The Mayor of Manilva, Mario Jiménez and councillors, Diego José Jiménez, Marcos Ruiz and Manolo Gil, representing the entire Government Team, have met today to discuss measures within that can be taken by the local government to alleviate the problems generated by the Covid-19 crisis.

Among an initial package of measures to help families and businesses are:

1. Reduction by 50% of the Occupancy Rate for public areas for businesses to which they apply (€ 30,000).
2. 20% IBI subsidy to commercial premises that have had to stop their activity (€ 30,000).
3. A request to the Provincial Revenue Collection Authority (Patronato de Recaudacion)  to postpone the collection of vehicle road tax.
4. Guarantee the supply of drinking water to the most vulnerable families (€ 40,000).
5. 30% discount on the IBI for the habitual residence of the affected families (€ 300,000).
6. Expansion of the Social Emergency Job Exchange (€ 120,000).
   

With these measures the council will address  the present and immediate future of many families in Manilva.

The Government priority is the people, therefore, it will support and back up local  businesses, establishments and the families most affected.

These measures are in addition to those introduced by both the central government and the Andalucian Government or any other body.

Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska issued an order on Sunday that establishes the operational protocols of the security forces in the country while the state of emergency is in place.
The legislation has put Minister Grande-Marlaska in charge not only of the National Place and Guardia Civil, but also local and regional forces, but also guards from private security companies.
Among the measures introduced to enforce the state of emergency are fixed and mobile police checkpoints on roads, public spaces and public transport to ensure public compliance with the lockdown.
Non compliance can incur fines of up to 30,000 euros or even a prison sentence for serious infractions
The police will also “guarantee that people can access their places of work and basic services where necessary, as well as permitting the movement of personnel from companies providing essential services or the supply and distribution of essential goods and services.”
If it will provide support to guarantee “the supply of foodstuffs, as well as other goods and services.” They will also strengthen the security measures at so-called critical infrastructure, such as airports, railway stations, and power stations, in order to “guarantee their normal operation.”
The security forces will also ensure that the measures obliging the closure of businesses is observed, as well as the restrictions in places of worship.

Following an emergency sitting of the Manilva Town Council, and taking advice from the Junta de Andalucia and health professionals, the Mayor of Manilva, Mario Jiménez Rodriguez, has announced a series of measures with immediate effect

1. Close the Manilva, Sabinillas and El Castillo senior citizens centres for 15 days.
2. Suspend all workshops and sports activities focused on the elderly for 15 days.
3. Cancel the carnival celebrations this coming weekend.
4. Postpone the V Urban and Territorial Planning Conference.
5. Suspend any trips scheduled by the Town Hall within the next month.
6. Suspend or delay all municipal events or those organised with other associations for 15 days.
7. Suspend the Monday, Friday and Sunday markets for two weeks.
8. Hire a specialist cleaning company for schools, nurseries, health centres, sports facilities and public transportation.
9. Provide, as far as possible, teleworking from home for municipal workers in the at risk category, such as pregnant women and people over 60 years.
10. Provide the necessary means to the personnel of the public service administration and the necessary training of the protocols to be followed in caring for the public.

Manilva’s Cleaning Department, headed by Paqui López, would like to remind residents how the collection system for larger items of domestic rubbish, old furniture, etc., works.

The truck visits all the refuse bin sites, picking up these large items, according to the following schedule: Mondays and Fridays, Manilva Town, Sabinillas, Puerto de la Duquesa, El Castillo and Juan de la Rosa.

Tuesdays: The Polígono, Carretera del Río, Coto Real and El Hacho.

Wednesdays: La Paloma, Bahía de las Rocas and Costa.

Thursdays: Los Hidalgos, Princesa Kristina, Hacienda Guadalupe , Aldea Hills and Martagina.

It is important to remember that the goods must be deposited the night before the day of collection, next to the nearest containers.

For more information call 619 992 389.

Councillor Paqui López, appreciates the public’s collaboration in making this scheme work efficiently and keeping Manilva tidy.

This year’s International Festival, organized by the Manilva Foreign Residents Department, headed by Councillor Laura López, will be held over the week of May 11 to 17, with an extensive programme of activities compiled after meetings held with a number of the representatives of the different countries participating in this event.

The programme will be divided into two distinct parts; The first will be held inside the Castle from May 11 to 14, during the afternoon / evening, with themed performances on each day, featuring acts such as Argentine tango or flamenco, among others. Throughout those days, there will also be an exhibition of paintings by local artists of different nationalities.

