Wednesday, August 24-30, 2022 - // no. 174 www.theweeklyjournal.comPuerto Rico and the Caribbean GO TO PAGE 4 Is the hIlton for sale? P7 Censuses and surveys P10 Gender PersPeCtIve In sChools P12 sPIder Man beCoMes a senIor CItIzen P14 statIstICs hIGhlIGht droP In real estate Market
Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
“Understanding the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, we adapted our operational design to count Puerto Rico as we prepared for the
Vacant houses skyrocketed in the last decade
Arecent alleged difference in the statistics offered by the U.S. Census Bureau (CB) about the number of vacant housing units in Puerto Rico had seemingly generated a conflict with the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF, for its Spanish acronym).
The CB reported in its 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) it had undercounted the number of vacant housing units on the island by 5.8%, thus meaning that there are more unoccupied houses than originally tallied in the 2020 census. When compared to the national net coverage estimates for vacant housing units (2.6%), the coverage error for Puerto Rico was more than twice the national average.
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“Our purpose is to create a space to foster creativity and culture by elevating the gastronomic scene in Puerto Rico. We seek to work with local and international artists, artisans and farmers to achieve an experience that everyone can take with them, no matter where they come from or where they are going,” said Cielomar Pérez, bar supervisor at Patio de las Flores.
Ford Puerto Rico announces the launch of Telematics, an exclusive service for commercial clients that provides key information about vehicles, with the purpose of optimizing their fleet operations.
Cocktails in Puerto Rico have reached another level at Patio de las Flores. Patio de las Flores Volume 2’s cocktail menu modifies old ideas with completely new concepts. Created by Raúl Morales and Glauco Rivera, the menu includes a collaboration of local and international talents showing skills and abilities from pottery in glasses to music, thus providing a completely multisensory experience.
Documentaries on the history of san Juan telematics: forD Pro Platform for business customers
lasatcocktailsconcePtualPatioDeflores
The first episode, “Fundación de la Isleta de San Juan,” (The founding of San Juan islet) tells of Spain’s role in the foundation of a capital in Puerto Rico, its move from Caparra (today’s Guaynabo) and the later development of Puerta de Tierra.
Marketing
Michelle
The series will continue to be broadcast every Wednesday at 7:00 pm on the ICP’s Facebook page and simultaneously on the El Adoquín Times web platform.
Telematics is the first service available in Puerto Rico as part of Ford Pro™, Ford’s global division dedicated to providing support and solutions to business customers of all sizes and types of industries.
President Salvador shasbun@elvocero.comHasbún of and Operations Miperez@elvocero.comPérez
Business
VP of Accounting Félix A. frosa@elvocero.comRosa VP of Production Eligio edekony@elvocero.comDekony Human Resources Director Arlene Rolón, arolon@elvocero.comPHR VP of Editorial Content Juan Miguel Muñiz jmuniz@elvocero.comGuzmán Multi-Platform Graphic and Technology Director Héctor L. hvazquez@elvocero.comVázquez Multi-PlataformDigitalDirector Rafelli González rgonzalez@elvocero.comCotto 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 Phone: 787-622-2300, 787-721-2300 Customer Service: 787-622-7480
a week in review
Ford Pro was created to redefine the commercial vehicle services market and maximize Ford’s leadership in that segment. Ford Pro is an essential part of the Ford+ strategic plan to create value and promote company growth.
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP, for its Spanish acronym), in collaboration with El Adoquín Times newspaper, will present a new series of short documentaries covering the history and development of San Juan as the capital city of Puerto Rico since its founding. The series, entitled “San Juan a Medio Milenio,” (San Juan: half a millennium) will premiere today, Wednesday, August 24, at 7:00 pm on the ICP’s Facebook page.
/ Wednesday, August 24, 20224 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 2020 Census,” said Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos last week attempting to explain the statistical difference. “The release of coverage estimates for Puerto Rico represents a final piece in completing our comprehensive assessments from the 2020 PostEnumeration Survey… This is one of many self-assessments that allow us to think critically about how we transform our operations and plan for the 2030 Census,” he explained.Itmustbe noted that the number of housing units in Puerto Rico cannot be found anywhere in the CB website, thus hindering the possibility of determining how far-off –numerically– was the agency from its initial determination. In the “Quick Facts about Puerto Rico” the federal agency put a ‘X’ on the line for “Housing Units, July 1, 2021, (V2021)” The only reference to a possible updated total number of housing units in Puerto Rico on the web can be found in a publication from the American Bar Association (ABA), dated May 21, 2021. Said publication, titled “The Lack of Proof of Ownership in Puerto Rico Is Crippling Repairs in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria” states “there are about 1,237,180 million homes” in Puerto Rico. If we take the figure as correct, it would mean that the CB undercounted 71,756 houses throughout the island. Mortgage bankers react On her part, Luzmarie Vélez-Miró, president of the Puerto Rico Mortgage Bankers Association Less houses have been sold in 2022. Based on information available to us, I can say the market has shrunk, if compared to last year sales. Luzmarie Vélez-Miró, president of PRMBA The BureauCensusreported it had undercounted the number of vacant housing units on the island by 5.8%. In fact,
Puerto Rico is the largest and most populous U.S. territory and was treated as a separate governmental entity. As such, the sample was designed up front to allow for subpopulation estimates of coverage.
Even though some news reports pointed to a conflict between the data gathered and published by the CB, versus the data published by OCIF, the fact is that they both seem correct in as much as they measure different elements of Puerto Rico’s social and economic scenario.
Where is the conflict?
Robert L. Santos, Census Bureau Director
PRMBA president also said that the number of houses sold in 2021 was greater than those sold in 2020, by some 3,000 units. “Still, 13,000 sold units, considering Puerto Rico’s population, is not really significant,” said VélezMiró. “There was an increase in second homes, properties bought for investment, and larger homes, all driven by the pandemic.” She estimated there are several reasons for the market trend, among them the fact that you could get from 2.5 to 3.0 mortgage percentages for your loans. Also, there were government incentives such as the Home Buyers Assistance Program, which allowed low and medium income families to buy their homes. In contrast, Vélez-Miró pointed that this year’s market deceleration could be attributed to the hikes in interest rates ordered by the Federal Reserve (FED), the increasing sale prices, and low inventories in specific segments with high demand.
The release of coverage estimates for Puerto Rico represents a final piece in completing our comprehensive assessments from the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey.
/ Wednesday, August 24, 2022 5 (PRMBA) characterized those statistics as “different from local ones, if compared to data included in the Housing Market Activity report from OCIF.” She had been quoted in a local newspaper saying “there are more than 10,000 housing units currently available for sale,” and that “a lot” of houses were sold in 2021. In an interview with The Weekly Journal VélezMiró specified though, that, while both statistics were related, “they are not the same” because they measure two different things. “Vacant houses are absolutely not the same as houses for sale,” she said “and that cannot be construed as an accelerating market.”“What can be said about mortgage transactions nowadays is that house sales are more frequent than refinancing transactions. We have seen a drop in sales in the market so far this year. Less houses have been sold in 2022. Based on information available to us, I can say the market has shrunk, if compared to last year sales,” Vélez- Miró argued. In 2021, according to Vélez-Miró, the total number of preexisting houses sold in Puerto Rico was 12,270, for a total of $2.1 billion. Meanwhile, the number of newly constructed houses sold that year was 1,019, for a total of $250 million.
It most also be noted that this “statistical undercount” was not exclusive to Puerto Rico. In its PES report the CB also admitted to undercounting housing units in the states of South Carolina (2.5%) and Vermont (4.1%). On the other hand, the CB overcounted housing units in Alabama (2.7%), Massachusetts (1.4%), New Jersey (2.5%), New York (3.7%), Ohio (1.2%), Rhode Island (1.6%) and Utah (0.8%).Inan interview with The Associated Press last week, Santos said these evaluations on the quality of the 2020 count cannot “uncover the ‘whys this happened’ – all we can do is estimate what happened.”“Wewillcontinue to collaborate closely with key stakeholders in Puerto Rico to work toward an accurate count for future censuses,” he said.
The number of housing units in Puerto Rico cannot be found anywhere in the CB website, thus hindering the possibility of determining how faroff –numerically– was the agency from its initial determination. In fact,
The
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The REIT seeks in excess of $200 million for Puerto Rico’s historic hotel, and is catering the property mainly to private equity firms that focus on real estate. In fact,
We have now sold or disposed of 24 assets for over $1.2 billion since our spin-off from Hilton, including 14 international assets.
Thomas Baltimore, CEO Park Hotels & Resorts
Industry source says the property is being catered to private equity firms Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
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While Hilton International operated the government owned hotel since the beginning, it took the company almost 50 years to buy the hotel. In 1998, Puerto Rico’s government sold the hotel for $80 million to Hilton. In 1999, the hotel was closed for a $65 million renovation and reopened on Christmas Day that same year. In January 2017, ownership of the hotel was transferred to Park Hotels & Resorts when that company was spun-off from Hilton Worldwide. Later that year, the hotel was heavily damaged by Hurricane Maria, forcing it to close. It reopened in May 2019, following a renovation of more than $150 million.
In light of Baltimore’s statement, the question to be answered would be whether Park Hotels & Resorts exploration of the possible sale of the Caribe Hilton is part of its strategy to “exit from international markets” and/or reducing the company’s net leverage “closer to our targeted goal of low 4x net-debt-to-EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization),” as he admitted in his February statement.OnJuly,the business and career platform www.zippia. com reported that Caribe Hilton had 750 employees and annual revenues for $63 million. Despite efforts to get a reaction from Caribe Hilton management, as of deadline no response had beenAskedissued.about the possible sale of the Caribe Hilton, Brad Dean, Discover Puerto Rico’s CEO, highlighted the hotel’s “high historical value in Puerto Rican tourism and is one of the hotels in the great tourist corridor between Old San Juan, Santurce, and Condado.”
Park Hotels & Resorts, Inc., owner of the Caribe Hilton Hotel is supposedly considering the sale of the property, as reported by financial news agency Bloomberg News. The news agency cited an unnamed individual with knowledge on the matter as the source of the information.According to Bloomberg’s industry source, the real estate investment trust (REIT) seeks in excess of $200 million for Puerto Rico’s historic hotel, and is catering the property mainly to private equity firms that focus on real estate. As of last week, a spokesman for Park Hotels declined to comment to BeforeBloomberg.news of a possible sale of the Caribe Hilton were leaked, Thomas Baltimore, chairman and CEO of Park Hotels, announced it sold interests in five non-core hotels for some $268 million this year. Earlier this year, the company confirmed the sale of the Hilton São Paulo Morumbi in Brazil for $117.5 million, or $234,000 per key. According to net,www.hotelmanagement.aftercapitaladjustments the sale price would represent 14.9 times “the hotel’s 2019 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.”
“Discover Puerto Rico does not play a role in the process of buying, selling, or managing accommodations in Puerto Rico. Our mission is focused on promoting Puerto Rico as a destination.
Park Hotels & Resorts, a corporate spin-off of Hilton Worldwide, also sold the Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington DC Georgetown for $90.4 million, or $459,000 per key. Capitalization rate on the hotel’s 2019 net operating income was 5.9%, or 14.8 times the hotel’s 2019 gross revenue. In a prepared statement last February, Baltimore expressed his excitement over “the sale of two noncore assets that advance our strategic objectives at very attractive pricing.” Furthermore, Baltimore stated “the sale of the Hilton São Paulo marks our official exit from international markets, and we have now sold or disposed of 24 assets for over $1.2 billion since our spin-off from Hilton, including 14 international assets.”
Owner looking into possible sale of the Caribe Hilton Hotel
Regardless of any changes in ownership or hotel administration, Discover Puerto Rico will continue to drive demand and promote all lodging facilities in our archipelago,” Dean said. When the Caribe Hilton was inaugurated in 1949, it was the first Hilton hotel outside the continental U.S., and hailed, according to its website, as “the island’s first modern hotel.”
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“The current leisure and hospitality employment statistics confirm that the tourism industry in Puerto Rico continues to strengthen steadily. Thanks to the combined efforts of the public and private sectors, in recent months, we have not only seen a sustained increase in jobs, but we have also achieved historical figures in room tax collections and passengers transiting through our airports”, commented Carlos Mercado, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination management organization (DMO), reported that combined data from firms Smith Travel Research (STR) and AirDNA show the $1 billion revenue mark for tourism was reached in July, three months earlier than in 2021. “We have hit that mark for only the second time in history, and we’ve done it three months earlier than last year. Despite industry concerns, we’ve seen increased demand for lodging over last year’s record-setting pace. Through the end of July, total lodging demand is 18% higher than a year ago, with hotels booking 17% more business and rentals 20% more,” said Alisha Valentine, Director of Research and Analytics at Discover Puerto Rico. Reservations for the remaining two quarters of 2022, in both hotels and private rentals, are projected to be above pre-pandemic levels. Based on a presentation by Discover Puerto Rico the fourth quarter of the year is the most promising, with bookings 6% higher than in 2021 in the case of hotels, and 12% higher for short-term rentals.
Tourists walk the main court of the famous Castillo San Felipe del Morro fort.
Madison Choudhry, Special to The Weekly Journal
Increasing reservations and longer stays keep trending in the hospitality sector as records show tourism on the island continues to push past records. This achievement comes despite the tourism industry facing a volatile economic scenario, due to concerns associated with inflation, air transport, high fuel prices, and international diplomatic concerns.
Puerto Rico tourism industry continues to break records continues despite a volatile economic scenario
As a response to the positive results coming from the “Live Boricua” campaign, Discover Puerto Rico has decided to partner with Puerto Rican influencers to host channels to educate their audience on the meaning of “Boricua,” (native Puerto Rican). Data from Destination Analysis suggest that nearly a third of visitors’ motivation to come to the island is to return home to the island or visit family. Local culture is also a significant motivator closely following positive weather forecast.Despite the positive results coming from the tourism sector, Brad Dean, CEO for Discover Puerto Rico, maintains the company will continue to closely monitor the upcoming year.
