New party
A new political party was created this month with the intention of opposing the Revolutionary Democratic (PRD) and Panameñista parties that have dominated the governments of the country for decades. Its name is Patriotic Union, a fusion of the Solidarity and National Liberal parties. They would also like to form an alliance with the Vanguardia Moral de la Patria party (Moral Vanguard of the Country) led by former president Guillermo Endara, and the Democratic Change, party led by businessman, Ricardo Martinelli.

Canal income grows
The income of the Panama Canal increased by 18.4% during the tax year 2006 that ended on September 30, reaching US$1,477-million. According to a source quoted by a daily newspaper, between October 1, 2005 and last September 30, there were 14, 194 transits carrying 296.3 million tons of cargo.

Skyscraper control
The Municipality of Panama will in future oversee large building construction projects in the capital, said the Mayor of Panama City, Juan Carlos Navarro. He announced that inspections would be carried out on buildings of more than 50 floors to ensure that they comply with regulations.

Lessons from history
According to the shipping and transport newspaper "The Bulletin", if the US Congress had listened to Canal engineer John Stevens 100 years ago there would never have been a need for the current debate. He proposed locks much bigger than those that exist. However, the congressmen of the day believed that ships would never be built that couldn’t fit through the original Panama Canal locks.

Cell phones
One out of every two Panamanians uses a cellular phone, with a monthly cost of some US$20-million in the purchase of minutes by card, making the cards a massive consumer item.

Marine Resources
The house of representatives approved government Bill 198 that seeks to consolidate in one public institution the Department of Coastal and Marine Resources, the Department of Aquaculture and other similar institutions through the creation of the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama.

Duran: Hall-of-famer
For his record of 103 wins, 70 knockouts and only 16 losses, the retired Panamanian boxer Roberto "Mano de Piedra" (Stone Fist) Duran entered the Boxing Hall of Fame in the city of Los Angeles. Duran, now aged 55, was raised in the poor Panama City neighborhood of El Chorrillo. He is considered one of the greatest figures of the sport in Latin America for his achievements in the ring, where he won the world lightweight, welterweight, super welterweight and middleweight titles.

Business conference
For the first time in Panama, from November 9 to 12, the eleventh Multinational CaribNews Business Conference will meet here with more than 300 business and political leaders of the United States and the Caribbean. At this meeting, to be held in the Caesar Park Hotel, some twelve US congresspersons will be present, among them Charles Rangel and Tony Best, as well as ministers and government leaders of the Caribbean, together with the heads of businesses such as Macy’s, Time Warner and others.

Profits at the ports
A daily newspaper reported that the port terminals in Panama have invested, over the past seven years, nearly US$1,520-million. To understand the magnitude of the figure, this represents 41, 1% of the cost of enlarging the Panama Canal that is estimated at US$3,690-million, not including the US$1,560-million contingency.

Convention tourism
Convention tourism is growing by 5 percent per annum. During the past year about 180,000 visitors arrived in Panama to participate in congresses and international conventions, according to the Bureau of Conventions and Visitors. It is estimated that 35 percent of the tourists that travel to Panama come to participate in some convention or seminar. Fidel Reyes, president of the Bureau of Conventions and Visitors maintained that this is an activity "that we can exploit a lot more".

Oct. 22:

According to the most recent poll, 75% of Panamanian voters will approve the expansion of the Panama Canal in a referendum scheduled for this Sunday, October 22.

This will be the fifth referendum in the nation’s history. Panama’s constitution stipulates that major issues pertaining to constitutional matters, such as the Canal, in this case, must be decided by a majority of voters in referendums.

As of this issue, 75% of voters were expected to approve the waterway’s expansion with an investment of $5.2 billion in the next seven to eight years. The "Yes" option has been supported by over 50 private and public-sector organizations. Those supporting the "no" option voice their concern on the possible increase of taxes to cover the costs, lack of information provided by the (ACP) Panama Canal Authority and the availability of other options to solve the reduced capacity of the waterway.

The Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914 and currently handles 5% of world commerce, saving ships an average of three weeks of dangerous passage around the tip of South America. However, the increasing construction of "Post Panamax" vessels, which as their name suggests are larger than the Panama Canal locks, has raised many questions over the Canal’s future, just as "traffic jams" at the Canal caused by storms and port strikes in other parts of the world, have indicated that the waterway is about to reach full capacity in the relatively near future.

The expansion project calls for the construction of two sets of locks at each end of the Canal, connected through a new system of channels. Contrary to the present lock system, water will be recycled by three sets of giant pools. The normal transit of ships will not be affected by the works.

The Black Christ Festival:

Hundreds of pilgrims, dressed in purple, pay homage to the saint during its annual festival.

The Caribbean town of Portobelo, in the province of Colón, will turn into a sea of purple October 21-22, when many hundreds of pilgrims –wearing the color of their revered patron saint-- will pour into the tiny town to thank the Black Christ for the miracles performed during the past year.

The Black Christ festival, which has been taking place for almost three centuries, is a mixture of deep faith and colorful popular traditions. Often crawling and carrying heavy crosses, pilgrims from all parts of Panama travel hundreds of kilometers for the festival, which starts at midnight (Oct. 21) with a slow-moving procession through the narrow streets of Portobelo in which the bearers of the statue take three steps forward and two backwards. At the end of the procession, pilgrims engage in a lively, Caribbean-style fiesta featuring loud music, and lots of spicy foods at the town's colonial ruins.

Getting to Portobelo is easy nowadays but (before the first roads were built to the area), many braved the rough seas in order not to miss the celebration. The Black Christ is a statue which has pride of place in the Catholic church at Portobelo. No one actually knows how he got there. One legend says that, sometime in the 18th century, the statue was sent from Spain to Cartagena de Indias (in Colombia). Bad weather forced the ship to seek refuge in Portobelo and each time it tried to leave, it was forced back again by the weather, until crewmen, interpreting the phenomenon as the will of the saint to remain in town, threw the statue overboard whereupon it was rescued by local fishermen.

The Black Christ arrived in Portobelo during the 18th century.

The Portobelo fiesta will be best enjoyed by the adventurous type of visitor. At any rate, the celebration is a great opportunity for visitors to discover the pristine beaches, islands and secluded coves of the Costa Arriba (upper coast) region.

Portobelo is located 99 kilometers northeast of Panama City. To get there, drive 66 km on the Trans-Isthmian Highway towards the city of Colón, and then make a right turn at the town of Sabanitas. Buses to Colón (a modern and comfortable service) also depart from Gran Terminal de Transporte, located in Albrook. Good accommodations are found in and around the city of Colón.

“Downtown Living”

Constanza Silva-Klein and Veronica Vallarino, owners of Downtown Living.

Described by its owners as a "gallery of designer furniture", Downtown Living, located on Avenida Balboa, in Panama City, opened earlier this month. The new boutique is the brainchild of Verónica Vallarino and Constanza Silva-Klein, a young Panamanian businesswoman and a Colombian-born interior designer with over 30 years of experience, both of whom have brought to Panama the trends, colors and designs seen in their numerous trips around the world.

Downtown Living imports from Europe furniture and accessories designed in Asia by world-renowned designers using natural materials, such as wood, rattan, bamboo, glass and fine ceramics in their creations.

The concept behind Downtown Living is to offer unique, modern furniture adaptable to Panama City's tropical, cosmopolitan environ-ment, although it also offers a complete selection of furniture and accessories for outdoor terraces, as well as country, mountain and beach homes. The boutique offers a door-to-door delivery service for clients in distant locations, such as Boquete, Bocas del Toro and the central provinces.

Downtown Living opens Mondays through Saturdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, call: 264-8431.

Mr. Sean Matthewson, a.k.a. "Mr. Muffin.

Sean and Ana Lucia Matthewson, of Vancouver, Canada, are having fun in Boquete, offering their home-made pies, cakes and breads. In only two years, their charismatic nature, which promps them to offer their goods on the sidewalks (and tempting passers-by to visit their locale) they have become celebrities, known as "Mr.& Mrs. Muffin" by locals and expats alike.

This Canadian-Colombian couple decided to abandon the cold weather and high taxes of Vancouver for the easy-going lifestyle of Central America. After venturing into a number of business projects in Costa Rica, they decided that Panama was the place to be, and toured the country to find the best location, from the plains of Penonomé to the idyllic islands of Bocas, where they opened a small bed-and-breakfast.

Finding Bocas a bit too warm for their taste, they moved to the cool mountains of Boquete, where they intensified the practice of their favorite hobby: baking.

"Our business is thriving here. We surely enjoy the friendliness of the people as well as the cooler climate," says Mr. Muffin, a retired civil engineer, whose pies are now sold in the restaurants and hotels of the area.

Offering North-American-style cakes and pies to the large expat population of Boquete, the "Muffins" have also incorporated tropical flavors into their menu, such as mango and lemon pastries. The couple, who also offer custom-made birthday cakes, also tour the country during to offer their pies at country fairs between January and mid April.

By Steven Rich, MBA
Marketing Manager for Panama Offshore Legal Services

There is now a new way to obtain a faster Permanent Resident Visa and gain Panamanian citizenship by investing in trees. Panama recently re-introduced a procedure for foreigners to obtain a "Reforestation Immigration Visa". There are two options available:

1. Small Business investor with a minimum of $40,000; and
2. Large Business investor with a minimum of $80,000.

Both options provide permanent residency leading to full Panama citizenship in five years. The small business investor obtains permanent residency in three years. The large business investor waits only one year.

