Blackouts punish area businesses; Why aren’t unsanitary restaurants named?; Senescyt simplifies foreign degree registration; Ancestral knowledge

Jueves, 24/9/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Saberes ancestrales (Ancestral knowledge) – The Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (UPS) is inviting the public to a book launch for “Saberes Ancestrales: Uso de las Plantas Medicinales del Cantón Cuenca” (Ancestral Knowledge: Use of Medicinal Plants in the Canton of Cuenca), coordinated by Fredi Portilla Farfán y7 Geovanna Zea Cobos. The launch will be el jueves, 26/9 a las 10:00 in the “Leonidas Proaño” Auditorium. The book covers information from the origin of herbal medicine at a global level to the characteristics of the Ecuadorian geography, particularly in the rural zone of Cuenca. It includes a variety of medicinal plants both native and introduced. <Needless to say, you’ll get a lot more from this book if you can read Spanish. And if you can’t, why haven’t you learned?>

Titular –

In response to public complaints, the Agencia National de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) says it cannot, by law, release the names of businesses closed for unsanitary conditions. Article 76 of the Constitution guarantees the presumption of innocence until final judgements are rendered. (El Mercurio)

Golpe a la producción (Blow to production) – Merchants who rely on cold chains such as butchers, restaurants and ice creameries are confronting difficulties due to the blackouts. Their responses have been to reduce orders up to 50%, adjust thier hours, and use ice to maintain their products.

The worst hit sectors are meat distributors and those selling perishables such as seafood, dairy products and fruit. One fishmonger in the Feria Libre sector has brought sacks of ice from Machala to keep her products fresh. Another woman who owns a refrigerator (probably a commercial walk-in box) was worried about prolonged blackouts since she can keep things frozen for 4 hours, but products start to defrost after that time. She has reduced what she orders for fear of not being able to keep products fresh. Before, she would order 50 chickens a day. Now she orders 25, and it’s the same for other products. As a distributor, she relies on restaurants that operate at night and into the madrugada, but they are ordering only what they can use to avoid losses.

This damages the whole supply chain. There is also the worry that their cooling equipment can be damaged by variations in voltage when power comes back on. <Are there surge protectors for 3 phase commercial equipment?> Some said that they could not afford to buy the $2,000 generators they would need. Others, such as an ice creamery, have bought generators and set their coolers to high refrigeration or freezing while the power is on to keep their products from melting while the power is off. <And you thought you had problems because you can’t open the frig door and meditate on what to cook for supper anymore. Just channel your mother, “Shut that refrigerator door! You’re wasting electricity!>

Cuenca –

Higiene de locales, en la mira (Hygiene of premises, in the spotlight) – Between enero y agosto, 2024, the Agencia National de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) of Zone 6 has inspected 1,255 commercial establishments in Azuay, Cañar, y Morena Santiago. Of those, 53 were closed. In response to public complaints that the names of those locations are not published, ARCSA said that it is not allowed to do so by Article 76 of the Constitution which refers to a presumption of innocence. <So now you know why you’re not getting names. But if you’re a customer, the locked doors and “Clausurado” sign should give you a clue. But it’s probably legally safer for you to keep your mouth shut about the location, too.>

ARCSA gives free classes in food management and safety, and has trained over 3,000 people in Zone 6. If you want this training, call 9702-123 (ext. 8602) or go to atencionciudadana.cz6@controlsanitario.gob.ec. ARCSA does endorse establishments who comply with best practices with an “A” seal. This means the staff has been trained and the infrastructure has passed a health inspection. For this A rating, the locations should comply with more than 100 parameters. The names of these establishments will be published. <So even if you don’t know where NOT to go, you will learn where TO go. You could also just check out the restaurants with open kitchens (no pets or pet poop on the floor, no roaches crawling on the stove) or ask to look at the kitchen. But you’d better know enough Spanish to do that politely and tactfully.>

Migración –

Senescyt simplifica registro de títulos para extranjeros (Senescyt simplifies registration of degrees for foreigners) – <This article is something that those of you who are getting professional visas could probably benefit from.> From septiembre, the Reforma al Reglamento sobre Títulos y Grados Académicos obtenidos en Instituciones Extranjeras (Amendments to the Regulations on Academic Degrees and Degrees Obtained from Foreign Institutions) will be in effect. This will simplify the process of recognizing foreign degrees of Ecuadorian citizens, foreigners, and people with international protection. Among the improvements, people will not have to get apostiles or consulate legalizations of their degrees. There is the possibility of presenting a sworn statement as to the truthfulness and validity of the qualifying documents.

The registry has a time of about 40 days in which you will need to present these requirements: identity document or visa for those subject to international protection; academic record showing the duration of your studies; certifications for the field of your studies and modality of studies which would be a list of the fields of learning and doctoral degrees. <I think if you have a professional degree, you’re called a doctor here.> <Also how will Senescyt know if you paid $2,499.99 for your degree in nuclear engineering in 10 minutes on line with Scammers R Us University?>

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne