The Weekly Journal - Wednesday, March 24-30, 2021

Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

www.theweeklyjournal.com

>Courtesy of LUMA

Wednesday, March 24-30, 2021 - // no. 100

LUMA Defends Its PPP Contract P7 Gov’t Eyes Growing Use of Scooters P9 Making a Case for an Air Cargo Hub P10

Nonprofits Lifting

Puerto Rico Throughout the Pandemic

>Courtesy of Discover Puerto Rico

Provide health services and items to medical personnel and vulnerable communities

I

Giovanna Garofalo

Scuba Dogs: Help Us to Clean Reefs P14

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

n Puerto Rico, nonprofits have been essential in helping vulnerable communities, particularly with health-related services and the distribution of medical items and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as the coronavirus pandemic threatened both health professionals and the general population.

Direct Relief Puerto Rico, a branch under the Direct Relief organization, has been one of the multiple nonprofits that have aided the local Health Department

and medical personnel by donating PPEs, portable X-ray machines and ventilators, as hospitals struggled to determine if their Intensive Care Units were suited to handle the direst pandemic projections.

“For me, it is extremely important to have Direct Relief here because I have seen not only the support that we have given to the government, communities and health centers, but Direct Relief’s role has evolved to become a critical entity in everything related to emergency response… Now, GO TO PAGE 4

The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, March 24, 2021 >

2

2

Constant updates online 24/7.

TheWeeklyJournal.com

Visit us for updated content on our 24/7 platform.

WeeklyJournal

The

3

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

a week in review Puerto Rico Raises Minimum Wage for Construction Workers

Construction of $25.6 Million Elderly Housing Project Begins

Construction has begun on a $25.6 million affordable housing project for senior citizens in Humacao. With an assignment of $8.6 million from the U.S. Community Development Block Grant program, the project consists of 90 one-bedroom units in a six-story building, with an administrative office, communal activity area, indoor and outdoor gardens, gym, small cafeteria, doctor’s office, laundry area and bike storage.

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

President Salvador Hasbún shasbun@elvocero.com Vp of Marketing and Business Operations Michelle Pérez Miperez@elvocero.com

>Courtesy

>Courtesy of the Puerto Rico Housing Department

>Archive

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi signed an executive order that establishes a minimum wage of $10.95 per hour in construction projects that are contracted by the government with federal funds.

The move was generally supported by developers and unions. The construction industry has warned that the island is receiving billions of dollars in federal aid but there is a lack of qualified construction workers.

Thoma Bravo to Acquire Talend in a $2.4 Billion Transaction Talend, a leader in the data integration and data integrity industry, announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Thoma Bravo, a leading private equity investment firm, for an acquisition offer of $2.4 billion. Thoma Bravo, focused on the software and technology-enabled services sectors, was co-founded by Puerto Rican Orlando Bravo (pictured).

VP of Accounting Félix A. Rosa frosa@elvocero.com

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

VP of Editorial Content Juan Miguel Muñiz Guzmán jmuniz@elvocero.com

Assistant Editor/ Reporter Rosario Fajardo rfajardo@wjournal.com

VP of Production Eligio Dekony edekony@elvocero.com

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

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

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

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

4

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

United Way Puerto Rico launched an animated educational campaign about COVID-19 aimed at children. >Courtesy of United Way Puerto Rico

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

with Caribbean Products and they started to get more companies [involved],” he stated.

On the other hand, Fundación Súper Héroes, an three years after coming here after [Hurricane] Aguadilla-based nonprofit dedicated to connecting Maria, we have procured over $110 million in children with disabilities with direct aid to Puerto Rico, and therapists islandwide, trained its that includes $80 million in staff and associates to provide medicine distributions for all our these services virtually. highly vulnerable communities “We faced the problem that that don’t have proper access to there are many children in Puerto Direct medical services,” said Ivonne Rico who do not have computers Relief Puerto Rodríguez-Wiewall, executive or [access] to an internet system.

Rico donated $80 director of Direct Relief Puerto So, we started a massive effort million in medicine Rico. to be able to carry the services distributions In addition, Direct Relief through cellphones, WhatsApp and foresees an established the Fund for Health calls and other means. Little by investment of $19 Equity, which has amassed more little we evolved until - with strict million throughout than $75 million to ensure that health guidelines - we could 2021.

Black, Latino and indigenous begin to provide therapy services communities have access to to all children, either virtually United Way Puerto the vaccines against COVID-19. or individually in the different Rico is disbursing “We have to thank MacKenzie centers that we have throughout $20 million in AAFAF Scott (former spouse of Amazon the island,” said Soammy grants for health, founder Jeff Bezos); when Acevedo, director of Fundación labor and education she saw what we were doing Súper Héroes. She underscored initiatives. and working to support these that this population generally communities, she donated $50 lacks adequate support from Fundación Súper million specifically for that fund,” government agencies, making Héroes connected Rodríguez-Wiewall added. their mission more vital. disabled children Likewise, United Way Puerto with therapists Rico started distributing PPEs as via telemedicine soon as the original two-week Federal Government Aid and is developing lockdown ended in April 2020.

Essential a Montessori pilot Its president, Samuel González, The $1.9 trillion federal school program. told THE WEEKLY JOURNAL that stimulus package, the third of it also developed the “Farmer to its kind approved since last year Families” program, through which to offset the economic impact it provided roughly 102,000 boxes of the COVID-19 pandemic, has weighing 50 pounds containing been hailed by nonprofits for its extension of the fresh food, like vegetables, fruits and dairy. “That Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans under lasted about five weeks... After that, we worked the Small Business Administration, the latter of

In fact,

which also extended deferment periods for all disaster loans.

Locally, government agencies have also distributed aid allocated from the federal packages to assist nonprofits in their causes. González affirmed that in February, the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF by Spanish acronym) gave United Way Puerto Rico a $20 million grant, which the entity is disbursing in seven key initiatives. These include a plan to distribute PPEs “massively and free of charge in the communities”; an information center and referrals; helping students have access to virtual lessons; offering emotional and psychological support to children; a collaborative effort with Birling Capital for financial counseling to families; and the distribution of perishable foods to nursing homes, homeless support organizations, shelters for women and children, and other entities that help disadvantaged communities.

“This way we also help our organizations that probably do not have the facility to make an agreement with AAFAF. We have it, we negotiate, and in the end, all these funds go to them because they are the ones who implement it. Here I do not implement; I give it to the organizations and they are the ones who deliver all this to people in need,” González explained.

Moreover, the organization developed a program called “Paso a Paso” (Step by Step) to help unemployed individuals rejoin the workforce.

“We have developed a collaborative effort with the entity of Community Financial Advisors to prepare and they, in turn, have requested support from Sacred Heart University, where we are developing conferences and workshops; they will prepare their résumés; and they will also be giving emotional support to them,” said González, adding that $625,000 from the grant were identified for this project.

5

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Community Involvement Essential

However, some nonprofits do not apply for federal grants or loans, and rely exclusively on private donations. Such is the case of Direct Relief, which counted on contributions by celebrities and concerts by artists like Metallica and Ariana Grande to raise money for its cause, managing to collect over $100 million for COVID-related efforts in all its divisions, including Puerto Rico.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL asked RodríguezWiewall if people who visit DirectRelief.org can choose to donate specifically to Puerto Rico.

“Through our page on the donation platform, you can make a note that it is specifically for Puerto Rico, or if not, you can do it directly through our office and we already have several funds (one for Maria, earthquakes and Puerto Rico in general), where every penny that is donated to Direct Relief Puerto Rico - that penny and the interest generated by that money - goes specifically to Puerto Rico for whatever the donor decides,” she replied.

Meanwhile, Fundación Súper Héroes has relied on partnerships with other entities, such as GlobalGiving, which includes a donation section for the nonprofit under “Because Every Child Needs a Super Hero.” As of press time, the organization has raised $7,295 from 69 donors out of its $50,000 goal through this platform.

In the context of the pandemic, the donation of materials has been pivotal as well. For instance, United Way Puerto Rico distributed thousands of masks and gloves that were donated by AIG Insurance, which had stockpiled these items during the swine flu pandemic in 2009-2010.

Moreover, Fundación Súper Héroe relies on volunteers, although it has roughly 30 people working directly in the organization.

Post-Pandemic Plans

Fundación Súper Héroes is currently developing a Montessori school in Aguadilla in collaboration with Wildflower Schools Puerto Rico, which is

Fundación Súper Héroes is developing a Montessori pilot school program. >Carlos Rivera Giusti

Our main goal is to impact the community, developing programs that do not exist.

- Soammy Acevedo, director of Fundación Súper Héroes

slated to open in August. The pilot project will have two classrooms and admit 24 students in its initial phase. Of these, roughly 50 percent will have disabilities and the rest won’t have any learning impairments “because atypical children learn from

Direct Relief Puerto Rico is also installing solar panels and batteries in health clinics. >Courtesy of Direct Relief Puerto Rico

typical children,” Acevedo detailed.

“The first classroom will be for kids aged 1.5 to three years; the other is going to be for kids aged three to six. For next year, we plan to open what is Workshop 1 and Workshop 2 to infants, so there will be three more rooms. Every year we will continue training so that we can open in other areas of Puerto Rico,” she said. For this project, the entity seeks donations from “godparents,” which can be done through GlobalGiving or directly with Fundación Puerto Rico.

Acevedo added that “our main goal is to impact the community, developing programs that do not exist. Montessori is not just an academic program, Montessori is a social transformation program.

These children come from many backgrounds; many of them are socially immunocompromised.

And what we want is to plant that little seed in those children and commit the parents to attend the workshops that we are going to offer.”

For her part, Rodríguez-Wiewall reported that Direct Relief Puerto foresees a $19 million investment in 2021. As part of its commitment to supporting health services, the nonprofit developed 12 projects to install solar panels and batteries in medical clinics, is currently working on four more and will develop eight others for these purposes. Earlier this year, Direct Relief Puerto Rico and Solar Resources also inaugurated a solar panel installation in a center for firefighters and paramedics in Cataño.

“In addition to these solar energy projects in the health clinics, we are also assisting nonPRASA communities, which are communities that are not connected to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority (PRASA) and are fed by well water. And those wells, if they don’t have electricity they also didn’t have water in the communities.

So, we took on the task of doing the analysis of those communities, where they were located, how we could help them, and today we have 20 solar energy installations in the wells of those communities,” she stated.

