Saona Island Connecting to the 21st Century

Residents of Mano Juan on the Saona Island now possess the priceless opportunity of communicating with the entire world through digital technology.

This dream came true on Wednesday with the inauguration of a modern Internet and public telephone center set up by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) and the Ministries of State Tourism (SECTUR) and Environment (SEMARN). The moving ceremony took place in the Adamaray Basic School in Mano Juan in the presence of distinguished personalities, government officials, students, numerous residents and news media.

“Indotel has put Saona on the tourism map.” This is the phrase used by Luis Simó, SECTUR’s undersecretary for International Affairs, when he described the vital role Internet access plays in the development of this ecological reserve that is visited by more than 2,000 tourists every day, according to a SECTUR press release.

He emphasized that this will strengthen the sustainable tourism project being implemented by SECTUR and the Syndicate of the Italian city of Savona which foresees the construction of various infrastructure projects, home remodeling and other cultural and educational initiatives at a cost of 3 million Euros. Mr. Simó was representing Tourism Minister Félix Jiménez.

Indotel President José Rafael Vargas said the Telecommunications Institute’s objective is to offer technology and guarantee communications access to the entire country.

He emphasized that in the future “more than 300 inhabitants of this island, from today onward, will be connected to the worldwide web and have Internet satellite access, computers, programs in English and the most modern virtual library available in the 21th Century.”

Answering a question put to him by the deputy minister Simó through a live hook-up, Mr. Vargas said that soon Saona will have its own webpage for its tourism promotion.

José Miguel Olivier, Coordinator of the Follow-Up and Tourism Development Commission of Saona Island thanked the government and Indotel in the name of the community for the important investment made in Saona.

The Computer Training Center (CCI) is equipped with a network of ten computers, a wireless access area, a satellite link, Wi Fi, a laser printer, fans and office furniture. Available software includes Windows XP-2000, MS Office 2003 and a virtual library linked to the Franklin Center of the US Embassy, Wikipedia and online English courses.

The inauguration activity included such guests as Italian Ambassador Enrico Guicciardi; Tourism Undersecretary for La Romana-Bayahíbe, Freddy Félix Isaac; Undersecretary for Environmentally Protected Areas, Ángel Danneris Santana; Director of the Technology Institute for the Americas (ITLA), José Armando Tavárez; Senator and Governor of La Amarilis Santana and Pedro Denis del Rosario, as well as La Romana Syndicate Representative, José Reyes; Deputy Pelegrín Castillo; La Saona Syndicate, Eddy de la Cruz; Tourism Police Director General Manuel Rodríguez Miranda; Germania Luperón, Administrator of the Development and Credit Cooperative (Idecoop); President of the Israeli Consortium Bec Tecnologic (BEC TEL), Shake Manne, and TV presenter Mirna Pichardo.

Children of Mano Juan enjoying contact with the digital technology

Children of Mano Juan enjoying contact with the digital technology

The moment when authorities inaugurate the Technology Center