Municipal & Disaster Readiness: Fedodim named nominees for the XI Juan Pablo Duarte Awards, with the July 16 gala in Santiago de los Caballeros, spotlighting transparency and better municipal management. Seismic Safety & Construction Skills: Onesvie will add 281 engineers and architects to its REED network, bringing certified building evaluators to 950 to strengthen prevention against seismic risk. Building Permits Boost: MIVHED approved over RD$330.2B in private construction projects in the first half of 2026, issuing 921 permits (+80%) as it modernizes the permitting process with a new digital platform. Energy & Power Auctions: A proposal to make battery storage mandatory for power auctions is gaining traction as a way to stabilize supply and manage grid challenges. Mining & Critical Resources: CAMIPE reports mining growth in early 2026, with exports up sharply and mining driving a large share of foreign exchange; meanwhile, the Energy Ministry and UT Austin are advancing hydrocarbon and rare-earth basin assessments through March 2027. Humanitarian Response: Dominican EMT-RD treated 1,200+ patients in Venezuela after the earthquake, marking a WHO-certified Type 1 emergency team deployment. Tourism & Culture: DR logged 6.6M visitors in the first half of 2026; Adompretur opened entries for the Epifanio Lantigua 2026 tourism journalism award. Security & Trade: Authorities dismantled a drug network using women as “mules” with shipments to the Dominican Republic and Europe; Abinader reiterated logistics support for Haiti’s mission and renewed border security measures.