both experienced in U.S. media and community social activism, also join the crew as producers.

The film narrates the story of a marginalized

Bronx community that rebuilt its space amid hardships. For the creators of “Decade of Fire,” it is important that this story of community self-reliance is seen in Puerto Rico to help the local communities that have struggled the most, after having lacked support from authorities at crucial moments, such as after the onslaught of Hurricane Maria, and the disaster and uncertainty caused by the seismic activity that has left hundreds of families homeless in southern Puerto Rico.

Community fraternization in pursuit of selfsustainability appears as the call to action in this period piece—a mentality that has already been brought forth in the different cities where “Decade of Fire” has been screened.

After all, there are communities throughout the United States that face a growing crisis of gentrification, homelessness and hopelessness with authorities. This is why “Decade of Fire” has joined several grassroots organizations that fight

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

>Courtesy of Marlea Willis and Decade of Fire

for their right to live a dignified life in the cities and towns of the U.S. mainland and its territories.

Each screening of this film is followed by talks in which the importance of local community leadership, and the concrete ways in which people can get involved to achieve justice for the forlorn, are discussed.

“Decade of Fire” Arrives at Fine Arts in Miramar

In hopes of spreading their message, the film’s producers have joined efforts with Caribbean Cinemas’ Fine Arts movie theater in Miramar, where the film has been available for viewing since Feb. 20.

The filmmakers have partnered with Defend Puerto Rico, a multimedia platform that seeks to deepen relations between Puerto Ricans on the island and with the diaspora. Through this partnership, local residents can enjoy free screenings of “Decade of Fire.” The goal is to reach as many people as possible so they may have greater insight into the lives and hardships of fellow Puerto Ricans who reside in the U.S. mainland.

The next free screenings will be held on Thursday, Feb. 27 at La Gestoría in Río Piedras, at 50 University Ave. in San Juan at 6 p.m.; and on Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Departamento de la Comida in San Salvador, Caguas at 6 p.m.

Their respective GPS links are available at www.

decadeoffire.com/screenings/.

About “Decade of Fire”

With “Decade of Fire,” Vázquez Irizarry pursues the truth about the Bronx fires, uncovering the prejudice that has impacted Puerto Rican and African-American communities since their beginnings, and which still shape American life.

With a large archive of home movie footage, the director/ researcher confronts the stereotypes that dehumanized the residents in the southern Bronx throughout the 1970s and rationalized the abandonment to which they were subjected on behalf of the city and the state and federal governments.

Vázquez Irizarry, who stars as the film’s central character, seeks not only healing for her community, but to redeem them from the unfortunate myths spread by New York’s yellow press of the time, which remains largely unchallenged to this day.

The Puerto Rican filmmaker aims to tell the story of a community that persisted and worked to save their community to start anew against impossible odds. Her accounts are supported by extensive

research, archival footage, print and broadcast news excerpts and testimonials from retired FDNY firefighters and brass, as well as Bronx historians.

“Decade of Fire” was selected by the Public Broadcast Station (PBS) to be shown in a television series called “Independent Lens,” which showcases noteworthy documentary films made by independent filmmakers.

For more information about the film, visit www. decadeoffire.com.

FREE SCREENINGS Thursday Feb. 27 (6 p.m.) at La Gestoría, 50 University Ave., San Juan, 00925 Saturday Feb. 29 (6 p.m.) at Departamento de la Comida, San Salvador, Caguas, 00727

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Moana,

/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

a Rescued Baby Manatee, Recuperates in Puerto Rico

Two other rescued manatees returned to the wild

F

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL Staff

@RosarioWJournal

or more than a week, a small manatee found in the waters of Panama has been recuperating at the Inter American University’s Manatee Conservation Center of Puerto Rico to boost its recovery and eventual release back to the wild.

The animal was rescued by Panamanian citizens on Jan. 27 in Costa Abajo, Colón, an area near the Panama Canal. The manatee, an endangered species, requires specialized care that is not currently being provided in Panama but the Manatee Conservation Center has had the resources to provide such care since 1989 through the Caribbean Stranding Network.

Panamanian authorities said finding the marine mammal, a West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), was unusual and the first of its kind found in decades.