6

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

San Juan Develops Initiative to Foster Business Growth in Urban Centers Capital Entrepreneurship Program to support new and expanding businesses

S

The Weekly Journal Staff

an Juan Mayor Miguel Romero unveiled a new initiative called the Capital Entrepreneurship Program to foster the creation and growth of local businesses in the urban centers of Río Piedras, Santurce, Condado and Old San Juan with municipal incentives. The program will establish agreements with the private sector to support existing merchants and incentivize new business owners and entrepreneurs.

“San Juan has a privileged location, full of great opportunities for our entrepreneurs. It is our duty to develop that potential and be a facilitator for business initiatives. The Entrepreneurship Capital [Program] will provide support in various areas to make each commercial idea that reaches the program possible,” the mayor stated.

Romero asserted that Puerto Rico’s capital is experiencing a unique moment where it is “imperative” to support local investment and bet on residents’ creative and innovative talent.

“San Juan is available to give support in various areas to anyone who chooses the capital as their headquarters. We want to promote the Capital City as a safe and accessible place with a healthy environment for commerce,” he said.

The mayor said the program will offer workshops for entrepreneurs in a variety of subjects, promote technology and innovation in Small and Midsize Enterprises (SMEs), and will stimulate investment opportunities for new and growing businesses.

Moreover, Romero explained that to boost local investment, the municipality offers multiple incentives that may include exemptions on municipal taxes and those on personal property and real estate. He added that these also include incentives to keep jobs and create new ones, construction taxes and investment credits that apply to various areas of San Juan and the capital’s urban centers.

The urban center in Río Piedras urgently needs more economic activity. >Josian E. Bruno Gómez

agreement with the Center for Entrepreneurs, a private organization with nine years of experience that fosters the development and growth of businesses in Puerto Rico.

With the support of the municipality, the nonprofit Center for Entrepreneurs will establish an incubator program where new business initiatives will be developed and where merchants can find guidance to digitize and expand their business.

“To date, at the Center for Entrepreneurs, we have created more than 100 new businesses and we have provided support to more than 600 existing companies. We arrived in Río Piedras

with a work team trained and committed to the development of the area, which works in collaboration and consonance with the community,” said Nerma Albertorio, who heads the nonprofit.

In this business incubator, staff will be trained and educated on existing incentives, and facilitate the permitting process, among other benefits.

The municipality will provide the labor to enable the space, while the Center for Entrepreneurs will provide the materials.

The Center for Entrepreneurs will be headquartered at Arzuaga 83 St., in what will be known as the Center for Entrepreneurs in Río Piedras, located in the former premises of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. With the headquarters of the program in Río Piedras, Romero underscored his intention to reactivate commercial activity in this area, a priority of the capital’s administration because it is a source of economic activity around the island’s main educational center, the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus.

“We know that opportunities arise from every crisis and this is the time to put those opportunities that the pandemic brought us into action. Due to COVID-19, many businesses have had to diversify their offer and invest in technology in order to survive. Similarly, other initiatives have emerged as a result of the pandemic, which shows that there is still a lot of space for entrepreneurship,” Romero stated.

Business Incubator in the Works

The Capital Entrepreneurship Program also aims to integrate efforts with the private sector to strengthen the economic development of San Juan, for which the municipality signed the first

The municipality also signed an agreement with the Center for Entrepreneurs to create a business incubator in Río Piedras. >Courtesy

7

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Some of LUMA’s staff and specialized equipment >Brandon Cruz González

LUMA CEO Defends PPP Contract with PREPA

that LUMA “is not here as a consultant or for allow customers to be served in the method of the short term, but rather to guarantee the their choice by offering multichannel contact transformation based on long term planning and solutions such as website, mobile app, telephone execution.” and in person. LUMA has committed to improve Stensby stated that LUMA will produce the promptness of in-person and telephone Rosario Fajardo rfajardo@wjournalpr.com @RosarioWJournal substantial economic benefits for Puerto Rico by service, which are currently delivered at rates way of a more reliable grid, the value of avoided 42 percent and 48 percent lower than the he CEO of LUMA Energy, the power outages, and the benefits of improved average comparable utility in the United States, company that will maintain and safety and customer service. LUMA’s financial respectively. operate the island’s electric power planning, which is included in LUMA Energy, a private transmission and distribution the Initial Budgets submitted consortium, signed an agreement system for the next 15 years, faced for approval of the Puerto Rico in June 2020 with the Puerto tough questions during testimony Energy Bureau (PREB) earlier this Rico government for a privatebefore the Puerto Rico House year, will produce savings across public partnership (PPP) to Committee for Economic Development, Planning, the organization to cover its fee operate, maintain and modernize Regulatory Telecommunications, Public Private Partnerships in the first year of operations. the Prepa’s transmission and filings have (PPP) and Energy, which is investigating the This is down from its original distribution system. The 15-year established that company’s PPP contract. estimate that it would achieve that contract, along with a 12-month LUMA is not During his testimony, LUMA President and CEO milestone in five years. “Deliberate transition process, includes an requesting an Wayne Stensby confirmed that the company needs and consistent management annual fee that starts at $70 electricity rate about 3,800 workers to operate the Puerto Rico of the electric grid will accrue million and increases to $105 increase for at least Electric Power Authority (PREPA) on June 1, when value in many billions of dollars million over time, plus a yearly the first three years the transition period officially ends. To date, an to the Puerto Rico economy and incentive fee that starts at $13 of operations. estimated 1,500 people have been interviewed, and contribute tangible improvements million and increases to $20 of these, 1,132 are PREPA employees. However, he to the quality of life of all Puerto million over time. could not say how many have been rehired so far.

Ricans,” he said.

LUMA’s contract has been Stensby indicated that LUMA is offering Stensby also reminded the committee that questioned by some sectors of Puerto Rico, thousands of job opportunities with improved under the contract, LUMA cannot create additional including the utility’s Electrical Industry and training and career development for Puerto Ricans. profit for itself by applying for a change in Irrigation Workers Union (UTIER by its Spanish PREPA’s current employees have been given priority rates and that it is the PREB’s exclusive right to acronym), which is arguing that the deal violates in hiring for these jobs, are being interviewed prior approve, deny or propose modifications to rates the island’s labor laws and that it will lead to hikes to others and, in accordance with the contract and charged to Puerto Rico electricity consumers. in energy prices. LUMA denies the allegations. applicable laws, LUMA is giving priority in hiring to Regulatory filings have established that LUMA is As first reported by THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, any PREPA employee who meets the requirements not requesting a rate increase for at least the first the company has continued to face challenges for employment over other qualified and equally three years of operations. in the transition process. These include a lack evaluated applicants for the same job category, he of cooperation with current PREPA employees, added. such as allowing them to be observed at work High Customer Service Standards In reiterating LUMA’s mission to rebuild and and adequately responding to requests for In addition, he informed the committee of transform the system, Stensby told the committee LUMA’s customer service standards, which will information.

Unclear how many current employees have been rehired

T

In fact,

8

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Paving the Way for Tourism’s Recovery

Porta del Sol to see the addition of 80 new hotel rooms

A Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

dara, the data partner which monitors online search and booking activity for destinations, shows significant movement in bookings for the island at the beginning of the year when Discover Puerto Rico, the destination marketing organization (DMO), was able to begin placing media with CARES Act dollars. The majority of the bookings come from households with six-figure annual incomes.

Adara also shows that the trips consumers are booking now are for trips that will be occurring in about 40 days, arriving well into April and May. In the first two months of the CARES Act media campaign, Adara estimates that the island’s DMO advertising generated more than $112 million in hotel bookings. With the paid media now in place, Discover Puerto Rico is targeting potential visitors, and the booking data shows that more than 60 percent of the bookings since the beginning of the year have been by households with annual incomes of more than $100,000. More than 53 percent of consumers seeing recent advertising through Expedia Group also booked a 4-star hotel or higher.

“We committed to innovatively keep our tourism brand top-of-mind with planners, advisors and consumers, consistently delivering a healthy balance of information and inspiration. We also cut back on every non-essential expense so we could conserve our resources for when they would be most impactful, and instead relied heavily upon earned media, owned channels and virtual promotion. Most importantly, we chose to lean into key relationships, focusing on staying in contact with clients, consortia, travel advisors and strategic partners,” expressed Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “And, while others pushed the pause button on their sales efforts, we doubled down on our leisure sales efforts and meeting and convention sales efforts, finding creative ways to engage partners and remind planners and travel advisors what awaits them when tourism reopens,” he added.

While other destinations are seeing increases

Hacienda Gripiñas in Jayuya. >Courtesy of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company

in bookings, no one else is seeing the kind of investment of $18.7 million, which will add around year-over-year increases that Puerto Rico is 80 new rooms to the island’s hotel inventory. seeing, he indicated. Both Around 148 new jobs are also hotels and rentals are booking projected to be created. far better than the rest of the New lodgings and hotel competitive set through the renovations now being developed rest of the fiscal year. Still, hotel in Porta del Sol, as the region is bookings through the end of known, include Aurora’s Dream Though June are 18 percent lower than Guest House in Rincón; Cocoloba the hotel market they were a year ago. and Cocoloba Beach Bar at has picked up Though the hotel market has Crash Boat in Aguadilla; TRYP by considerably, the picked up considerably, the rental Wyndham Hotel in Mayagüez; and growth in the rental market in Puerto Rico continues the Rincón Beach Resort Hotel in market in Puerto Rico to outperform other destinations.

Añasco. is unprecedented.

The current year-over-year growth “The Porta del Sol Region is Rental bookings is unprecedented. Rental bookings an iconic area in Puerto Rico through the end of through the end of June are 82 due to the immense range of June are 82 percent percent higher than they were tourist attractions it offers; its higher than they a year ago, while the island’s cultural wealth, gastronomy, its were a year ago. competitors continue to see yearpeople, and its incomparable over-year losses, according to the natural beauties that add to the DMO. easy access offered by the Rafael Hernández International Airport.

For these reasons, we thank and congratulate Eyes to the Future these Puerto Rican businessmen for betting on In the long term, the Puerto Rico Tourism the tourism industry in that region,” said Carlos Company (PRTC) is also highlighting the development of new lodgings and hotel renovations Mercado Santiago, the designated executive director of the PRTC. in the western region of the island, with a total

In fact,

9

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Skootel said it is working with government authorities to ensure the proper use of motorized scooters. >Josian E. Bruno Gómez

Electric Scooters Under Scrutiny Over Public Misuse

Skootel working with government officials

A Giovanna Garofalo

ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com

@giopgarofalo

head of a legislative investigation on the use of motorized scooters in Puerto Rico, Juan Carlos Parra, cofounder of Skootel, affirmed that he is collaborating with the corresponding authorities to ensure that residents and travelers use these vehicles responsibly. The mode of transportation is increasingly gaining popularity in San Juan as well as the rest of the world.