The second part will be held around the Castle, with stalls representing the gastronomy, culture and traditions of some of the many nationalities that make up Manilva’s cosmopolitan community. These will be open on Saturday from 1 pm  to 10 pm and on Sunday from 1 pm to 7 pm.

After an initial parade, there will be an opportunity to sample food and drink typical of each country, as well as performances of traditional music and dance from different countries.

During that weekend, the Parque del Huerto, is the venue for the Family Day with children’s entertainment, face painting, bouncy castles, among other activities.

To celebrate “International Transgender Day of Visibility” on 31st March, the Andalucian Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Associations “Andalucía Diversidad LGBT” presents its awards to recognize the work carried out for the promotion of Solidarity, Human Rights and Social Justice.

In recognition of the work that the Manilva Pride Association and Manilva Town Hall, organisers of the Manilva Pride event, has been carrying out in recent years in terms of raising social awareness towards respect for sexual and gender diversity the Federation wishes to present this Award to recognize all of its work in the fight against discrimination against the LGBTIQ collective in the municipality of Manilva.

The awards are decided by a panel including among others, the Mayor of Malaga, Sr. D. Francisco de la Torre Prados; the Delegate of the Government of Spain in Andalucia, Sra. María Sandra García Martín; the Minister for Equality, Social Policies and Conciliation, Sra. Dª Rocío Ruíz Domínguez, the President of the Diputación de Málaga, Sr. José Francisco Salado Escaño and the Rector of the University of Malaga, Sr. José Ángel Narváez Bueno.

The events include free concerts by the 90s groups ‘Modestia Aparte’, ‘Ella Baila Sola’ and ‘Cómplices’, the X Tapas Route, the X National Contest of Ham Cutters and the I International Estepona Choir Festival.

For this latest edition of ‘Estepona Lives in Its Streets’, which will take place from March 13 to 15, more than twenty activities have been scheduled. Among them Estepona will host for the first time the I Estepona International Choir Festival which will include performances by the Ibero-American Tantanakuy Choir of Malaga, the Coral Association ‘Andrés del Río Abaurrea’ of Ceuta , the ‘San Juan Bautista’ Choir of Coín, Chorale Al Boughaz of Tangier and Young Choir of the ‘Gonzalo Martín Tenllado’ Conservatory of Malaga, as well as the Coral Magnum Mysterium and the choirs of the San José and Atalaya de Estepona schools. The event will be held on Saturday, March 14, at 7 pm, in the Plaza del Reloj.

There will be a free concert on Saturday, March 14, on Manuel Navarro Mollor Street bringing together the legendary groups ‘Modestia Aparte’, ‘Ella Baila Sola’ and ‘Cómplices’. Other concerts will be by singer songwriter Dennis Mansfield, on Friday at 9.30 pm in plaza Paco de Lucía; a tribute to the ‘Kings of Pop’ Michael Jackson and Queen on Saturday at 1 pm; and on Sunday at 1 pm in the Plaza del Reloj the Estepona Town Band presents the concert ‘80 years making music in Estepona, 1940-2020’.

This year’s XI Ruta de la Tapa, sees some 24 restaurants offering a tapa and drink for two euros, with the opportunity for the public to vote for their favourite. A prize of 1,000 euros will be awarded to the ‘healthiest tapa’ and a raffle of prizes for those who vote.

Continuing with the gastronomic activities, the X National Contest of Ham Cutters ‘Popi Trophy’, will be held on Sunday from 12 noon to 4 pm in Calle Real.

For the children there is a large children’s party with inflatable castles, workshops, entertainers and photocall, which will take place on Saturday from 12 noon to 6 pm in plaza Augusto Suárez de Figueroa. In addition, on the same day from 6 pm, the family rock show ‘Eisí / Disí Highway to party Tour 2020’ will be held in the Felipe VI theatre, which will review in a fun and entertaining way the rise of the legendary rock group AC / DC.

As usual chess will feature prominently with activities such as the the VII Interschool Chess Tournament for Teams and the VII Secondary and Baccalaureate Intercentres, on Friday from 10 am to 1 pm at Plaza Antonia Guerrero. On the other hand, on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in this same place will be held the II Amateur Chess Open ‘City of Estepona in Smurfs categories, Sub. 8-10-12-14-16, Seniors and +60.

On the occasion of the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the Orchid House, there will be guided visits and workshops on the care of different species of orchids and on Saturday at 7 pm the Botanical-Orchid Park will host a parade of Dance and Flamenco costumes by designer Gloria del Monte.