The transfer of the small manatee, named Moana, to Puerto Rico was part of a collaborative effort from public and private entities from the United States, Panama and Puerto Rico.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service is proud to collaborate with the relocation of Moana as part of its rehabilitation efforts,” said Edwin Muñiz, field supervisor at the Caribbean Office in Puerto Rico.

“This species has been recovering within its group

There is a sizable manatee population in the southern waters of Puerto Rico. >Archive

Moana, the rescued baby manatee >Courtesy of the Manatee Conservation Center

of endangered species and we will continue to collaborate to conserve and protect marine life and its habitats” he reiterated.

Moana is expected to be released in Panamanian waters upon her successful recovery. Antonio Mignucci, Manatee Conservation Center director, said the process to return Moana to the wild will involve a series of care and preparation of about two years.

In related news, the center has also released two manatees back into the wild at the Río Espíritu Santo, in Río Grande. The manatees, named Mabó and Tureygua, were rescued in the areas of San Juan and Isabela. “They have been with us for three, four years and now we want them to have their own lives with other manatees, not with humans,” Mignucci said.

Animal lovers and conservationists are calling on the public to respect manatees and other wildlife in Puerto Rico. Here are some “Manatee Manners,” as recommended by the Save the Manatee Club.

Manatee Manner #2: Don’t give food or water to manatees.

Manatee Manner #1: Practice passive observation from a distance.

Manatee Manner #4: Look, but don’t touch while swimming and diving.

Viewing manatees from a distance is the best practice for the manatee’s health and safety. This includes the practice of passive observation, or quietly observing manatees from above water.

Additionally, passive observation means never touching, approaching or chasing manatees. Any of these actions are considered harassment, which is against the law.

Wild animals should never be fed by people, and manatees are no different. While manatees are not aggressive, feeding them or giving them fresh water could cause them to change their natural feeding behavior. Wild manatees can find plenty of food and fresh water sources on their own.

Manatee Manner #3: Be aware while boating and kayaking.

Keep your eyes peeled for manatees while boating or kayaking by wearing polarized sunglasses and scanning for manatee snouts, tails and backs. In your motorboat, slow down in manatee habitats, and if you spot a manatee close by, cut your motor. Don’t forget to stash your trash, especially fishing line or hooks, that could injure or entangle manatees.

If you see manatees while swimming, snorkeling or diving, do not touch or approach them — practice passive observation. It is especially important to avoid getting between a mother and calf if you are in the water. Curious calves are wild animals that are dependent on their mothers to learn essential survival skills. They could die if they are separated from their mothers.

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18 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 ¿Cómo puedes donar?

Los donaAvos se podrán realizar a través de: • FirstBank #6609215547 • ATH Móvil (Donate/YonomequitoEarthquakeFund) • PayPal prearthquakerelief@yonomequitopr.org.

FOTOS Y VIDEOS CLICK AQUÍ ¿QUIÉN SE HA SUMADO COMO ALIADO AL #YONOMEQUITO PUERTO RICO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND? MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN o El Vocero o GFR Media o Mega TV o Metro o NoAcel o SBS Puerto Rico o Telecinco o Telemundo Puerto Rico o Univisión Puerto Rico o Uno Radio Group o WAPA TV o WKAQ 580 TERCER SECTOR o Global Empowerment Mission o Bethenny Frankel y BStrong FoundaAon o Fundación Extra Bases o Laura y Jorge Posada Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief FoundaAon OTROS o Ground Agency o Dr. Gary Donovitz, fundador de BioTe Médica o Rich Media o Eleven Eleven o Universal Insurance Company o La San Se Takes Orlando

PRÓXIMOS PASOS

Este jueves se entregarán muebles a 10 familias que no podían ser reubicadas hasta tanto no recibieran los mismos. Se trata de familias con niños y adultos mayores.