The investment must be in a Panama government certified reforestation project to qualify for these visas. There are many projects to choose from. Simply conduct an online search using the terms "Panama reforestation".

Here is a summary of the basic requirements for this type of Visa:

• A Panamanian lawyer must prepare all immigration applications.
• All overseas documents must be authenticated by the Panamanian consulate nearest you or by the procedure known as "Apostille", in which the consulate in Panama of the applicant’s own country can assist in authenticating documents.
• An original police clearance report on a police department’s letterhead signed by a police official.
• All documents dated no more than four months prior to submitting the visa application.
• The expiration date on all passports must be at least six months ahead of the date of application.
• Both options include your dependants.
• The applicant and all dependants must appear in person at the immigration office.

You may well feel good about becoming a Panamanian citizen while helping to improve both the economy and the environment.

Start your early Christmas shopping at French Fragrances

The owners, Ana Báez and Osman Saya.

Panamanian stores and boutiques, already famous for their excellent prices, bring down their prices even more during this time of the year, tempting visitors to buy early for Christmas.

One of these stores is French Fragrances, which has released its holiday sale catalogue, which features gift sets including fragrances, accesories and lotions by world-class designers.

The establishment is owned by Ana Báez y Osman Saya , a Pakistani-Cuban couple. They take pride in giving personal attention, reasonable prices and a long list of brands, including Armani, Hugo Boss, Perry Elis, Givenchi, and Carlina Herrera, as well as name brands no longer found at other perfume boutiques in town.

French Fragrances is located on Calle "F", El Cangrejo, a few meters off Vía Argentina, close to most hotels of the Vía España area.

For details, call: 263-6353.

Borojo, Panama’s wonder treatment for cancer?

By David Dell

Alternative cancer treatments have been around for over a hundred years. but if these "cures" really exist then why every year do hundreds of thousand continue to die from this disease. Cynics might point out that the cancer industry would lose billions of dollars in revenue if a successful cure or treatment were found.

Jorge Quintero Rubio who makes and markets tropical wines in Volcan has an interesting story to tell. He gave, a Borojo and Noni concentrate to a man in the nearby city of David and this man claims it cured his cancer.

I decided to investigate this further. I had been trying Borojo for months and its energy and mental stimulating qualities I found clearly evident.

Jorge Quintero, the tropical wine maker.

Borojo, is a little-known fruit. It is large, brown, and about the size of a watermelon. Some articles claim one pound of Borojo has the same amount of amino acids as three pounds of fresh meat. Other people claim it can treat arterial hypertension, balance blood sugars and there are even claims it is an aphrodisiac.

In Columbia the University of Santiago in Cali carried out research in which they discovered Borojo contained a substance called "Sesquiterpelantond" which they claimed inhibits cell growth in harmful tumours and showed promise for treating cancer.

I met with Roger Acosta, a 51-year-old religious studies teacher in David. Who told me he had contracted cancer twice. The first time in 1999 the cancer was in his colon and a portion of the colon was removed. Three years later in 2002 he was diagnosed with liver cancer. At this time Roger, a deeply religious man, accepted what he believed was his inevitable fate and declined surgery and chemotherapy.

For a week after his diagnosis, Roger told me he prayed heavily. Three months later he met Volcan wine man, Jorge Quintero Rubio and tried Jorge's Borojo and Noni concentrate. He took a small glass of the mixture three times a day and miraculously within two days the pain and the inflammation from his cancerous liver began to subside.

In addition to the oral medicine Jorge Rubio made a poultice from the Borojo and applied this externally to the affected area.

Roger Acosta tells me he had sonographs taken before his Borojo treatment and they showed multiple lesions of the liver. After the treatment the sonographs showed no lesions at all. A point of note here is that Roger Acosta’s recovery from cancer was achieved without employing any of the traditional treatments i.e.; chemotherapy, radiation or surgery.

Up to now Roger Acosta remains healthy and regular check-ups reveal he is still cancer-free.

Medically it is possible that Roger could have "Cured" himself by his strong religious beliefs and positive visualization. "Spontaneous Remission," is the term the medical profession gives to such cases where no logical or scientific reason exists.

Is Borojo a viable treatment or possible cure for cancer? Only a clinical study can answer that. The problem is that a study for FDA approval could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and then the company that funded the trial would have little or no copyright protection because Borojo is a natural product.

At the moment Jorge Quintero Rubio is not set up to export his Borojo / Noni concentrate. If you carry out an Internet search for "Borojo" you will find the product offered by several companies. In the late fall of this year there is a plan to set up a "wellness" center in Volcan. Borojo and Noni products will be available there.