Estepona Live Its Streets – Programme, March 13, 14 and 15

Friday 13th:

10 am to 1 pm: VII Interschool Team Chess Tournament VII Secondary and Baccalaureate Intercenters. In the Plaza Antonia Guerrero (in case of rain it will be held in the Palacio de Congresos).

12 noon: Workshop – How to care for and transplant terrestrial orchids’ by Anatoli Minzatu, coinciding with the celebration of the 5th Anniversary of Estepona Orchid House.

5 pm: Workshop – How to care for Pleurothallis orchids for hot environments ’by Rubén Velázquez. In the Orchid House.

8 pm: Inauguration of the X Ruta de la Tapa. Collect your ‘passport’ at the Tourist Office and participating establishments. Choose the best tapa and be entered in the draw for some great prizes. The Council will present a prize for the ‘Healthiest Tapa’.

8 pm: Concert by the ‘Tobía Duo’ with Irina Yonkova (viola) and Sergio Gómez (cello). In the Castle of San Luis.

8 pm: Russian theatre ‘The Lady With the Dog’ by Antón Chekhov, with Elena Oleneva. Information and ticket sales at 10 euros at www.entradium.com.

8.30 pm: ‘El Funeral’ a play by Che y Moche, original music and theatre show. Ticket sales at www.tafestepona.com. In the Felipe VI Theatre.

9.30 pm: Performance by singer/songwriter Dennis Mansfield and his band in the Plaza Paco de Lucía (in case of rain, it will be held in the Padre Manuel Cultural Centre).

Saturday 14th:

10 am to 2 pm: l National Estepona Amateur Chess Open, in Smurfs categories, Sub. 8-10-12-14-16, Seniors and over 60. In the Plaza Antonia Guerrero.

10 am to 1.30 pm: Natural and Ecological Cookery Workshop for Stressed People, by Rafa Jiménez Garrido. Maximum registration 20 people, can be made through the website www.latermimalaga.com. Tuition + Materials: 20 euros. Includes tasting and recreational lunch of four different dishes. In the Padre Manuel Cultural Centre.

12 noon: Conference “The Hidden Intelligence of Plants’ by Manuel Lucas, Curator of the Estepona Orchid House. During the day, you can purchase orchids and accessories from ‘Pantrópica’ and ‘Flora del Tropico’s’ pop-up shops inside the Orchid House.

12 noon to 6 pm: Grand Children’s Party with inflatable castles, workshops, entertainers, photocall, show. In Plaza Augusto Suárez de Figueroa.

1 pm: Tribute to the “Kings of Pop” (Michael Jackson and Queen), with the Martina Tessaro Dance Group in Plaza ‘Diario ABC’ (if it rains it will be held in the Padre Manuel Cultural Centre).

2 pm: The Tapa Route continues. In the historic town centre.

5 pm: Guided tour of the Estepona Orchid House by María Jose Muñoz.

6 pm: Rock‘n’Children: Eisi / Disi ‘Highway to Party’ Tour 2020. Discovering AC / AD. Tickets: www.tafestepona.com. In the Felipe VI Theatre.

6 pm: Zumba performance by the Macarena López dance group. In Plaza Antonia Guerrero.

7 pm: Parade of dance and flamenco costumes by designer Gloria del Monte, with the collaboration of dancers Antonio Trujillo, Claudia Ramírez ‘La Maravilla’, Gemma Sánchez ‘La Milana’, Gloria Vicente, Immaculate Chacon, July Boera, Lourdes Barrientos, Lourdes Bazán, Maribel García, Mariví Rodríguez and Mónica Peña. In the Botanic-Orquidario Park (in case of rain it moves to the Palacio de Congresos)

7 pm: I Estepona International Choir Festival with the performances by the Ibero-American Tantanakuy Choir of Malaga, the Coral Association ‘Andrés del Río Abaurrea’ of Ceuta , the ‘San Juan Bautista’ Choir of Coín, Chorale Al Boughaz of Tangier and Young Choir of the ‘Gonzalo Martín Tenllado’ Conservatory of Malaga, as well as the Coral Magnum Mysterium and the choirs of the San José and Atalaya de Estepona schools. In the Plaza del Reloj (in case of rain, it will be held in the San José School auditorium).

10 pm: Concert of the 90s groups ‘Modestia Aparte’, ‘Ella Baila Sola’ and ‘Cómplices’ On Calle Manuel Navarro Mollor (in case of rain it will be held at the fairground pavillion)

Sunday 15th:

12 noon: Closing concert of the Estepona International Choir Festival. The participants of Saturday will be joined by the Magnum Mysterium Coral of Estepona, and the choirs of the Atalaya and San José schools. In the Felipe VI theatre (free admission until full capacity).