Sen. Nitza Morán authored Senate Resolution 86, which orders the Innovation, Telecommunications, Urban Planning & Infrastructure Committee to carry out an investigation on the matter, especially in tourist areas, given that these devices cannot be used to travel on highways. Social media users have recently shared videos of people misusing these alternate modes of transportation, such as a woman riding a scooter on the highly-transited Baldorioty Highway in Isla Verde, raising public safety concerns.

Parra affirmed to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL that Skootel, which has been renting motorized scooters since August 2019, is supportive of the measure and has already enhanced its own security system to identify repeat offenders.

“Since before the incidents that have occurred, around last year, we have led a campaign in the Legislature to precisely amend Act 22 (Puerto Rico Vehicle and Traffic Act) to properly define this type of vehicle, which are assisted proportion vehicles and have already been defined at the federal level

and regulated under the title of personal mobility devices. That’s what Sen. Morán has expressed several times, that we are seeking to temper the laws to define [scooters] properly and create the correct regulations and ordinances for them,” he stated.

In fact, Morán clarified that this measure does not aim to ban these micromobile devices, but to lay out the mechanisms for their proper use and management. “This has become a method of transportation, not only for tourists but also for residents. A new style of business, especially for the capital city. Puerto Rico, like other countries, has faced problems with skateboards. The great challenge is to temper the spaces for the use of these transports. It is not intended to prohibit the use of these avant-garde vehicles,” Morán said.

Meanwhile, San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero issued a Municipal Administrative Order to enforce transportation laws and municipal ordinances, which establish fines ranging from $100 to $1,000 for infractions or repeat offenders. “Although we understand the attractiveness of electric vehicles that we commonly know as scooters, as well as their development potential for the Capital City, we must also recognize that inconsiderate use in pedestrian areas can involve anything from obstruction to entrances and accidents with pedestrians. This has repercussions in terms of collective well-being, so it is important to reinforce measures to avoid these inconveniences, which we have already seen happening, particularly in tourist areas such as Condado and Old San Juan,” Romero affirmed.

Solid Security Efforts

Parra explained that Skootel is “aware and we know that there has been certain misuse” of its products. To address the issue, the company has a daily staff of more than 20 employees, particularly in tourist zones, who are educating users of “all

types” of micromobile devices, including scooters from other companies and bicycles. “Since we started this initiative around a year and a half ago, we have already impacted over 10,000 people, educating them on how to use them correctly and what are the security methods,” he explained.

Skootel also added an extra layer to its registration database. When users scan the QR code on a Skootel vehicle through Bird - the electric scooter sharing app - they are required to scan an ID card, such as a driver’s license or passport, and they must also take a “selfie.” A sophisticated algorithm then scans both pictures and identifies if they are the same person. After that, the user must go through a seven-step process that educates them on their proper use, safety issues and restrictions, before finally being allowed to rent the scooter.

“This rental can be used in an area of operation that is also marked with purple on the map and at the end of the trip, park the vehicle in designated spaces and finish the rental in the same application,” Parra stated.

The scooters run up to 15 miles per hour (mph) in regular areas, and reduce their speed to 10 mph in designated tourist zones. In the case of San Juan, these include Condado, Old San Juan and the Convention District. If a person is “driving” outside designated zones, the vehicle will shut off its motor and sound an alarm, plus the person will receive a notification on their registered smartphone.

Repeat offenders will have their accounts and phones banned from the platform, so they would not be able to rent scooters through new accounts on the same electronic device.

“The last thing we are doing is that we have signs, which we already started in the Convention District area, and we are in talks with the municipality to add the proper signs for micromobility throughout the San Juan area,” Parra added.

10

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Puerto Rico Making Its Case for a Regional Transshipment Center Projected creation of 6,000 direct and indirect jobs

T Rosario Fajardo

rfajardo@wjournalpr.com

@RosarioWJournal

o help promote the development of the two-year transshipment exemption granted to Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the island’s Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel Cidre Miranda, who is a member of the Puerto Rico Air Cargo Committee, has sent a letter to Heather Krause, director of Infrastructure for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), seeking their support on this matter.

In the letter, the committee requested additional island as a unique destination to do business.” information on air cargo traffic, to help provide a The chief of DDEC, as the agency is known by its more robust case for the island for expanding air Spanish acronym, also said that several airlines have cargo operations. The committee also defended the island’s efforts to ensure infrastructure is more already requested an incentive under Law 60 for airlines, and other agreements are being negotiated resilient after the impact of Hurricane Maria in to start routes to Puerto Rico. He indicated that, 2017. Contrary to “Puerto Rico being a risk due to working together with the Ports Authority, they have unpredictable weather conditions,” according to a identified some of the priority GAO report released in October projects on the infrastructure 2020, “the resilience plans that side that would support the issue our current commercial sector of cargo transfers. has already [put] in place, make “Even so, we are looking for the island even stronger and an expert consultant in cargo ready to expand the aerial and logistics-related issues at The island has three center,” the letter stated. a global level, that can help international airports At the same time, us make the most of this that would benefit the committee refuted great opportunity to promote from a Transshipment another point in the GAO economic development on the Center: Luis Muñoz Marín report indicating that “the island. Proposals are being airport serving the San development of a Puerto evaluated,” he added.

Juan metro area; Rafael Rican air transfer center would Cidre emphasized that the Hernández airport in negatively affect Miami.” Not government’s position is to Aguadilla; and Mercedita so, they said, as has been obtain the maximum benefit in Ponce. evidenced in “other parts of from the exemption for the the country, regional air hubs transfer of air cargo and develop greater volume capacity international passengers, to through individual ports within position Puerto Rico as a Transshipment Center that region. Puerto Rico’s existing strengths in the Caribbean, providing strong marketing and in biosciences, an established niche, could be direct promotion to companies. In addition, he developed on whatever basis Miami provides. “ Cidre noted that the air cargo exemption “is one indicated that “another concerted effort is aimed of the main tools with which the local government, at continuing the collaboration with the federal government to attract more investment in the together with InvestPR and the private sector, manufacturing area, and this exemption is an seeks to maximize, since it is a great instrument added value for these purposes.” that comes to us at an ideal time and that the There is a federal law for airlines that is United States wants manufacturing companies to similar to the Jones Act, which limits non-U.S. return to the United States. This will undoubtedly carriers in serving U.S. airports. Alaska received be key in our strategy to continue promoting the

In fact,

>Courtesy of the International Air Transport Association

an exemption for air cargo due to its geographic location in the far north, which provides shorter routes to Asia than across the Pacific Ocean.

Puerto Rico has obtained a two-year air cargo exemption and the central government has been working to take advantage of this exemption and hopefully extend the time limit. The island has three international airports that would benefit: Luis Muñoz Marín airport serving San Juan; Rafael Hernández airport in Aguadilla; and Mercedita in Ponce.

Actively Seeking Prospects

Meanwhile, Rodrick Miller, CEO of Invest PR, said that they have worked hand in hand with various sectors, to develop a promotion plan based on the unique advantages that Puerto Rico offers as a Transshipment Center. “We also developed a selection of prospects, based on those companies with operations abroad, whose market is mainly in the United States, and for which Puerto Rico provides competitive value. As part of the Committee’s work plan, we have held meetings in Washington, D.C. with federal agencies, organizations in the airline and transportation industries, as well as interested companies, to position Puerto Rico within the framework of the opportunities that have arisen in response to the pandemic,” he said.

Miller projected that after the hoped-for extension of the two-year exemption, there should be a multiplier effect on overall trade.

He cited a report from the University of Puerto Rico that estimates the creation of at least 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, among other benefits, of a Transshipment Center on the island, with an economic impact estimated at $219.3 million a year.

11

< The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, March 24, 2021

12

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Lucas Arzola

Director at P18Ventures

I

Three Things to Keep in Mind When Investing in Startups

nvesting means making your money grow. While we always hear about the traditional ways of doing so (stock and bond markets) over the last five years, as Puerto Rico’s startup ecosystem continues to mature, these small innovationdriven companies have become an attractive place to invest in the island’s economic development.

Why? First, many local investors want to give back to the entrepreneurial community while being at the forefront of local technological development.

In fact, startups have been hailed

by Forbes as the future of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) economy on the island. Second, when it comes to the

investors’ wealth, startups provide high potential growth, with returns on startup investments averaging 27 percent annually, according to MetroStar.

While investors in established ecosystems such as Silicon Valley have long understood the value of investing in startups, those on the island are warming up to the idea of putting their money on them.

This is, in part, due to the efforts of programs that nurture local and international startups into potential assets for investors who are looking to diversify their portfolios through companies that are validated by these organizations and thus, minimize risk.

As the director of P18Ventures — the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust’s program

focused on investing in parallel18’s startups — I have witnessed how in less than five years some of the accelerator’s local Puerto Rican alumni like BUREA, Abartys Health and Brands Of have gone on to raise more than $1 million each from Puerto Rican investors in rounds led by local (like Semillero Ventures, for example) and international funds.

International startups that have participated in the program — and keep operations on the island — have benefited from this growth as well. To give you an idea, the cumulative amount of investment raised in Puerto Rico by P18Alumni has reached $20 million. A figure that was around $2 million in 2017. This showcases the increasing willingness of local players to bet money on diverse and high-impact companies

that are changing the narrative of Puerto Rico’s economy.

So, how to invest in startups?

Get educated! First, identify the type of investor you are eligible and interested to be. The two most common types are angel investors, high-net-worth individuals who provide financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs by writing checks on their own; and venture capital funds, pooled investment funds that manage the money of investors, like you, who seek private equity stakes in startups with strong growth potential. Essentially, they invest your money for you.

The cumulative amount of investment raised in Puerto Rico by P18Alumni has reached $20 million.

A figure that was around $2 million in 2017.

Second, choose a vehicle to invest in. The two most popular among early-stage startups are convertible notes and SAFEs, because they do not require a formal valuation (estimation of the company’s worth).

A convertible note is a form of shortterm debt with an embedded option to convert into equity. A SAFE (simple agreement for future equity) is a simplified version of the convertible note created by accelerator YCombinator that provides investors the chance to purchase stock in a future equity round of a company without structuring as debt (therefore, no interest and no maturity rate).

Third, partner with an acceleration program (like parallel18 or Grupo Guayacán) or follow directories (like Crunchbase or Product Hunt) that constantly showcase emerging startups. These can help you see what’s out there and give you background on promising founders and their startup’s potential.

Take the leap! Investing in startups in Puerto Rico is a great way to diversify your portfolio and promote the growth of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

13

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Be Intentional About Your Space: Paint Colors and What They Mean Colors affect your mood, energy and focus

T

The Holiday Entertainer

he colors you surround yourself with have the power to affect your mood, energy, and focus.

So, the paint you choose for the walls should reflect and support your intention for the space.

That’s why it’s so important to understand what different colors mean and how they influence you.

We’ve put together some tips on what various colors mean and the environment they can help you create in your home:

Neutrals

Warm Colors

• Orange Oranges bring energy and vitality to a space.

Deep orange walls evoke excitement and enthusiasm, great for inspiring lively conversation.

Orange also represents balance. Use it in your kitchen or dining room, or in children’s play areas.

• Red Red is a color of strength and fortitude. It conveys confidence and passion, which might be just right for your living room accent wall or the coordinating accessories in a bedroom. Keep in mind that red can also inspire anger and has been shown to raise heart rates and blood pressure!

You’ll want to avoid using red in rooms that are meant for calm and relaxation, but it’s great in places you want to evoke strength and passion.

• Yellow Yellow radiates happiness and energy, calling to mind sunny days and tropical fruits. This color also symbolizes optimism and can help bring focus and intensity to your space. Brighter and more saturated yellows are also associated with a warning, so you may want to err on the lighter side for a bedroom or office.

• Pink One of the colors of love, pink, is calmer than its red counterpart. Some pinks can read as juvenile if they cover every wall of a room - however, the

right shade can soothe and comfort like a hug from someone dear to you.

Cool Colors

• Blue Blues are symbolic of peace, harmony, and strength. The association with water also means that blues give their spaces fluidity and depth.

Light blues symbolize and evoke tranquility and calm with a cool atmosphere and reflected light that leave you feeling refreshed. Dark blues evoke comfort, security, and seriousness. You might choose deep blues for a study or a den.

• Green Green is a color with a wealth of symbolism.

Choose green to bring a sense of nature and healing or to invite prosperity and fertility. Greens create cozy and harmonious spaces and inspire feelings of health and connection to the natural environment.

• Purple Deep purples have historically been associated with royalty and wealth that can offer a sense of luxury to your space. Purple is also the color for spirituality, creativity, femininity, and grace.

Use purples in areas of your home meant for meditation, relaxation, and creative pursuits.

• Brown In nature, browns originate from Earth and wood. As such, brown colors bring a sense of grounded comfort, calm, and stability to your home. Browns are warm and enveloping, especially in living areas.

• Gray This trending neutral is lauded for its versatility and simplicity. Gray is seen as conservative and sophisticated, although it can run the risk of feeling dreary. Use this cool color in rooms where you want to create a modern look, and add warm accents for vibrancy or warmth.

• White White is the most classic wall color and your go-to for simplicity that creates an open, spacious feeling. White is often interpreted as clean, pure, and peaceful. Accent with wood for a natural feel, or with bright pops of color for an energetic and modern ambiance.

• Black Black symbolizes strength, power, and formality.

A black wall can make an impressive statement or create a sense of mystery. On the other hand, black also holds negative connotations, so it should be used purposefully, with light or metallic accents, and with the idea that less is more.

Use these tips as a starting guide, but keep in mind that colors also have an individual influence based on personal preference and personality.

Identify the mood and energy you want to evoke in your space, and choose the color to help you achieve it!

14

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Volunteers needed to help protect marine wildlife. >Photos courtesy of Scuba Dogs Society

600 Volunteers Needed to Clean 15 Seabeds and Reefs in Puerto Rico

More than a dozen entities team up for ‘Deep Cleaning’ initiative

A

Plastic debris in the oceans hurts coral reefs and other marine life.

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL Staff

s part of the celebration of “Earth Month,” environmental organizations in Puerto Rico are looking for 600 volunteers When? to be trained Saturday, April 10, its Spanish initials), following the to participate in simultaneous starting at 8 a.m. same health and safety standards underwater cleaning efforts on successfully implemented by SDS Saturday, April 10, in 15 beaches Where? during the International Coastal with reefs, reported Ana Trujillo, Beaches and reefs in Cleanup last year. executive director of the Scuba 12 municipalities Reefs are “an essential Dogs Society (SDS). structure for the protection and “Limpieza a Fondo (Deep conservation of our coasts and Cleaning) is a joint operation other ecosystems” in Puerto between sectors of the state Rico by virtue of Act 72 of 2020, after the approval and municipal government, private companies, of House Bill 2308, authored by Reps. Joel nonprofit organizations, and the community in Franqui Atiles and José Pérez Cordero. The bill’s general, which aims to raise public awareness about the dire consequences of waste that reaches explanatory memorandum stated that coral reefs provide essential coastal protection, estimated at marine ecosystems like reefs,” said Trujillo, who is $9 billion of investment in infrastructure, according a marine biologist. to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. In She explained that a maximum of 40 volunteers addition, during the onslaught of Hurricane Maria per coast will be activated, including captains of in 2017, “the coral reef dissipated the energy of boats and volunteers in general, who must be the storm surge by more than 90 percent” on the previously registered and receive the required island’s coasts. training in security, underwater cleaning protocol However, despite their contributions, the latest and data registration. The underwater cleaning Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem will be carried out in the municipalities of San Services report by the Intergovernmental Science Juan, Vega Alta, Manatí, Aguadilla, Rincón, Isabela, and Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Fajardo, Ceiba, Vieques, Culebra, Guánica and Services (IPBES) revealed that 33 percent of the Mayagüez. world’s coral reefs are at risk.

