• Català
  • Castellano
  • English
Regulació Estany des Peix

News

Next Sunday, Formentera celebrates Int’l Women’s Day with charity run and politically-engaged activities

foto 2020 dia dona 3Formentera’s president and councillor of equality and LGTBI, Alejandra Ferrer and Vanessa Parellada, respectively, were joined by Espai Dones director Dolores Fernández Tamargo in unveiling the list of events on offer to help islanders ring in International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March.

Ferrer applauded Fernández Tamargo for once again putting together a jam-packed programme of exhibits, film screenings, concerts, round tables, book launches and more. According to the president, one thing the events all share is “educating islanders about the importance of working hard to deliver real equality for women”.

Details about the events calendar were outlined by the Espai Dones director, who underscored one day in particular: Sunday 8 March, International Women’s Day.

The day starts at 11.00am with the sixth Run for Women (Cursa solidària de la Dona), an event encompassing not only a fun-run but a walk as well, both of which are designed to raise money for the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC). A community paella will also be organised later that day in Sa Senieta car park (Sant Francesc), with money again going to benefit the AECC.

From 11.00am on that same day an information stand will be set up and posters put up around Plaça de la Constitució as batucada troupe Bloco Colubraria provide percussive rhythms. Islanders are encouraged to come out for a 1.00pm reading of the day’s manifesto, followed by a group of women performing “A rapist in your path” (Un violador al teu camí). Rehearsals take place today from 7.00pm to 8.00pm and same time next Friday in the IES Marc Ferrer sport and fitness centre. The rehearsals and performance are open to all women.

Exhibit

At 8.00pm on Monday 2 March, the Sala d’Exposions (Ajuntament Vell) will host the opening of “Mujeres trabajando por mujeres”, an exploration of the women’s struggle past and present by María María Acha-Kutscher. Currently residing in Spain, Peruvian artist Acha-Kutscher is a visual artist dedicated to the feminist cause. Her show will be open 11.00am to 2.00pm ad 6.00pm to 8.00pm until 14 March (Sundays and Monday mornings closed).

Programme:

Friday 6 March, 8.30pm | Sunday 8 March, 8.00pm
Una cuestión de género, a film by Mimi Lede
Sala de Cultura (Cinema)

Saturday 7 March, 8.30pm [L’Illa a Escena]
Les Kol·lontai. Barnasants concerts. Music for International Women’s Day.
Sala de Cultura (Cinema)

Monday 9 March, 7.00pm
Round-table discussion with speakers from the lecture series Figures in Local History (Personatges de la nostra Història). Discussion will focus on women in the recent history of Eivissa and Formentera. Presented by Friends of the Museum of Archaeology (AAMAEF).
Sala d’Exposicions ‘Ajuntament Vell’

Friday 13 March, 8.00pm
Presentation of Miren Jaurne Martinez’s book La venus que rompió el espejo. Jaurne Martinez is a youtuber and “body positive” advocate.
Marià Villangómez Library

Wednesday 18 March, 7.00pm
Documentary, En la brecha (dir. Claudia Rei). Discussion on gender inequality in the workplace to follow.
Casal de Joves

Sunday 22 March, 12 noon
Twelfth Tribute to the Elderly Woman of Formentera
Sala de plens, Centre de Dia

Thursday 26 March, 7.00pm
Round-table discussion “The road to women's empowerment”
With Guardia Civil Women and Minors Division sergeant Antonia Alanzol, department of research into and prevention of addictive behaviour director Bélen Alvite and writer/blogger Pilar Ruiz. The discussion will be moderated by Diario de Ibiza director Cristina Martín.
Sala de plens, Centre de Dia

Friday 3 April, 7.00pm
Lecture “Masculinity and men in the age of feminism”
With Ritxar Bacete
Sala d’actes, Plaça de la Constitució

Councillor Parellada applauded various local groups for close involvement in this year’s programme, pointing out that “they’re all working to contribute to a more equal world” and encouraging islanders to come, participate and have fun in the many events.

28 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Formentera street dancers to perform in Palma as part of Balearic celebration

foto-2020-dancers-11The Formentera Department of Youth reports that the Casal de Joves’ street dance group will represent Formentera in Balearic Islands Day celebrations in Palma (Mallorca). Five Formentera youths ages 14 to 15 will be joined by Imma Vidal, their dance teacher at the Casal, for an array of street and contemporary dance performances. The group will perform at 1.15pm at Passeig de Sagrera and 5.00pm at Mercat de Palma. Other events on the island will feature performances from Formentera troupes specialised in traditional dance and the hometown batucada percussion group Bloco Calubraria.

President Alejandra Ferrer will give a speech as part of Formentera’s Balearic Islands Day celebrations on 1 March. The event, which starts at 12 noon in Plaça de la Constitució, will include performances by Es Xacoters and Es Pastorells troupes and a sampling of signature fare from the island.

