News

Formentera celebrates Balearic Islands Day with full month of activities

Monday, 24 February 2020 14:09

foto-2020-dia-illes1 Formentera’s president and culture secretary, Alejandra Ferrer and Susana Labrador, respectively, plus Miquel Àngel Coll, the director general of the institutional relations division of the Balearic government, met today at the head office of the Consell de Formentera to unveil the programme of activities lined up to celebrate Balearic Islands Day on Formentera.

This year’s tag line —“the union starts with you”— instroduces a bill of nearly 300 activities across the archipelago revolving around the culture, history and heritage that, as Coll pointed out, Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa and Formentera share. Inter-island agreements have allowed island councils to tailor programming to reflect the activities most suited, and deeply rooted, on each island.

“Balearic Islands Day is about strengthening what unites us”, proclaimed Ferrer. “Formentera’s activities programme may be anchored by sport, culture and learning, but, whether it’s the Cantada Pagesa last Saturday or the demonstrations of homespun dance adding flair to our official celebrations on 1 March, tradition is never too far away”.

Insisting an array local groups had been crucial to putting the Balearic Islands Day programme together, Labrador reviewed the activities that have been teed up for the occasion.

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY
ROUND-TABLE: Antonio José Viñaràs presents ‘Balearic autonomy in the Second Republic: An Autonomy Statute for Eivissa and Formentera’ at 8.00pm in Sant Francesc’s Marià Villangómez library.

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY
Pilar Mena & Bro’s represent Formentera and Ana Martí bears the standard for Mallorca as the Dia de les Illes Balears concert takes place in La Mola’s Casa del Poble. The venue co-sponsors the Formentera show, which starts at 8.00pm and occurs simultaneously with other concerts across the Balearics.

SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY
Saturday comes with the ninth FORMENTERA ALL ROUND TRAIL. Covering 72.5K of meandering trails along Formentera’s coast, the FART both starts and ends in La Savina port. All the details and information on how to sign up can be found at www.elitechip.net.

SUNDAY 1 MARCH
Formentera’s official celebration of the Dia de les Illes Balears will include an address from President Alejandra Ferrer, entertainment from local dance troupes Es Xacoters and Es Pastorells and a sampling of signature Formentera products. The event will take place at 12 noon in Plaça de la Constitució.

SUNDAY 8 MARCH
Two options —a 10K run and a 5K walk— are open to participants in the sixth Charity Run for the Woman (Cursa Solidària per a la Dona). Both circuits start and finish at Plaça de la Constitució in Sant Francesc and have a registration fee of €10 entitling participants to a commemorative T-shirt. Proceeds go to benefit the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC). Signups can be completed during regular hours of operation at Poliesportiu Antoni Blanc. The event is co-sponsored by the Consell de Formentera, AECC, Espai Dones and Grup Esportiu Espalmador. A paella will be held from 2.00pm in Sa Senieta tent, near the car park. The €10 paid by adults (or €5 for kids) also go to benefit the AECC.

SATURDAY 14 MARCH
Family-friendly shows are up next. When Clownómadas stage a 6.00pm performance of Utopía in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema), the troupe traces the tale of a clown who has spent years travelling the world and sought magic in everything around him. The varied act features live music, magic, juggling, illusion and —the performer’s innovative specialty— smoke charming. The fun-for-families show runs 50 minutes and tickets cost €5 for kids (accompanying adults get in free).

SATURDAY 21 MARCH
Closing out the programme is Formentera’s third Festival Folklòric. The event gets under way at 12 noon in Plaça de la Constitució and includes dance demonstrations from Es Xacoters and Es Pastorells, plus guest performances from an A Coruña-based troupe of gaitas players and dancers called Concello de Abegondo and folk group Les Camaraes from Vinaròs.

There will be bands from Formentera performing on the other islands as well, not to mention traditional dancers, street dancers and hometown artists. Always falling on and around 1 March, yearly Balearic Islands Day celebrations commemorate the 1983 proclamation (and 2007 renewal) of the Balearic Islands’ Statute of Autonomy.

24 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Pimef and Consell team up to offer six free clinics

Friday, 21 February 2020 14:34

foto 2020 Pimef cursos 1 The Formentera Department of Commerce reports that a fresh crop of continuing education opportunities are set to begin 2 March with the new edition of ‘Fent Pimef’. The classes are made possible thanks to a deal between Formentera’s local government and Pimef, the local small- and medium-sized business group, to offer training and assistance to island businesses and workers.

Course catalogue:
-Using Lightroom for photo editing with PC, tablet or smartphone (Edició fotogràfica): 2, 4, 9 & 11 March / 4.30pm to 7.30pm / Pimef office.
-Wordpress clinic (Curs Wordpress): 3, 6, 10 & 13 March / 4.30pm to 7.30pm / Pimef office.
-Service in restaurants, bars and cafés (Atenció al client): 5 March / 4.00pm to 8.00pm / Pimef office.
-Leadership & teamwork (Lideratge i treball en equip): 12 March / 4.00pm to 8.00pm / Pimef office.
-Freelancers, take charge of tax filing (Autònom...): 24 & 27 March / 4.00pm to 6.00pm / Pimef office.
-Your pocket-sized office (La teva oficina...): 25 & 26 March / 4.00pm to 8.00pm / Pimef office.

Commerce chief Ana Juan encouraged everyone from employees to business owners themselves to take part in the free courses, which the councillor described as “specially tuned to improving the kinds of lifelong learning opportunities available”. Enrolment is open now, and can be done on the phone (971 32 25 20) or via email (info@pimef.es). Space is limited.

