DIF of Puerto Vallarta Provides Many Social Services to the Lesser Fortunate of Puerto Vallarta

DIF of Puerto Vallarta Delivers meals to shut-ins and has programs for the health and welfare of the People of Puerto Vallarta

Consider Helping DIF Puerto Vallarta Help Others

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Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

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That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.

Francie at Bonito Kitchen set up a go-fund-me to help Tunnel Road feed the people who need it.

Tunnel Road, has turned itself into as food bank and kitchen.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/vallarta-food-bank

 

Contact Information for DIF Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Av. las palmas #105, Colonia Barrio Santa María. C.P. 48325
• Email: info@difpuertovallarta.gob.mx
• Telephone: 01 (322) 225 – 9936 
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sistemadifvallarta/

This week I’m going to have a special Corona Virus Coved 19 edition of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. It was originally going to be a Real Estate Round-table I had recorded earlier in the year, but I’m going to save it either for next week, or the following week. We’ll see as the week progresses in Puerto Vallarta, and around the world. Then we are going to visit the folks at DIF in Puerto Vallarta, but before we get to that….

How are you doing? How’s the zombie apocalypse treating you? Hummm?

Pretty brutal isn’t it? Things are changing almost by the minute for all of us. Looks like we’re in this together. I’ here to make you feel better okay?

Here in the beautiful state of California Governor Newsom has the state on lockdown. He wants us to stay at home. Don’t go to work unless you are necessary to keeping the human race going. Here in California that would be truckers, grocery clerks, the grocery stores are open. No toilet paper. Auto repair shops, auto parts stores, drive-thru restaurants and all other restaurants that used to be open but now have to deliver or deliver at the door. Pharmacies, medical workers, hospitals, pot shops. That’s right. Pot shops. You wouldn’t want riots over closed marijuana dispensaries.

If you aren’t one of those essential service providers, you are to stay at home, go out for a walk or a hike, as long as you keep a distance of about 6 feet from the other guy. We can go to the market, the pharmacy, to the auto repair shop I guess. Oh, to the pot shop too.

Now the cops can stop you if you are on the road and ask you where you are going. If you don’t have a good answer, they can detain you. So just tell the cop, I’m on my way to buy weed, and he has to let you go. Go figure. At any rate, I doubt anyone will stop you if you are driving in Cali, but just in case, have your story ready. All the old folks homes are on lockdown.

My dad just turned 89 the other day, and unfortunately, we couldn’t visit him. All the inmates as he calls himself and his fellow old people must be restricted to their rooms. They eat all their meals in their rooms and aren’t allowed to roam the facilities. I’m guessing your life is upside down too. Welcome to the club. And if you’re scared, please try to stop watching the news if you can. You are going to be all right. Just listen to Tio Barry. But enough about me, and you..let’s see what’s happening right now in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Last week, Trudeau recalled his people. Come Home Slaves, If you want to have your health insurance, come home. Canadians and Americans are faced with a dilemma right now. Travelers insurance doesn’t cover you for the Corona virus in Mexico. And you don’t really want to be in Mexico without health insurance, we’ve talked about that over and over again. On top of that, if there really is a health emergency and the hospitals are overwhelmed, you don’t want to be taking up the bed of some Mexican who needs it too. So today, if you are Canadian, today is the last day for you here in Mexico. The last planes out of Vallarta to Canada are tonight the 22nd of March. After that I’ve been told there may be a couple of late round-up flights. Canada is closing their border with the US to all but essential travel and trade and commerce will remain open and flowing.

The border between Mexico and the US will also be closed to non-essential travel. Here’s a directive from the US Embassy Mexico City (March 21, 2020)

Location: Mexico

Event: Joint Statement on US-Mexico Joint Initiative to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic

The United States and Mexico agree on the need for a dedicated joint effort to prevent spread of the COVID-19 virus and address the economic effects resulting from reduced mobility along our shared border. The US and Mexican governments further recognize critical services such as food, fuel, healthcare, and life-saving medicines must reach people on both sides of the border every day. Essential travel must therefore continue unimpeded during this time. In order to ensure that essential travel can continue, the United States and Mexico are also temporarily restricting all non-essential travel across its borders.

This action does not prevent US citizens from returning home. This action does not apply to air travel.

These restrictions are temporary and go into effect on March 21, 2020. They will remain in effect through 11:59 pm on April 20, 2020. This decision has been coordinated with the Governments of Mexico and Canada. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for further information on the temporary limitations on nonessential travel.

Enrique Alfaro Ramírez

March 12 at 5:37 PM ·

With the arrival of the # Coronavirus and its evolution worldwide, we have witnessed how different countries have taken new preventive measures, but also extreme actions where they did not act in a timely manner. In Jalisco, we do not have any confirmed cases, but it is likely that over time it will come; We can no longer stand idly by for the federal government to react, much less now that it has been declared a pandemic by the WHO.