“Discover Puerto Rico is maintaining a close watch over data and trends so that we are prepared to react quickly and decisively as we seek out every opportunity to continue the momentum our island’s tourism industry has enjoyed,” Dean added.“Regardless of our positive results, the outlook for tourism is a mixed bag of positives and negatives, creating a lot of uncertainty for many in our industry. We know that many factors are impacting our industry in the second half of 2022, not only here in Puerto Rico but throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. Demand for travel remains high, yet concerns about inflation and the economy are creating a lot of uncertainty for businesses and travelers alike. Employment is at its highest level ever in our local tourism industry, but most businesses are still understaffed and eagerly seeking to hire more people. And while cruisers are ready to resume cruising, the cruise line industry is still battling through the most difficult comeback of any segment within our industry,” Dean said.
Since the beginning of 2022, Puerto Rico has broken its jobs’ record in the leisure and hospitality sectors every month. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, beginning from January 2022 till June 2022, each month has surpassed the previous record of employment to ultimately reach 86,700 workers.
The $1 revenuebillionmark for tourism was reached in July, three months earlier than in 2021. In fact, …We have not only seen a sustained increase in jobs, but also achieved historical figures in room tax collections and passengers transiting through our airports.
Carlos Mercado, executive director Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
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The Culture of Data: Shifting the Paradigm
Censuses and Surveys Applications of data gathering processes can be traced as far back as the Babylonian civilization with the first hints of what today we call a census. A census can be considered a process of systematically gathering information about every member of a population. By definition, the objective is the full enumeration of a population, not its sampling. Historically, censuses had been used as accurate tools for public administrations to determine multiple elements such as food needs, labor force expectations, population growth, and families living in households (to name a few). The methods to calculate, acquire and record this information in a systematic and scientific manner are highly complex, but also greatly expensive.Ontheother hand, surveys have the objective of sampling a population. Surveys provide the ability to examine large groups (population/census) in a costeffective way, using a subset of those groups (samples). One can look at this process as the equivalent of visiting a laboratory where a sample of blood is taken, with the objective of it being representative of an organism’s entirety. And this is where things get interesting. Although at first glance all surveys may seem the same in nature, there is a whole universe of flavors that can be applied to different circumstances.
The Bottom Line It’s hard to believe that surveys have no place in multi-method research. I’m convinced that combining data sources to produce new information not contained in any single source is the future. As I mentioned in a previous column, creativity and statistical robustness can coexist. Unfortunately, one can have all the science, processes, and technological infrastructure, but a data-driven future is not in the hands of protocols or hardware, but in the tradition, values and ethics that feed our CULTURE: the way we do things and why we do them. If one believes that a data-driven future is the way to really assess needs, the first step is to change the values, perceptions, and beliefs concerning the level of priority, respect, and importance this sensitive information should have. Such a slight shift in perspective can make a big difference when it comes to harnessing responsibly sourced data.
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To keep it simple, surveys can use two types of sampling: one that enables a statistical representation of a population (like the example of laboratory testing) and one that is non-probabilistic in nature (their design is more exploratory). The first can be used to accurately derive conclusions about a population, while the second (which is mostly used in online surveys/polling) cannot. Don’t get me wrong, this second type of sampling is very useful in certain research environments; nonetheless, it is not suited to explain entire population characteristics or behaviors. But… why use surveys to generate information if production of digital data is at an all-time high? Not All Data is Created Equal One may be asking the need for surveys and all this complicated jargon when worldwide data creation and consumption are expected to reach over 180 zettabytes by 2025 (just for context, 1 zettabyte is equal to one billion terabytes). Most of this data is known as “organic data” because it’s born as a byproduct of individuals interacting with systems (online searches, mouse clicks, number of messages or calls received, times we open social media, hours of YouTube videos seen, etc.). In contrast, survey data (or design data) generates data that was pre-designed and engineered for a specific purpose. It involves creating unbiased questions that are later transformed into standardized questionnaires. These two are different in nature but not mutually exclusive. Further understanding the reality of something will come from merging these two and creating methodologies that enhance both organic and design data, as they work together to yield the most accurate results.
Eduardo Burgos-Suazo, COO of ABEXUS Analytics and Professor at UPRCA I’m convinced that combining data sources to produce new information not contained in any single source is the future. Eduardo Burgos, COO of ABEXUS Analytics
In the past years there’s been a rapid growth of digital tools that enable the development of instruments to gather data (surveys, for instance). Although technological democratization is positive, it is essential to recognize the (almost forgotten) science that exists behind the scenes to develop accurate sampling methodologies. While the access to these tools has increased and almost anyone can make up a survey with a few clicks, we are quick to forget that a single statistic is rarely representative of what’s real. After hearing misinformed opinions related to the unfortunate news about Puerto Rico’s 2020 Census and after observing other surveys with multiple methodological mistakes that were erroneously interpreted, I deemed it a favorable occasion to write about the subject.