Tomorrow (Friday) comes with another Balearic Islands Day event, a concert by Pilar Mena & Bro’s (representing Formentera) and Ana Martí (representing Mallorca). Not only is La Mola’s Casa del Poble hosting the 8.00pm event, they’re providing other support as well. Similar concerts will take place simultaneously all across the islands. On Saturday, runners will once again line up for the ninth Formentera All Round Trail, setting out in La Savina harbour on a 72.5K tour of the local coastline that ends up right back where it started. Find out more about the event, including how to sign up, at www.elitechip.net.

27 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

In six months Formentera creates 15 job banks for new hires and temps

foto 2020 casa consistorialThe human resources arm of the Formentera government is several months into the creation of 15 catalogues of job listings for temporary and permanent employees. Department chief Paula Ferrer, who took to the floor at yesterday’s plenary to review the efforts under her watch, framed the job banks (borsins de treball) as part of a host of measures this term designed “to stabilise services and improve the way local government engages with islanders”. Since September, the department has sought applicants in areas like agriculture, administration, law, psychology, archiving, culture, youth, social work, veterinary services, swimming, language normalisation, security for cultural displays, inspections and vehicle roadworthiness testing.

Councillor Ferrer described the job banks as a key piece of her department’s strategy, which she said was more broadly geared towards priorities such as slowly growing the government’s base of professional staff, passing the Schedule of Positions (Relació de Llocs de Treball), creating a common salary chart for government employees and coming up with a new collective labour agreement.

To get there, Ferrer underscored the importance of collective bargaining. So far the negotiating committee has met four times since the start of the current term, and Councillor Ferrer insisted it must remain a key part of the administration’s bargaining arrangement with trade unions. Ferrer described collaboration between the two sides as lively, holding it up as the driving force behind progress in areas like hammering out terms for standard and exceptional recruitment to the Formentera Local Police force, and improving such terms for employees at Ferrovial, firefighters and monitors at the sport centre.


26 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Formentera gets water fountain for outdoor events

gabrielet1The Formentera Department of Environment has acquired a drinking fountain to be set up at outdoor public events. Islanders got their first chance to use it at Sunday’s Carnaval parade, and it will be used again at the Women’s Run [Cursa de la Dona] on 8 March. Outside of events such as these, the fountain will be available for users of the Antoni Blanc sport and fitness centre, helping reduce single-use plastics. Purchase of the €5,186 machine is part of the ‘Plastic-free Consell de Formentera’ initiative, enacted by councilmembers last year and expected to see roughly thirty water fountains installed across local government facilities. Currently in tender, the service will also include assessment of high traffic areas to help determine placement.

27 February 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera

In plenary, final clearance secured for land plan revamp ahead of Sant Ferran’s new low-cost public housing

ple-febrer-2020jFormentera held its February plenary session today, a gathering that brought definitive approval to the fourth round of changes to Formentera’s Local Land Plan (Pla Territorial Insular, or PTI). The go-ahead came thanks to supporting votes from the Gent per Formentera and Socialist Party (GxF-PSOE) governing coalition and despite the abstention of councillors from Sa Unió.

Said mobility and land chief Rafael González, “we know how serious the housing problem is on Formentera, and with this change we’ll be able to give the Balearic housing agency [Ibavi] a single plot for construction of a new crop of rent-controlled public housing in Sant Ferran”. The retooling also means freeing up land for a new park nearby for children. González described the pair of measures as complementary to the various improvement projects —upgrades on Avinguda Joan Castelló i Guasch, construction of a primary school and nursery— that the Formentera government has overseen in Sant Ferran in recent years.

Councillor González said the rules change was also about bringing the island into line with prevailing trends, removing obstacles for islanders keen to instal self-use solar panel systems in their homes and, at the same time, promoting renewable energy. What’s more, bugs have been worked out of the 2010 rules: formalities related to land use are now more straightforward for government staff and islanders alike. Today, a decade after councilmembers voted to enact the rules, a name change is in the pipeline, so what were once referred to as the island’s “Subsidiary Rules” (Normes Subsidiàries) will henceforth be known across the archipelago as PTI.

formentera.eco 2020
Having described Formentera’s plans for the next 12 months of formentera.eco to the Council of Entities (Consell d’Entitats), the land and mobility councillor presented the scheme to the full-house gathering. Entry will be granted to 4% fewer cars than last year, and the period of enforcement will be from 1 July to 31 August. The measure passed with support from the GxF-PSOE governing coalition despite abstention from the opposition.

But González insisted formentera.eco was about more just than “tightening the tap on incoming cars”. “We’re shooting for a sustainable mobility where residents and tourists naturally begin to move differently”, he said. “That means improvements to public transport like buses and taxis. It means more people cycling and more space for pedestrians.”

The number of motorists who receive a permit to drive on the island will shrink by 4% every year until 2023, when there are 16% fewer cars on the road than when formentera.eco first launched. In 2020, 11,952 permits will be available for visitors seeking to rent a car on the island (including Formentera residents, the figure is 21,487).