Here we are going to assume the responsibility that we have to take care of the health of our people. I have instructed that preventive actions and the presence of state personnel in schools, public transport, ports, airports and entrances to the state be immediately reinforced. In addition, in the following hours we will define our position around the massive events in our state. Prevention is the priority.

In economic terms, we have laid out a special route of work with the private sector, through Coincydes, to cushion the effects on the Jalisco industry and support small and medium-sized companies to take care together of our sustained growth rate.

In the Government of Jalisco, we are doing everything in our hands and, as always, the most important thing is to understand that this challenge is on everyone’s court, with actions as basic as washing hands frequently, avoiding crowds, not saying hello hand, kiss or hug and if our daughters and sons have flu-like symptoms, do not go to school.

There are no reasons to panic, but there are reasons to be alert. Don’t fall for rumors. The working table between the instances of this government is permanent and we will be informing you of every change, news or decision that is taken in this regard.

And I have a link to that article in the show notes.

So, things started to change. On the 16^th decisions were made to clase all the farmers markets along the bay. Then on March 18^th it was decided that businesses with 50 or more customers for more than 30 minutes at a time, were to close. So bars, theaters and restaurants were asked to close and most have done that by now with a few exceptions. Then, on Friday the 20^th, governor Alfaro asked everyone to stay home for 5 days, beginning Saturday and ending tomorrow, March 25, in a effort to flatten the curve and slow this virus.

Supermarkets and tiendas, essential services are still operating but with the risk of elderly getting the infection, the baggers at the market, who are seniors, have been asked to stay home, causing a big problem. These people need to eat and with no income for some time, with all the borders closed and no tourists, is all the people need to eat. Things need to happen pretty quickly or people will begin to get desperate.

Our friend Jimmy Plouff from Tunnel Road BBQ here in Puerto Vallarta sent out a call to action the other day about the baggers and here’s what he said about that….

Ok so here’s what I’ve learned from our neighbor Nicolas. All the baggers are grouped by colonia via the DIF program for elderly workers. So ALL the elderly baggers from La Comer on fco villa live in MY neighborhood (agua azul). The ones from Mega in Lopez Mateos. Etc. He say many of them ARE already running out of food. Some have already.

We have 4 folks we will be taking food to urgently tonight. We are working on getting a list from the DIF of names and locations for all the at risk folks.

As for anyone else who may need it the DIF is spinning up a program for those people as well. For now they can go to the DIF and request a despensa from there daily. Going forward things may be different.

If you have food donations or cash you can either bring it to my home or it can be dropped off at the DIF bodega during their business hours 9 to 4 I believe.

If possible please send more food! We will need many more despensas in the coming weeks.

See our post on the business page for all the details and info: Tunnel Road BBQ

Thanks to all those who have sent stuff so far it is getting where it needs to go and we will expand it and get it out there as long as we have supplies!

Photos are of despensa items. Full list on our page.

Tunnel Road BBQ Contact Information

Facebook Tunnel Road BBQ Page Click Here

And I have a link to that post in the shownotes. Then yesterday I saw Jimmy had been in touch with DIF, and he posted another plea from them  and they really need our help to feed people….I asked Jimmy if he would come on the show and talk to us about  this post….so let’s go by phone to The Aqua Azul neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta and talk with Jimmy Plouff, Tunnel Road BBQ.

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Okay Jimmy. Hey folks, do whatever you can and help out at DIF. These 800 people are only the tip of the iceberg, but it’s something. And many of you have friends in Vallarta who you are Facebook Friends with. Reach out to them and see what you can do to help them. They all are going to need it. Even JR. Don’t forget him when things come back to life…hopefully really soon. Also, if you had to cancel your trip, consider coming back in the off season. Experience a thunderstorm or two.

So after the 5 day voluntary curfew, let’s see what’s going to happen. Until then, Paradise is on lockdown, sort of.

So, what’s going to happen? Like I said, I’m not a scientist, statistician, doctor or virologist. I’m just a regular joe but I do know when things don’t add up. So, I’ve been doing a little research on the subject and I’d like to share it with you, and perhaps, help everyone cope and understand what’s going on.

The 21^st was a bad day for Italy. Over 700 dead in one day from the Covid 19 virus. Why is Italy having such a difficult time?

Italy has the oldest population in Europe. Italy also has a population of smokers. They like to hug and kiss each other too. A lot. But Italy’s problem is deeper than that.

I found out that over the years, Chinese companies have purchased most of the textile and leather factories in Italy employing about 300,000 Chinese workers, all around the country, with direct flights to Wuhan China at  airports around the country.

let me ready you selections from this article, here’s one from July 29^th 2018 from Psychology today, the article is titled, Made in Italy, The Cost of Cachet

It talks about how the leather industry in Italy runs on a slave labor force. From the article…

Posted July 29, 2018

Source: Anna Utochkina on Unsplash

Italy had always been dear to my heart as I love art, fashion, and culture.  When it comes to design, aesthetics, and hand-made craftsmanship, the Italian heritage had no equal.  Authenticity, quality, and prestige were part and parcel to the “Made in Italy” moniker.   But this legacy is being challenged as the global appetite for luxury goods increases and companies strive to meet these demands by any means necessary.