The event is authorized by the Department of “During the 15 years that we have been Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA by

monitoring the Isla Verde Reef, we have observed a huge amount of garbage of various types, especially plastic bags, cans, ‘porta-paks’ and bottles. Sadly, on three occasions we recorded dramatic situations that illustrate the dire impact of waste on marine life,” said Paco López-Mújica, a member of Arrecifes Pro Ciudad (Pro City Reefs).

“The first was a plastic bag that strangled a sea sponge. In the second, we found a crab tied with a rope. And in the third, a hawksbill turtle suffocated with plastic in its mouth. This is a serious problem and that is why we are going to collect underwater garbage,” he stated.

On each of the 15 coasts, teams of volunteers will be organized as follows: 15 divers, five snorkelers, five people with a board or kayak to carry garbage to shore, and 15 people on the shore to rescue trapped species in the trash and document removals before they are properly disposed of.

Trujillo underscored that due to the health controls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be groups composed of members of a single family or circle.

The event will take place on Saturday, April 10, starting at 8 a.m. Registration is available at scubadogssociety.org. Volunteers will be called upon to complete training on the respective jobs and how to document each finding through the Clean Swell mobile app.

The alliance for Deep Cleaning is made up of: 7 Quillas, AmandOcéano, Arrecifes Pro Ciudad, Basura Cero, Bio Strong, Bluetide Puerto Rico, CESAM, ClearWaters, Cooperativa de Seguros Múltiples de Puerto Rico, DDB Latina, East Coast Water Taxi, Fundación Liberty, Garnier, Innovations, Lets Go Puerto Rico, Masters from the Sea, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Mother Flower Products, Para la Naturaleza, PROUCO Group, Rescate Playas Borinquen, Scuba Dogs, Scuba Dogs Society, Sea Grant, The Agua Viva Project, The House PR, Ticotove, the aforementioned municipalities, and the DRNA.

15

/ Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Save the Date for the Wine Dinner Series Inspired by the late chef Santi Santamaría

A Yaira Solís Escudero

ysolis@elvocero.com

@yairasolis

s part of the new season of Wine Dinner Series at the 1919 restaurant at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, executive chef Juan José Cuevas designed a pairing dinner named “Spain,” which consists of four dishes inspired by the cuisine of the late Catalan chef Santi Santamaría. And nothing better to accompany the dishes than wines representative from five wine regions of Puerto Rico’s motherland.

The culinary appointment will be held on Friday, March 26, at 6 p.m.

“Chef Santamaría is a great of Spanish cuisine who captivated epicureans around the world with a cuisine firmly grounded in its roots and never pretentious. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of his departure, this dinner pays tribute to the legacy of who was also a mentor in the professional training of chef Cuevas and whose inspiration is latent in the menus of the 1919 restaurant,” said Ben Tutt, general manager of the Condado Vanderbilt.

The culinary experience will begin with a welcome cocktail, among which are the cod and truffle croquette, the crunchy quail egg, and the suckling pig’s head croquette, accompanied by an Adegas Galegas, Danza Albariño Brut, Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain.

The first course will be hamachi fish with marinated white beans, clams and pickles paired with El Paraguas, Atlántico, Ribeiro, Galicia, Spain, vintage 2018; followed by a monkfish fillet with black fideuá with shrimp, squid and cuttlefish in pepper-chorizo jus accompanied by an Alvaro Palacios, Finca Dofi, Priorat, Catalonia, Spain, 2013.

The main course will be an Iberian Presa “Mar y Montaña” (Surf and Turf), consisting of cod tripe, blood sausage, tomato sauce, churros and idiazabal cheese, served in a pairing with one of the “crown jewels,” a Pesquera, Janus, Gran Reserva, Ribera Del Duero, Spain, 2010.

The fourth dish with which the culinary encounter ends, will be a coconut arepa with pumpkin compote and artisan cheeses, served with Marqués De Murrieta, Dalmau Tinto Reserva,

When?

Friday, March 26 at 6 p.m.

Where?

The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel

The 1919 restaurant is located in the Condado Vanderbilt.

Chef José Cuevas in full creative action. >All photos from Facebook/Restaurante 1919

The restaurant stands out for the impeccable service it offers to its diners, making them feel at home.

Rioja, Spain, 2012.

Restaurant 1919 is open for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is located #1055 on Ashford

Ave. in the Condado area of San Juan. For reservations and additional information, you can visit: www.1919restaurant.com or https://www. opentable.com/1919-restaurant.

16