21 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Alejandra Ferrer and Francina Armengol lay first stone of new school and “escoleta” in Sant Ferran

Thursday, 20 February 2020 15:55

foto-primera-pedra-1- Formentera president Alejandra Ferrer and Balearic first minister Francina Armengol were joined today at noon by local and regional education chiefs Martí March and Susana Labrador, respectively, at a ceremony inaugurating construction of the new primary school and early-learning escoleta.

Also on hand for the gathering were Pilar Costa, who heads Ms Armengol’s office, provincial councillor Sílvia Tur, local vice-presidents Ana Juan and Rafael Ramírez and the Pine Islands’ envoy on education, Margalida Ferrer. Members of the school administration and the association of parents (Apima) attended too, along with representatives of various other authorities.

President Ferrer called it “an important day, because the project set in motion today —construction of two educational centres— is one islanders have clamoured for for years”. “Plus, the one-storey buildings blend in with their surroundings: they’re tailored to Formentera and learning needs here on the island.”

For her part, Armengol touted collaboration between the Consell de Formentera and Govern balear, insisting “it’s what’s behind the best ideas, like for infrastructure such as this, which ticks all the boxes for a better learning environment for our children”.

Councillor Labrador applauded the symbolism inherent in placement of the foundation stone. “It hasn’t been easy making it this far, but we can finally say with certainty that the end is in sight”, she said, applauding the local educational community for “keeping their eyes on the prize all these years” and directing a special nod at the school administration and Apima for their patience.

Armengol, Ferrer, March and Labrador signed written record of the ceremony and oversaw insertion in the building’s foundation of a time capsule — a metal urn containing coins and locally-printed newspapers of the day.

Infrastructure to accommodate 450 children at primary school and 74 at nursery

Plans were drafted by Ibisec and, in the case of the school, include two classrooms for each year level — that is, six groups for what is known in Spain as “infant education” (for children aged three to six) and twelve for primary education (ages six to twelve), accommodating a grand total of 450 pupils. The schools will occupy a 11,037-sq.-m. plot outside Sant Ferran that sits adjacent to the future municipal escoleta, which will also accommodate two groups per level (i.e., 74 children aged zero to three spread across six groups).

Money for the €5.8-million primary school will come from the Balearic ministry of education and universities, while the bill for the nursery, which tops €1.1 million, will be picked up by the Formentera government. Ibisec oversees both the project’s tender and execution of works, which must be completed in 14 months. Crews began work in August, and Mr March asserted that work would be finished within the year. “Children will finish the 2020-21 year in this school”, he said.

Tecopsa Hermanos Parrot is a temporary consortium of firms that will carry out the €6.7-million construction plans.

The Govern balear has requested support from the European Regional Development Fund’s 2014-2020 operational programme.

20 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Crews tidy up at Jardí de ses Eres

Friday, 21 February 2020 11:53

foto-2020-jardi-de-ses-eres-3 The local works brigade, a division of Formentera’s Department of Island Services, began efforts to paint and perform general repairs and maintenance at the Jardí de ses Eres park in Sant Francesc. Workers will be covering up graffiti, repainting walls and patching up minor cracks and holes. The Ferrovial company has been tapped to cut back overgrown plants and oversee general maintenance of planters.

Efforts remain under way to repave local roads. On Monday workers from Islasfalto will apply a new coat of asphalt to a section of Camí de ses Vinyes in Sant Ferran, requiring crews to close the arterial to vehicle traffic all the way to the roundabout. Access from the Es Pujols side will not be affected.

21 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Formentera asks Palma for special strategy and targeted measures to tackle housing problems

Thursday, 20 February 2020 15:51

reunio---institucional-armengo Today in the Formentera government’s hall of ceremonies, island president Alejandra Ferrer met with Balearic first minister Francina Armengol, local vice-presidents Ana Juan, Susana Labrador and Rafael Ramírez and Ms Armengol’s cabinet minister, Pilar Costa.

The meeting offered a review of the projects developed over the course of the previous term, including the hand-off of authority on tourism promotion, construction of the new school and nursery in Sant Ferran (a visit followed the gathering) and the rollout of formentera.eco —the plan to count and cap vehicle entry on the island— as well as other ventures still in the offing.

One of the priority points was housing. In that regard, Formentera officials called on their counterparts from Palma to create a Comprehensive Housing Office (Oficina Integral de l’Habitatge). President Ferrer placed “an unprecedented housing bill entailing a whole slew of improvements” among the “many steps already taken by the regional government”. “But Formentera’s highly unique situation leaves us in a legal grey area, which is why we need a special plan and specific measures to make sure the right to housing is a reality here.”

For her part, Ms Armengol granted that “some of the housing measures applied elsewhere in the Balearics aren’t applicable to Formentera”. She pledged to listen to proposals from Formentera and see how they could be made to fit with rules backed by the regional government. “A solution here is imperative”, she said, “there are so many people that can’t afford market prices, or, quite simply, aren’t finding any available homes”.

Maritime transport and moorage checks
President Ferrer voiced her hopes that the project to regulate moorage across Formentera’s coast be moved forward. On maritime transport, she acknowledged that the recent securing of early-morning and late-evening ferry passage between Eivissa and Formentera constituted a success, “but continued efforts will be needed to ensure a minimum standard of service, and to protect the route that boats cut across Ses Salines nature reserve”.

Ms Armengol said the Balearic government was ready and willing for more progress in those areas. “Thanks to regulation developing a special funding scheme for the Balearic Islands, we had our first-ever rules on freight transport, including assistance for inter-island shipping with special protocol for Eivissa and Formentera that could mean savings between the two islands of up to 72%”.

Formentera officials also called on their regional counterparts to collaborate in the effort to close the water cycle, including upgrades to water treatment. Other requests involved work to open the Formentera Museum, and recovering traditional use of the island’s salterns.