Just consider this fact: since the pandemic began in March 2020, some two and a half years ago, the world is still dealing with these pandemic-created issues:
La disminución de la población de Puer to Rico es motivo de gran preocupación, ya que la tasa de mortalidad hoy día es más alta que la de natalidad. Se proyecta que la población para 2025 ronde los 3.1 millones de acuerdo con la encuesta de la Comuni dad del Censo federal.
6. The U.S. has the best universities, educating most of the world’s leaders.
Considering these issues for a minute; most of the manufacturing transformations took a big hit during the pandemic, which showed clear disadvantages of having all the critical manufacturing concentrated in the far-east.
• Port Closings and High transportation costs
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La Cruz Roja Americana atiende un promedio de Tu apoyo a la Cruz Roja familias no enfrenten estas
The CHIPS Act emphasizes domestic semiconductor production as part of a broader trend focusing on national security, supply chain resilience, and economic independence. The bill provides incentives, tax credits, and subsidies to the tune of $53 billion to increase U.S. semiconductor production and research.
de mayor importancia para el Fondo Ge neral y ya el Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos otorgó un año de transición adicional a las empresas bajo la Ley 1542010. Dicha ley representa alrededor de $1,700 millones anuales al erario. Resulta apremiante proteger la base contributiva que representan estas empresas. La clave no es ver más im puestos; la idea debe enfocarse en migrar lo que produce el impuesto de la Ley 154 a otro tipo de impuesto, que sean similares en recaudo y a la vez pueda ser acreditable por las empresas a su tributación federal; así se minimiza la pérdida de em presas y empleos. Falta consenso en materia contri butiva. La falta de establecer un sis tema holístico que alivie la política pública del gobierno en todos los te mas de índole contributivo y con la realidad económica del País, puede provocar una mayor presión inflacionaria.
5. The U.S. has all the food and energy we will ever need.
7. The U.S. workers have an exceptional work ethic. While there are likely more benefits, these seven, in my opinion, are the most important.
T he globalization of manufacturing has been one of the most severe impacts on the U.S. economy, affecting hundreds of thousands of lives, cities, ghost towns, and chaos. Suppose you want to see firsthand what I am referring to; just take a driving tour from N.Y. State, stopping in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, or Illinois. You will notice in this driving tour that in most of these states, the manufacturing sites have been gentrified, and now some of those grand buildings are apartments, senior residences, pricey lofts, and rows of restaurants and bars. However, upon closer inspection, you will also notice that thousands of buildings that housed factories of all kinds have not been renovated. Some are beautiful, splendid buildings that created thousands of jobs, supporting families and communities, sponsored sports teams, little leagues, football teams, girl and boy scouts, and bowlingTheseleagues.oldabandoned buildings are part of the all-in-one, or vertically integrated philosophy that once dominated U.S. and Puerto Rico manufacturing.Companiessuch as Ford, GM, Bethlehem Steel, GE, and many others dominated the landscapes and provided robust jobs. Since many companies and manufacturing plants have uprooted with jobs lost to China, India, and other nations in the Asia Pacific region, the US became the leading job creator in most countries, costing millions of jobs to American workers.
1. The U.S. is the most innovative nation in the world.2.The U.S. has a reliable rule of law.
La ayuda no después de Francisco Rodríguez-Castro President and CEO of Birling Capital Advisors, LLC. National Security and de-globalizing manufacturing is the new strategy
One of the most promising initiatives that have the potential to benefit not only the U.S. but also Puerto Rico is the CHIPS act.
The U.S. has not realized that as a nation, we have some of the best advantages that no country has ever had. Consider the following:
• Shrinking inventories
The globalization of U.S. manufacturing to lowcost countries in the far-east has worsened most of the problems mentioned above. The U.S. and Puerto Rico realize the need for de-globalization, or re-shoring critical industries first as a matter of National Security and, most importantly, to prevent these supply chain disruptions.
The straightforward reality of how the US became vulnerable, and trapped in a global supply chain disruption with the additional pressure of geopolitical issues, has been the driving force for the US CHIPS Act, a trend that must continue towards other industries. As US CEOs realize the vulnerabilities of the current global supply chain, we will see increased investments as part of a much broader strategy.
3. The U.S. has the best and most dominant military in the world and will have it as long as our economy is the best in the world.
4. The U.S. benefits from strong, peaceful neighbors in Canada and Mexico.
Some of the companies that manufacture in the U.S. include: Airstream, Boeing, Gorilla Glue, L.L. Bean, Louisville Slugger, New Balance, Pilgrims’ Pride, and Sherwin-Williams.
Rodríguez-FranciscoCastro >frc@birlingcapital. com Dona
Riesgos que impactarán la economía: Reducción en el ingreso por la termina ción de las ayudas relacionadas a la pande mia.Los altos niveles de inflación están afec tando a todos los consumidores, afectando sus ya ajustados presupuestos, e impacta a todos los micro y pequeñas empresas ma yoritariamente. Loscambios en la política monetaria del Banco de la Reserva Federal, el cual ya au mentó 25 puntos base, y se estima que aho ra en mayo aumente otros 50 puntos base, lo que encarecerá los costos de créditos co merciales y del consumidor.
