President Medina and Education Minister Lead Duarte Bicentennial Events

President Medina and Education Minister Lead Duarte Bicentennial Events
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1/25/2013

President Danilo Medina and Education Minister, Josefina Pimentel, will lead a series of commemorative events in honor of the bicentennial of the birth of Juan Pablo Duarte, Father of the Republic.

The Ministry of Education (MINERD in Spanish) jointly with the Duarte Institute and the Commission of Patriotic Holidays,will begin the festive activities for the bicentennial of the birth of Juan Pablo Duarte, with a solemn morning mass at the First Cathedral of the Americas.

The Ministry of Education (MINERD in Spanish) jointly with the Duarte Institute and the Commission of Patriotic Holidays,will begin the festive activities for the bicentennial of the birth of Juan Pablo Duarte, with a solemn morning mass at the First Cathedral of the Americas.

Following the mass, at 10:00 a.m. the National Anthem will be sung as well as the Hymn to Duarte in the Duarte House, located on Isabel La CatólicaStreet #308 in the Colonial Zone.

Once this event is over, the MINERD parade will get underway, stepping off at the Duarte Institute with the participation of civil and military authorities. They will march down Isabel La Católica, Las Mercedes andArzobispoMeriño Streets to El Conde Street where a floral wreath will be laid and the formal event will begin with speeches from President Danilo Medina and Education Minister Josefina Pimentel.

Students in uniform will continue the parade toward Duarte Park where speeches will be given by the president of the Permanent Commission of Patriotic Holidays, Juan Daniel Balcácer, and the president of the Duarte Institute, Doctor José Joaquín Pérez Saviñón.