Quotas for rental car agencies, tourists and Eivissa residents
The maximum number of standard-size automobiles available for rental by tourists is 2,592 (for scooters the figure is 6,720). A total of 2,180 permits will be available for drivers who want to bring their own vehicle (220 if the vehicle is a motor-scooter). Eivissa residents, for whom the number of quotas remains unchanged from last season, are the only ones who won’t see reductions in the available supply. “It’s about guaranteeing access to our neighbours”, explained Councillor González, “and upholding the law”. Up to 220 Eivissa drivers can request a permit to bring a car (for scooters, the total is 20), and the application carries no associated fees. As in 2019, no permits will be issued for four-by-fours, caravans or RVs.

Quotas for residents
Although there is no limit on permits for motorists who reside on Formentera, Councillor González said he hoped that “with the growing momentum around sustainable mobility and the growing list of alternatives to status quo transport, we hope islanders will naturally start to use their personal cars and scooters less”.

Formentera residents are still exempt from the authorisation fee, and as in 2019, the application process can be completed on formentera.eco. Also similarly to last year, authorisation for drivers with a permit to park in blue zone street parking will be automatic. Authorisation can be verified by entering a vehicle’s plate number on a section, still in development, of the formentera.eco website.

González pointed out that permits will not be denied to tourists who already had a booking for lodging or ferry passage prior to the measure’s adoption and its publication in the regional gazette. Formentera.eco will offer such individuals the chance to process their case online.

Service fee
With “yes” votes from the governing coalition and despite “no’s” from representatives of Sa Unió, plenary members gave the initial green-light to a proposed service charge for tourists who bring a private vehicle to the island. Just like last summer, tourists will be charged €1/day for cars (minimum fee: €5), and €0.50/day for scooters (minimum fee: €2.5). The minimum fee is just one of the changes motorists will see in 2020. Islanders from the other Balearic Islands and electric car drivers will also avoid paying minimums, and drivers of hybrids pay half price. “We expect the minimum fee will help cover the project’s cost”, concluded the councillor.

Support came for a measure to renew the current waste collection and transport contract until such time as a new one can be tendered. Environment councillor Antonio J Sanz said the contract would move forward “as soon as cost structuring data is received from five firms”, intimating that pick-up and shipment of rubbish had been deemed essential services and must continue even pending determination of a new service concessionaire.

Councillors also passed two measures brought by the opposition. The first proposal dealt with renewing efforts to remove asbestos from buildings under the jurisdiction of the Formentera government. Councillor Sanz expressed his support for the proposal and said the government already ensures pickup of illegally dumped materials. Plenary members likewise agreed to fast-track legislation of road safety improvements at the Porto-Salé turnout from the main highway. Councillor González told assembly members to expect to see changes before the start of the tourist season.

Status update from Councillor Paula Ferrer
Head of the local offices of sport, island services and human resources, Paula Ferrer took stock of progress on efforts within her departments. Starting with human resources, Ferrer said the priority was “improving workplace conditions—key to stabilising local services”. She also spoke about short-, mid- and long-term goals, like creating pools of qualified candidates for temporary and permanent openings, publishing a transparent pay chart for all Formentera government employees, adopting a schedule of positions, and coming up with a path for full-time staff to become civil-service employees.

Ferrer also ran through recent improvements to the island’s sport and fitness infrastructure, like upgrades at the swimming pool, at the main football pitch and other pitches in Es Cap de Barbaria, at padel courts and elsewhere. The children’s park in La Savina has been equipped with a calisthenics circuit, pergola and street lighting. Repairs have taken place in the Ses Bardetes neighbourhood, while islanders in La Savina, Sant Francesc and other towns can now enjoy newly installed basketball hoops. Urban areas and roads have seen changes as well, like the removal of architectural barriers in Sant Francesc. Lastly, Ferrer spoke about some of the priorities of Formentera Department of Sport: “Dedicating all our efforts and resources to incentivising sport among schoolchildren”.

Official proclamation on Int’l Women’s Day
Members of the assembly came together to issue an official proclamation on International Women’s Day, 8 March. Councillor of equality Vanessa Parellada presented the text, which encourages “islanders of every gender to join our plea for a fairer, more peaceful, more sustainable world”. “The movement around International Women’s Day continues to grow stronger. It has become undeniably powerful—just the women who make up its core. Many men have joined the cause as well, for gender equality benefits everyone, and men’s and women’s destinations are intertwined”.

The councillor also trumpeted another milestone, the election of Formentera’s first-ever female president, not to mention the fact that women now hold 9 of 17 elected posts in Formentera’s governing body. “Equality is increasingly visible and public”, she affirmed. “The challenge that lies ahead is nothing short of complete equality on Formentera. It’s a challenge we must all rise to, because equality benefits everyone.”

25 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

More Articles...

Page 222 of 403

222

Media

Gabinet de Premsa


971 32 10 87 - Ext: 3181
premsa@conselldeformentera.cat