• Massive consumer demand
• Global manufacturing disruptions, • Supply-chain bottlenecks
As manufacturing transformed in the U.S., the low-skill and labor-intensive plants were replaced by high-skill jobs. The best proof is that BMW, Honda, Nissan, and Tesla have built some of the most innovative and productive plants in the U.S. and relied on U.S. manufacturing professionals to lead the way.
Companies such as Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Qualcomm, and Micron, along with others, will significantly benefit. Most of the world’s products, from cars to vacuum cleaners, and most anything relying on computer chips enhancing the U.S. semi-conductor production, are welcomed news.
/ Wednesday, August 24, 2022 11
The new strategy combines national security with creating a more resilient supply chain while becoming as we were in the past, economically independent of everyone. We must equip all parties with the necessary tools to innovate and integrate all manufacturing efforts for the benefit of a de-globalized US. 28.05, y compararse con gobernadordescuentomillonesdeudaPedroavanlaAjusreducdemillonesahorraanualdeinveraltamentePuerto Rico, cientos de implementaciónimportantesejedePuerdel(EITC)—$612diezañosingresosinfe-implemen—$1,500seisañosoporcontriaumentoAsistenciaNuaumentaaunoscovid-19,vacunaciónsinhadelosmásadministración.Tocovid-19yjustifique,ynecesariocomoungransitúaen
We need to learn that there is a new normal, but few will embrace this philosophy because many generations are conditioned to think that things are black or white and that males are entitled to dominate the world we live in. We must start with our youth, change their view of the world, and make it more inclusive and accepting of others.
The recent actions by the Department of Education suggest that its leaders succumbed to the pressures of the religious factions that fail to understand the benefits and risks of repudiating a gender analysis education. We have indeed taken 10 steps back and we will continue to suffer violence against all non-males as long as our children continue to grow in an intolerant male-focused, binary society.
“Perspectiva de género,” or gender analysis, has nothing to do with sex education of any kind. It is a tool to educate students on the differences between genders and, most importantly, to teach them to respect these differences. It creates an awareness of the issues faced by each gender, including violence, discrimination, and inequality in all aspects of life. It seeks to create empathy and understanding between genders, to eradicate the evils created by a male-dominated society. To be effective, it must also teach understanding and respect for other groups such as the LGTBTT+.
Discrimination is wrong, no matter who is on the receiving end. Unfortunately, good causes are sabotaged by politics and politicians, and the gender analysis curriculum is its latest victim. The Department of Education recently declared that it was abandoning the perspective analysis curriculum in favor of a new curriculum that will focus on 7 issues: equality and respect among human beings; environmental and ecological awareness; cultural and intercultural identity; innovation and entrepreneurship; wellness; and information technology and communication. An overarching curriculum on gender analysis focused on gender acceptance and equality is now relegated to a watered-down and limited civics class on equality and respect among human beings.
A gender-centered well-educated citizen is one without bigotry, respectful of others, including their rights and their needs. It leads to a gentler society tolerant of the differences of its constituents, no matter how different they are from what some may call “normal” people.
Puerto Rico is a land of laws. Every year the legislature approves hundreds of laws, seeking to remedy a problem or situation. Some just seek to fatten a legislator’s list of accomplishments but we pay little attention to the impact of this legislation if any. What good is a law if there is no enforcement? We have seen this happen with anti-corruption legislation that has not stemmed the tide of corrupt government officials. For some time, experts in gender issues have suggested a longterm solution to gender violence, discrimination, and overall inequality: education. It is such an effective solution that it can also be used to remedy other types of discrimination, such as sexual orientation and sexual preferences. But a segment of our society cringes at the possibility that we teach gender equality in our schools, under the erroneous view that this curriculum will be used to teach sex or that it will force upon young minds homosexuality and other sexual evils.
Gender violence is ever present in Puerto Rico. A day does not go by without a reportingheadlineviolence against women, usually at the hands of their male partners. Years ago, activists raised their collective voices, warning that gender violence would continue and grow worse without effective government action.
Manuel Quilichini, Esq. Lawyer
The government’s response, typical of Macondo, USA (Puerto Rico), was to enact several laws seeking to protect women against the domestic and gender violence epidemic that wantonly takes the lives of those women and others. Lawmakers broadened definitions, made it easy to file criminal charges, and toughened criminal sanctions. And what do we have to show for this? Frankly, very little. You see, laws do not prevent violence, and harsh penalties do not dissuade potential perpetrators.
One step forward, ten steps back
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The recent actions by the Department of Education suggest that its religiouspressuressuccumbedleaderstotheofthefactions.
