IESS evaluates service, expands online options; 3rd Ukraine refugee flight planned; Cuenca is the setting for feature film; Titán warehouse store opens

Martes, 8/3/2022

Hola, Todos –

Sorry for the messed up date for the projected reopening of the Turi lookout – it will be 21/7.

Actividades –

Abren audiciones para Coro Polifónico (Auditions for the Polyphonic Choir are open) – The U. of Cuenca opened the call for students and the public to audition for the Coro Polifónico. Those interested should come to the Museo Universitario el 19/3 a las 15:00. The requirements are that you prepare a song, commit time to the rehearsals, and be able to handle basic musical concepts. To learn more, go to http://bit.ly/convocatoriaCOPUC or call 099 808 4274.

Titular –

Hundreds of women marched Tuesday on Calle Simon Bolivar demanding justice for victims of violence. The march was part of International Womens Day activities.

La mujer se abre paso (Women make their way) – Tuesday was the día internacional de la Mujer, and Cuencana leaders talked about the obstacles and challenges women have in the 21st century. Two women commented for this article and both said that women have more of a presence in various aspects of society, and that there have been improvements, especially legally. But they pointed out the difference between legally and in theory, and in practice. There are still large gaps before women achieve equity in what is still a macho society whose ugly side is violence.

Cuenca –

Familias del barrio Los Olivos reciben sistema de alarmas comunitarias (Families in Los Olivos neighborhood receive community alarm system) – More than 20 families in the Los Olivos barrio in San Sebastián parish received a renovated community alarm system. The new technology uses a phone app. The City and Consejo Seguridad Ciudadana (CSC) installed a strobe light, a central and 2 sirens which will be activated for 3 main services: robberies, medical emergencies and fire department matters. These deterrent tools help improve citizens’ perception of safety, and allow a timely response to the alert. In febrero, 22 systems were installed in the Virgen de Fátima, Bellavista, Victoria del Portete, parish GAD of Victoria del Portete, San Pedro de las Escaleras Victoria del Portete, Nulti, Challuabamba, El Vergel, El Rosal and other sectors. The system will be progressively installed in another 120 sectors. < I hope they have some way to discourage someone from pushing the panic button because they burned the eggs and the hood fan isn’t keeping up with the smoke.>

Evalúan la atención en el IESS (IESS care evaluated) – The IESS is conducting a survey of its affiliates about the care they receive from IESS in Azuay. Ramiro Freire Deceño, director of the Dirección Nacional de Servicios de Atención Ciudadana del IESS said they will have the preliminary results by el viernes. The survey will evaluate 3 elements – infrastructure, technology, and the treatment affiliates receive from the public servants. Freire indicated that between abril y mayo there will be a new project which will utilize technology. Patients will not longer need to go to an IESS office to do 3 of the most demanded paperwork – resetting codes, updating patient info, and registering bank accounts. The new system will use facial recognition on the web page at www.iess.gob.ec so that validation of information can be done on line and not in person. <And here’s more facial recognition for all you conspiracy theorists to worry about. So go spend money on private insurance.>

Afiliados hacen propuesta (Affiliates make proposal) – Pablo Cardoso, an IESS affiliate who will retire in a few months is supporting an initiative to monitor the attention in the health services of IESS. He wants to have an overseer to analyze waiting times for services. He recognized that health services have improved in the past few years with the incorporation of outside providers, except that some of them don’t want to serve IESS patients because they don’t get paid. <How about starting with rooting out the corruption and getting the money back from all those overseas accounts?>

Inició construcción de puente en Yanuncay (Construction of bridge in Yanuncay started) – The new 4 lane Isauro Rodríguez bridge over the Yanuncay will be ready in 6 months. The bridge which will connect the vía de medio Ejido y San Joaguín with 1° de Mayo, is between the Misicata and av. De Las Américas bridges. The current work will not interrupt traffic, and announcements will be made when traffic will be affected.

Buscan participación ded jóvenes y mujeres (Seeking participation of young people and women) – CNE is presenting a new national campaign called “Sin Ti No Hay Democracia” ( “Without You There Is No Democracy”) to meet the goals of the last reforms to the Ley Orgánica Electoral y de Organizaciones Políticos, also known as the Código de la Democracia. These reforms will apply to the midterm elections. The goals call for the list of candidates (party slates) to include at least 25% youth, and with 30% led by women.

Cuenca en una película de romance y comedia (Cuenca in a romance and comedy film) – Filming started ayer on “Amor en tiempos de likes,” directed by Alejandro Lalaleo and produced by Diego Ulloa. The movie will be filmed entirely in Cuenca at 14 different locations. On el 11/3 from 6-20:00 the crew will be on Pres. Córdova. On el 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, & 29/3 and el 3, 4, 5/4, the locations will be the calle Santa Ana, Parque Calderón, el Barranco and Parque De La Madre. <How many of you are planning to go to the locations and get into the background and mug for the cameras?>

Empresarial –

Bodega mayorista Titán, tres meses en Cuenca (Titán, wholesale warehouse, three months in Cuenca) – Titán, part of the Corporación Favorita <SuperMaxi> has been open in Cuenca for 3 months. It is on av. De Las Américas y Carlos Arízaga Vega next to El Arenal and is open from 5-18:00, lunes a viernes. It serves restaurants, hotels, cafeterias and stores and you can join with a copy of your cedula and RUC. Titán carries 4.902 items including groceries, fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, hygiene and beauty items, and cleaning supplies. It also has appliances, tires, plastic and glassware. <I don’t know if they check your RUC closely to see if your RUC is for tutoring primary school students and nothing to do with retail sales.> They will have 25% discounts from el viernes, 11/3 to domingo, 13/3 on La Original products, the Corporación Favorita store brand.

Nacional –

Preparan otro vuelo para traer a más ecuatorianos (Another flight is being prepared to bring in more Ecuadorians) – The Government is arranging a 3d humanitarian flight for 166 Ecuadorians who have successfully left Ukraine and want to get back to Ecuador. There are 82 in Poland, 10 in Slovakia, 11 in Romania who are going to Hungary, and 63 in Hungary. <I hope that they can bring their pets back with them.> The canciller, Juan Carlos Holguín, said there are 7 critical cases of Ecuadorians trapped in areas being attacked by Russia with no way to evacuate them. Ecuador is also reopening its embassy in Poland which was closed in 2014 during Correa’s Government to make it easier to coordinate the exit of Ecuadorians from Ukraine and their return to Ecuador.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne