PRESS RELEASE issued by the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
The recovery of Puerto Rico—which is clearly proceeding too slowly—along with numerous natural, social, and political events, and the country’s already struggling economy, paint a picture of deprivation and extreme vulnerability. The challenges facing the island call for proactive measures. This was the view expressed by prominent academics during the virtual forum Risks, shortcomings, and challenges that was part of the II Certification in Public Responsibility and Governance of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. The dean of the School of Architecture and Design at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, architect Luis V. Badillo Lozano; Professor Argeo Quiñones, a professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Puerto Rico; and the president of Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico, Dr. Nelson Colón Tarrats, emphasized the need to establish concrete strategies and public policies.
“The fragility of our systems and our economy has become evident. The order of priorities has proven to be deficient, and the decisions misguided. This has plunged us into immobility and gravitated us toward dependence. We must learn to be more cohesive; the unplanned “occupation” of our territory places many in dangerous locations, resulting in greater exposure and vulnerability. This urban and rural sprawl dilutes our limited resources, resulting in lower-caliber, extensive, exposed, and weak infrastructure. We must settle in safe locations, promoting less extended and higher-quality facilities,” emphasized architect Badillo Lozano.
From a community-based perspective, the president of Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico (FCPR), Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats, stated, «The non-governmental response to vulnerabilities lies in the growth of community capital. That is, in human, social, physical, financial, ecological, and cultural capital. Public and private investment in these six areas of capital gives us the opportunity to address our vulnerabilities through an approach based on shared prosperity.”.
Por For his part, economist Argeo Quiñones, professor of economics at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), stated, “The array of challenges and problems currently facing Puerto Rican society calls into question our viability as a country. Prompt, thorough, selfless, and collective action is crucial to halting the precipitous decline we are facing at this very moment.”.
The II Certification in Public Responsibility and Governance Offered free of charge in virtual format every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. It presents strategies in core areas such as access to healthcare, employment, and justice, political aspects, and aims to achieve integral human development and the training of political leaders.
You can follow the discussions on the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico’s Facebook and Twitter accounts (@PUCPR1); pucpr.edu/live and the PUCPR's Huellas del Futuro channel on YouTube. For enrollment in the Certification, you can contact educacioncontinua@pucpr.edu.