Manuel attorneyQuilichini,atlaw
Donations were channel thru MC’s “Priceless Planet” social responsibility program.
aftercostsbytoBusinesswithintoenteredanagreementLaPlacitaAssociationhelp62businessespayingfortheirforreopeningthepandemic. fact,
José Vargas, Mastercard General Manager for Puerto Rico and USVI Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal MC
For customers/business owners that have not gone digital yet, MC develop the “Digital Allies” platform. For them, the path to cyberspace is eased through social networks and digital campaigns before being helped in developing an online business platform.
“We at Mastercard strive to be good global citizens, always looking for a way we can help,” said Vargas.
We at Mastercard strive to be good global citizens, always looking for a way we can help.
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“We saw it as part of our duty to help out SMBs with this investment since they are a significant part our own business, as well as their own communities,” said José Vargas, Mastercard’s General Manager for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, while pointing out they generate more than 90% of the jobs.
Financial services giant Mastercard has redirected multimillion dollar resources to promote and improve small and medium size businesses (SMBs) globally, and particularly in Latin America, and Puerto Rico.
As cardholders turned to online shopping during the pandemic, MC made some changes in the benefits offered to its customers. In the case of those customers who were also SMBs, some special benefits were designed. Among those is the Easy Savings program, which offers discounts in purchases related to business operations, restaurants, travel, and car rentals.
“Puerto Rico was the first market in the Caribbean with this platform, which, as commerce restarted and businesses started reopening after the pandemic, also became a tool to promote tourism,” Vargas said. “We started with some special activations in businesses in Old San Juan to promote customers visits to them”. Vargas pointed out that, while the company’s program are the same for everyone, “every region is taking a different approach to the initiatives.”
Aside from the activities and events MC develops for its customers and businesses, the company also sponsors several charitable events.
“Part of the programs included training business owners and their staff in the use of contactless technology thru MC’s SMB’s accelerator. In the last two years we have trained more than 400 people through this program,” Vargas said. “We also hold contests among cashiers for the most contactless transactions made.” As part of the company’s initiatives, Mastercard also launched its global platform “Priceless,” which is used by many cardholders to take advantage of the multiple offers available to them while they travel.
Mastercard develops programs to promote SMBs
Resources are allocated directly to small and medium businesses
The Mastercard executive mentioned that as part of the company’s commitment to jump start SMBs in Puerto Rico, it entered into an agreement with the La Placita Bossiness Association to help 62 businesses by paying for their costs of reopening after the pandemic while also launching a series of offers with them.
Earlier this month MC sponsored the Taste Food Fest at Plaza Las Americas The event included a whiskey tasting and a hands-on cocktails workshop where Mastercard customers and the general public donating to a group of not for profit organizations could learn how to prepare their own modern cocktails.
Another such benefit is the “Risk Recon” program, a cyber advisory platform for business sites that assesses possible weaknesses, so the customer can avoid being hacked.
The Spider-Man character’s classic costume, complete with wide-eyed and web-patterned mask, is a key ingredient to the character’s appeal across race, gender and nationality. Almost anyone can imagine themselves behind it as this everyman – an underestimated smartypants who, after a quick change into headto-toe spandex, becomes a force for good.
“The older I got, slowly but surely, I saw how relatable the character was,” Hoover says. “He had to work through his struggles while still maintaining a secret identity and doing good for the people. That kind of moral compass is powerful, especially for an impressionable mind.”
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As Spider-Man turns 60, fans reflect on diverse appeal
More importantly, Hoover says, it’s Spider-Man’s struggle to protect his hometown that makes the character more believable than superheroes whose origin stories include wealth and influence. No coincidence, surely, that he refers to himself as “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Tyler Scott professionalHoover,Spider-Man cosplayer
In July, Spider-Man was inducted into the ComicCon Hall of Fame during the annual convention in San Diego. Fans flooded the convention hall in costumes that spanned various iterations of the character.
Tyler Scott Hoover, professional Spider-Man cosplayer and model. >Tyler Scott Hoover via AP Created by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, SpiderMan appeared in comics as early as June 1962, although the canon date of his debut is Aug. 10, 1962, in #15.AmazingMarvel’sFantasy In fact, He [Spider-Man ] had to work through his struggles while still maintaining a secret identity and doing good for the people.
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There are legions of fans of Spider-Man, who this month marks 60 years in the vast, imaginative world of comic books, movies and merch. Among those fans are devotees like Hoover, a professional Spider-Man cosplayer and model who doesn’t resemble the longtime “canon” presentation of the character. However, in the cinematic and comics universes, a Black Spider-Man is now reality. Hoover is biracial – of Black and white ancestry – and stands at 6 feet 2 inches. And the story of his fandom illustrates an important point about New York City’s favorite super-powered wall-crawler: The appeal of the character long ago transcended its original iteration as a white, unimposing, orphaned teenager.
EW YORK (AP) – Spider-Man fandom is in Tyler Scott Hoover’s blood – but not because he was bitten by an irradiated arachnid. His father had collected Marvel comic books featuring the character since the 1970s.
The appeal of the character transcended long ago its original iteration
Created by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man appeared in comics as early as June 1962, although the canon date of his debut is Aug. 10, 1962, in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15. Peter Parker, a high schooler bitten by a spider from a science experiment, developed superhuman strength, the ability to cling to solid surfaces and fast reflexes aided by the ability to sense and anticipate danger. But on his journey to becoming a superhero, Parker fails to stop a burglar who kills his Uncle Ben, leaving his adoptive aunt widowed. The character then strives to honor the words etched at the end of that debut issue, later attributed to his uncle: “With great power, there must also come great responsibility.”
Racially and culturally diverse superheroes, generally absent from the mainstream comics scene during its first decades, began to emerge in the years after Spider-Man’s debut, particularly at Marvel. Spider-Man turned the idea of mostly privileged humans using their wealth and power to become heroes on its head, she says. SpiderMan iterations, in the comics and in film, have appeared across multiple universes, or the socalled “spiderverse.” Miles Morales, a teenage, Afro Latino Spider-Man, has become wildly popular and starred in his own animated feature film. Cindy Moon, a Korean-American known as Silk, was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker. “Because Spider Man means so much to us, we should always be open to the possibilities,” Roché says. “We should always hope and believe that there’s never going to be a dearth of people who want to fight for what’s right.”
“He passed down a ton of comics to me,” says Hoover, 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. “It kind of makes it almost like a religion. It would have been hard for me not to become a fan of Spider-Man.”
Aaron Morrison – The Associated Press
Jeffrey Eugenides, Tina Brown and Kiran Desai were among those who shared wishes for a full recovery, told stories of Rushdie as an inspiration and defender of free expression, and read passages from his books, essays and speeches, including from “The Satanic Verses,” the 1988 novel that was condemned by some Muslims as blasphemous. Rushdie spent years in hiding after Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 edict, a fatwa, calling for his death, but had traveled freely over the past two decades. The hour long “Stand With Salman” gathering was presented in part by the library, by Rushdie’s publisher, Penguin Random House, and by the literary and human rights organization PEN America. Hundreds were in attendance, many affiliated with PEN, of which the 75-year-old Rushdie is a former president.
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Authors and friends rally and read for Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie >Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File Hillel Italie – The Associated Press
He’s been a indefatigableconstant,champion of words and of writers attacked for the purported crime of their work.
Suzanne Nossel, PEN CEO
The rally did not include any new words from Rushdie, but Nossel said he was aware of the event and even made suggestions for what to read. Rushdie’s son Zafar Rushdie, who has been with his father, tweeted that “it was great to see a crowd gathered” outside the library.
A group of writers and supporters gather in solidarity with Salman Rushdie outside the New York Pub lic Library.
“He’s been a constant, indefatigable champion of words and of writers attacked for the purported crime of their work,” said the day’s first speaker, PEN CEO Suzanne Nossel. “Today, we will celebrate Salman for what he has endured, but even more importantly, because of what he has engendered — the stories, characters, metaphors and images he has given to the world.”
The author was seriously wounded after an attack because of his novel The Satanic Verses
>AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
“I took the tube out to his house. As it turned out, Salman wasn’t at home; he was in Italy, vacationing,” said Eugenides, who was greeted by Rushdie’s then-mother-in-law and left a note for the author.
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EW YORK (AP) — Friends and fellow authors spoke out on Salman Rushdie’s behalf during a rally last week on the steps of the main branch of the New York Public Library, one week after he was attacked onstage in the western part of the state and hospitalized with stabRushdie’swounds.condition has improved, and, according to his literary agent, he has been removed from a ventilator.
Eugenides, whose novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Middlesex,” remembered traveling to London in the early 1980s. Eugenides was 20 and Rushdie’s breakthrough novel “Midnight’s Children” had recently been published. He knew Rushdie lived there and decided he wanted to meet him. It was years before “The Satanic Verses,” and Eugenides found his name and address in the phone book.
“That was the world we used to live in,” Eugenides added.
On Friday, other readers included the author and journalist Gay Talese, author and former PEN president Andrew Solomon, and the poet, lawyer and activist Reginald Dwayne Betts. Actor Aasif Mandvi read from Rushdie’s upcoming novel, “Victory City,” which he completed before the attack and includes the passage “I myself am nothing now. All that remains is the city of words. Words are the only victors.”
includedReaders the author and journalist Gay Talese, author and former PEN president Andrew Solomon, and the poet, lawyer and activist DwayneReginaldBetts. In fact,
“Stand With Salman” took place the day after a judge in Mayville, New York, denied bail to 24-yearold Hadi Matar, who has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault. While in jail, Matar told the New York Post that he disdained Rushdie as anti-Muslim and expressed admiration for the Ayatollah.
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