Richard Fifer

El Siglo/Economy

Tuesday, November13, 2007

With an investment of more than 76 thousand dollars and by the Department of Community Development, the Petaquilla Mining Project carries out a social assistance program in the communities of Coclé and Colon, in which more than 6,250 people have benefitted.

The works carried out by Petaquilla have been coordinated with Coclesito Hospital, the only rural hospital in the region, which was built in 1995 with the support of this mining project that started on August 15, 2006.

The project benefits approximately 50 communities, where it is foreseen to solve the basic necessities of these places in regard to health matters.  The support focuses on the delivery of medication and cleaning items to heath care stations, materials for infrastructure repair, and the coordination of informational sessions and medical assistance.

It was informed that in the program’s process, during 2007 four paramedics have been hired who directly work in the camps and a doctor that oversees the labor safety of the workers of the area and coordinates the medical tours that are done.

Currently, about 20 tours have been done in the province of Coclé registering an investment of more than 30 thousand dollars.

According to Rubi Vergara, Coordinator of the Health Program, this project is being carried out in Colon, Coclé and Veraguas, where approximately 500 families have entered the program and in 2008 we plan to do this with about a thousand Panamanian families.

Common experiences and ideas for sustainable rural tourism development, the functioning of the municipalities, the common challenges faced on a daily basis and the will to meet the needs of their communities were among the topics covered by Panamanian Mayors and the Mayor of the City of Aracena, Province of Huelva, Autonomous Region of Andalucia, Manuel Guerra Gonzalez.

 The meeting between the authorities of Panama and Spain is part of the tour of work by the Governor of Colon, Pedro Rios, along with mayors of the provinces of Cocle, Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas who traveled to this country to meet and learn about the development of rural tourism as an initiative of  the  “La Castilla del Oro” Foundation, which has the support of the Tourism Authority of Panama, an initiative conceived by entrepreneur Richard Fifer-Carles, seeking sustainable development in the central provinces in the country.
During the meeting, the Mayor of Aracena explained to visitors  how to use  the garbage collection method in their communities, with household rubbish deposited in  wastebaskets, labeled to specify organic waste, cardboard and glass, which is subsequently  taken to a recycling center that is responsible for its final disposal.

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Prior to this meeting, the mayors were received in the city of Jerez de los Caballeros in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura Autonomous Community, by Mayor, Francisca Rosa, who shared with the mayors her experience on how to develop rural tourism projects and was pleased with Panama’s growing economy and expansion and mentioned that she will share her experience as much as possible.Dictionary

The Panamanian delegation headed by the Governor of Colon, Pedro Rios, businessman Richard Fifer-Carles and municipal authorities of the Panamanian districts of Montijo and Calobre in Veraguas; Santa Maria, Parita; Pese and Los Pozos in Herrera; Tonosí and Pedasi in Los Santos; and Aguadulce in Cocle, who visited Spain to learn about this country’s experience in the development of rural tourism in the region of Extremadura and Andalucia.

HR: Improving Your Business

Petaquilla employees are the most important part of the mining operation. For this reason, we have put together a few human resource tips on how to improve your business and become a leader through the art of listening.

Effective listening: pay close attention to what people are saying. Your teams are important sources of information which can guide you towards marking the right decisions. No matter at what level of the business you work, listening effectively is a positive quality for professional growth as Richard Fifer.

You are probably thinking to yourself, how can I achieve this? The answer is easier than you expect.   First of all, encourage others to talk. Whether it is in a large meeting or a one-on-one discussion, support others to speak their mind. Do so by asking questions and showing genuine interest towards ideas. Asking questions is also a great way to find what people think and develop your ideas.