Author: Sebastian Pieper

Panama City, Panama – The Social Security Fund (CSS) Panama has officially rescinded a memorandum that restricted mobile phone use for its accounting staff. The decision replaces a strict ban with a new policy based on employee self-regulation and professional responsibility. The original directive, Memorandum No. DNC-M-162-2026, was issued on May 29, 2026, by the National Accounting Directorate. It prohibited personal device use during work hours for personnel in that department. The institution’s leadership reversed course this week after reviewing the policy’s impact on staff morale and operational flow. New Policy Emphasizes Self-Regulation Over Restrictions Instead of enforcing a blanket…

The town of La Chorrera is hosting its fifth annual folklore festival this week. The event runs from May 28 to May 31 at the El Chorro Tourist Complex. Organizers are working to preserve local gastronomy and customs. This year marks a significant milestone for the V Festival Folclórico del Bollo y Chicheme Chorrerano. The celebration focuses on two iconic dishes from the region. Festival organizers expect thousands of visitors to attend the four-day event in Panama Oeste Province. Festival Queen Highlights Cultural Preservation Efforts Milena Yasmiciel Obando Flores serves as the 2026 festival queen. She explained the core mission…

Residents of Panama City’s historic El Cangrejo neighborhood are raising alarms over a new residential development. They say the project threatens to overwhelm aging infrastructure and destroy the area’s architectural heritage. The dispute centers on a 420-apartment development called PH LOV, which broke ground in 2025. The neighborhood emerged between 1947 and 1950 during a period of rapid expansion. Today El Cangrejo is known for its bohemian character, contemporary architecture, and green spaces. But residents say that character is now at risk. One critical flashpoint is Arturo D. Motta Street, a narrow road residents describe as too small for current…

Official travel by Panama’s National Assembly deputies has exceeded $100,000 in airfare and per diem expenses. A new legislative report details these costs and the most frequent international destinations visited between 2024 and 2026. The official document, obtained from the legislature’s administrative division, shows total spending of $105,712. This figure breaks down into $61,300 for per diem allowances and $44,412 for airline tickets. Lawmakers visited China, Spain, India, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Mexico, and Colombia during this period. The report covers missions tied to congressional meetings, technology forums, human rights conferences, summits, and inter-parliamentary exchanges. The…

Panama City has officially launched a major restoration project for the France Plaza and the Punta Chiriquí colonial wall. The Panama Ministry of Culture started the work this week at one of the most iconic heritage sites in the Historic District of Panama City. Crews moved equipment and machinery into place during the early hours of Wednesday. The operation involved a complex logistics plan for transporting containers and setting up a construction camp. Officials coordinated the move with local residents, business owners, and transit authorities. The project represents a comprehensive effort to restore and enhance the historic landmark. This first…

Panama’s Ministry of Public Works will launch a tender for a major highway expansion project in the coming days. The project carries an estimated cost exceeding 300 million dollars. Officials confirmed the plan on May 30, 2026, targeting severe traffic congestion in the western region. The Ministry of Public Works Panama will use a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the project. This approach brings private investment and long-term maintenance commitments into public infrastructure. Edwin Lewis, Director of Studies and Designs at the Ministry of Public Works, provided the details. He stated the project covers two critical roadways serving the Panama…

Panama City has a new architectural vision for its premier modern art institution. The Museum of Contemporary Art Panama announced the winning design for its new headquarters on Tuesday. The selection follows an international architecture competition that drew nearly 360 proposals from around the world. Two firms will lead the project. Studios Palma and Taller TO submitted the joint proposal that won the blind jury process. Museum officials confirmed the decision in a statement released this week. Blind Selection Process Ensured Fair Evaluation The competition used a rigorous anonymous system. All proposals arrived in sealed envelopes with no team identification.…

New car sales in Panama are surging past initial forecasts. The automotive sector recorded a 14 percent cumulative growth in 2026. Data from the Association of Automobile Distributors of Panama shows this figure exceeds all original projections. Raúl Civiello, president of the association, confirmed the numbers this week. He said approximately 21,000 units were sold through the end of April. The industry now awaits May closing figures with high optimism. “Our numbers through the end of April show cumulative sales of 21,000 units,” Civiello said. “We are now waiting for the May closing numbers to update our figures. But we…

Panama has a new legal tool to protect its environment as construction projects and developments advance across the country. The National Government adopted an Executive Decree that updates and strengthens the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regime, replacing rules that had governed the nation for more than 20 years. The regulation was published in Official Gazette No. 30534-B. The Ministry of Environment Panama drove the initiative forward. Its goal is to prevent, mitigate, correct and compensate for potential environmental impacts from public and private works, projects or activities. Legal framework gets a major overhaul The decree establishes the legal framework for…

A cultural institution in Panama City is marking a significant anniversary this month. The Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama celebrates 46 years of operation as a key space dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of Afro-descendant communities in the country. Museum officials confirmed the milestone during a recent tour of the facility. Visitors can explore historical artifacts, photographs, documents and period room recreations. These exhibits showcase fundamental aspects of life for Afro-Antillean communities that helped shape Panama’s development. The museum building itself was constructed in 1910 by workers from Barbados. Seven decades later, the structure was transformed into a museum…