¿QUÉ ESFUERZOS SE HAN LLEVADO A CABO HASTA EL MOMENTO? Se con0nuarán ofreciendo ayudas de intervención de emergencia mientras exista la necesidad. Hasta la fecha se han impactado los pueblos de Ponce, Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Yauco y Guánica. • $26 mil en tarjetas de efecVvo ($6,000 el cantante Dalex a los estudiantes de 4to año de la escuela Aurea Quiles de Guánica) • 20 generadores eléctricos • 120 abanicos de baterías • 105 casetas • 10 carpas 10x10 • 2 carpas grandes • 25 colchones (ma`ress) • 8 sillas de playa • 40 envases de gel anVbacterial • 40 repelentes de mosquito • 100 lámparas solares • 100 lámparas de baterías • 105 paquetes de ropa interior • 4 paletas de agua • 50 bolsas de hielo • 1 paleta de meriendas para niños

< The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, Febuary 26, 2020

ESTATUS DE ESFUERZOS

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Fiestón Cultural 2020

The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture is hosting its annual artisan fair at the Ballajá Barracks. During the fair, delight in perusing and buying unique handmade jewelry, paintings and artisanal soaps, among others.

When: Friday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 1 Where: Ballajá Barracks, Norzagaray Street, Old San Juan

The Tenor Duel – Battle of the High C’s

World-renowned tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres are coming together for an epic battle of the tenors. They will be accompanied by the CultuArte Chorus and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.

When: Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center, 22 Ponce de León Ave., San Juan

Rock Sinfónico – Valentine’s Edition The Orquesta Camerata Filarmónica will delight in a one night only concert that will feature an ensemble of popular love songs.

When: Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.

Where: University of Puerto Rico Theater, 2526, 6 University Ave., San Juan

UB40

Vivo Beach Club and Ocean Lab Brewing Co. are celebrating their third anniversary with an epic throwback concert featuring UB40. Featured guests will include DJ Emil Cedeño, Mike Martin & The Rootstick and Back To The 80s.

When: Friday, Feb. 28 at 8:30 p.m.

Where: Vivo Beach Club, Rd. 187, Km. 2.4, Carolina

Mystique Masquerade Party

Enjoy a night of intrigue, style and mystery featuring DJ Ivan Robles. The event is open to the general public and tickets are $15 if purchased before Wednesday and $20 if purchased after.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

Where: Fort Buchanan, Guaynabo

Puerto Rico TropiKal Half Marathon

This spectator-friendly race is the perfect opportunity to escape the cold weather. Bring your family and enjoy Puerto Rico’s year-round sunny skies. For more information, log on to tropikalrun.com.

When: March 1 Where: Old San Juan

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/ Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Mercado Orgánico Chicks Who Rip De La Cocina Al at Placita Paddle and Surf Supermercado Roosevelt Clinic This organic market features vegetarian foods, locally-grown fruits and vegetables, oils and lotions, among others. There will also be talks on the importance of treating earth with love and respect.

When: Sunday, March 1 starting at 8 a.m.

Where: Placita Roosevelt, Ing. José A. Canals Street, San Juant

Movie Night: “Perdrix”

The Alliance Française of Puerto Rico hosts a movie night featuring the movie Perdrix.

When: Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.

Where: Alliance Française of Puerto Rico, 206 Rosario St., San Juan

Start your day with a yoga class to prepare your mind and body for the day. Stick around for Surf’d salutations and surfing with Girls Who Rip, a movement that wants to empower women to surf. Bring your yoga mat and surfboard. For more information, contact (787) 664-0356.

When: Saturday, Feb. 29 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Where: Pine Grove, Carolina

Learn to cook! Lucy Soto will also host a talk on appetizers.

When: Friday, Feb. 28 from 9:30 to 12 p.m.

Where: Hecho en Puerto Rico, Plaza Las Ámericas, 525 Franklin D. Roosevelt Ave., San Juan

Co.Co Mixer with Lote 23!

Get to know Lote 23 and meet co.co preneurs!

When: Saturday, Feb. 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Lote 23, 1552 Ponce de León Ave., San Juan

Mantra Medicine Yoga Class Join Nayda Fernández for a special class of yoga, somatic movement and high vibes music. Be prepared to dance and let it all go! For more information, please call (787) 969-6585.

When: Saturday, Feb. 29 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: 1116 Constitution Ave., San Juan

The Yoga of Parenting: A Yoga and Meditation Day Retreat Through the lens of yoga philosophy, this retreat offers practical tools to support letting go of the parenting patterns that do not serve our relationship with our children and introduces new tools for more effective parenting.

When: Saturday, Feb. 29 at 8 a.m.

Where: Centro Zen de Puerto Rico, Camino Dr. Colorado, San Juan