12 noon to 4 pm: X National Ham Cutters Contest ‘Popi Trophy’ in Calle Real.

1 pm: Concert ’80 Years Making Music in Estepona, 1940-2020 ”, by the Estepona Town Band in the Plaza del Reloj.

2 pm: Tapa Route. In the historic town centre.

I have been the editor of The Resident newspaper ever since its launch back in 2006, since when the media industry has changed out of all recognition, and with this in mind and with the aim of creating a comprehensive and bilingual local media and communication platform, I am pleased to announce the launch in April of a new project, La Voz del Resident, a media and graphics company providing essential news and information for our area of the Costa del Sol.

This exciting development is the merger of two local media companies and their publications, namely The Resident newspaper and La Voz magazine, their websites and social media presence.

La Voz del Resident can be read in its new format and on a daily basis in its digital format as well as in print on a monthly basis, bringing you the news, current affairs, what’s on, etc., with daily updates on our new bilingual website, social media and news streams directly to both the Spanish and English-speaking public.

By combining the resources of the two companies, La Voz del Resident will be better positioned to bring you valuable news and information as it happens to our readership in the municipalities of Manilva, Casares, San Roque and Estepona, along with a comprehensive guide to local culture, entertainment and the arts.

There will also be innovative opportunities for local business to be involved through interviews, and advertising across all platforms.

So make sure to pick up a copy of La Voz del Resident from the beginning of April at all the usual distribution points.

On February 28, Andalucia Day will be celebrated in the multipurpose pavilion and on Calle Mar in Manilva. To celebrate the day that Andalucia elected to become an autonomous region, the Delegation of Culture, led by Alba Jiménez, has put together a programme of activities with various performances by the Manilva Municipal School of Music, as well as the school of dance.

Programme:

• 11.30 am – Parade by the Manilva Town Band.
• 12 noon -  there will be the traditional flag raising accompanied by the Andalucia Anthem, which will be performed by the Manilva Town Band, the Choir and the Luisana Association, which will do so with sign language.
• 12.30 pm – Manilva Town Choir.
• 12.45 pm – Manilva Town Band.
• 1.15 pm – Performance by the handicapped association Luisana.
• 1.30 pm – Performance by the Jessica Quiñones School of Corporal Expression.
• 2.00 pm – Performance by the Municipal School of Dance.
• 2.30 pm – An opportunity to sample the local ham, wines, and cheeses.
• 4.00 pm – Performance by the Al Liquindoi group, who will entertain us with music until late at night.

In addition to the published activities, there will be a children’s entertainment area with attractions at a reasonable price.

The 2020 Estepona Carnival will be held on Saturday, February 22, from 12 noon to 6 pm, in the El Calvario Park. In case of rain, the activities will move to the neighbouring Padre Manuel Cultural Centre.

Programme:

12 noon to 3 pm – Children’s party in the El Calvario Park, with entertainment and music. During the party there will be a parade of participants for the Election of the Ninfa, Dios Momo and Best Fancy Dress (both Children’s and Adult categories). Prizes: A total of €600 (€100 for each category) will be awarded.

Performances: from 3 pm to 5.30 pm.

• Comparsa from La Línea: “El Batallón del Mar”. Directed by, Daniel Morales Lebrón; lyrics and music, Fco. Javier Morales Ortega.
• Estepona Chirigota: “Puede Pagar Contra Reembolso Con La Tarjeta De Crédito Y Con La Tarjeta De El Corte Inglés”. Directed by Daniel Fernández Antequera; lyrics, José Miguel Mata; music, José Alberto Ledesma.
• La Línea Chirigota: “Al Final T’Atrinco”. Directed, lyrics and music by Pepe Torres.
• Málaga Comparsa: “Ciudad Del Paraíso”. Direction, Rubén Tejada; lyrics, Miguel Gutiérrez; music, Curro Ruiz.

5.30 hours: ‘Sardine Funeral’. Once the performances are finished, the participants will leave Calvario Park to Calle Terraza, heading for La Rada beach, at the post office, where the “Pastora” Sardine will be set on fire. The cortege, which is recommended to enter the spirit of ‘mourning’, will be joined by “Los Primos De La Familia Pérez”.

Everyone is encouraged to dress up, either in a group or individually, giving the Carnival more atmosphere and colour.