Gone are the days where Italian handbags, shoes, belts and other specialty items were produced by local, Italian artisans. Instead, the reality of a label stating “Made in Italy” has numerous implications.  On the most egregious end, it may be a product made in another country.

When I visited Florence, I noticed many of the open-air markets selling “Italian leather” were run by Bangladesh immigrants to Italy.  While the leather goods all had a “made in Italy” tag, I was told by Italian shop owners that these were not made in Italy.  Further research, revealed these goods may not even be real leather.  But even if it was real cowhide, the leather most likely originated from a leather tannery in Bangladesh.  Not only do Bangladeshi suffer poor working conditions through exposure to hazardous and noxious chemicals, but the exploitation of child labor is also rampant in their country’s leather industry.  This should give all of us pause when thinking about our purchases and the cost that comes with cachet.

But I also learned, “made in Italy” could still equate with abhorrent working conditions in Italy by hiring from a Chinese labor pool.  Some immigrated legally, some smuggled illegally, while others are trafficked (i.e. they had no choice in the matter) subjected to work in the garment industry or prostitution.  Part of the reason clothing manufacturers including Gucci, Prada, and other luxury brands can use a “Made in Italy” label through Chinese labor is due to the country of origin laws.

Because the country of origin for labeling purposes, according to the European Union’s rules of origin, is where the final production process is carried out and does not take the national origin of the craftsmen, these big brands are in the clear legally. (Fashion Law)

Initially, Italian-owned textile and manufacturing mills discovered the riches of having a workforce that labored long hours (sometimes between 24-36 hours non-stop), couldn’t understand the culture (i.e. unaware of how to file complaints), and was willing to work for low wages (mostly under-the-table).  Eventually, Chinese business owners invested in Italy and became proprietors running their own mills, landing lucrative subcontracting work from major Italian brands, and employing thousands upon thousands of Chinese through a complicated network of human trafficking, purportedly tied to the Chinese Mafia.

In 2014, an Italian artisan spoke to the investigative television journalist Sabrina Giannini. Gucci had given him a big contract, he said, but the pay was so low—twenty-four euros a bag—that he had subcontracted the work to a Chinese mill, where employees worked fourteen-hour days and were paid half what he made. When the bags made it to stores, they were priced at between eight hundred and two thousand dollars. An inspector for Gucci told Giannini that he saw no reason to ask employees about their working conditions. (The New Yorker)

In Prato, one of the commercial manufacturing hubs of Tuscany, more than 50,000 Chinese are estimated to be working in the textile industry.  The city itself is believed to have more than 4000 Chinese-run clothing factories. While some are legal residents of Italy, many enter illegally through Human traffickers who work like slaves in the garment industry.

In March (2013) the city of Prato opened a wide investigation to better understand working conditions in the factories after a young Chinese worker, believed to be around 16 years old, turned up at an emergency room malnourished and severely injured after a factory machine malfunctioned. He told authorities that he worked seven days a week for around €1 an hour, and his shift generally began at 7 a.m. and ended at midnight. He slept in the factory, and a portion of his wages paid for room and board. (The Daily Beast)

But that’s not the only thing plaguing the Italians.

I’ve mentioned the term Economic Hit-men before. Well here’s an example of what I’m talking about….

From The Federalist March 17, 2020, author Helen Raleigh

Iran And Italy Are Paying A Hefty Price For Close Ties With Communist China

Iran and Italy’s economies are worsening, and their people are suffering most in this Wuhan virus outbreak — all because of their leaders’ short-sighted and foolish decisions.

By Helen Raleigh

MARCH 17, 2020

The coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has now swept through 126 countries, infected close to 170,000 people worldwide, and is responsible for more than 6,400 deaths as of March 15. China is leading the world in the number of confirmed cases and deaths. What many people find shocking is that Italy and Iran are the second- and third-hardest hit nations in this outbreak.

By any common-sense measure, both countries should have much lower numbers of confirmed cases and deaths because they are geographically far from the epicenter of the outbreak. The reason these two countries are suffering the most outside China is mainly due to their close ties with Beijing, primarily through the “One Belt and One Road” (OBOR) initiative.

OBOR is Beijing’s foreign policy play disguised as infrastructure investment. Here’s how it works: China and country X agree to do an infrastructure project in country X. Country X has to borrow from a Chinese bank to finance the project. A contract is always awarded to Chinese companies, which then bring supplies and Chinese employees to country X to build the project. Clearly, the country that benefits most from this initiative is China.

The OBOR provides new markets and consistent demand for China’s goods and services, creates employment opportunities for Chinese workers, and gives China access to strategically important locations and natural resources. Beijing’s real objective is to leverage its newly gained financial power to greatly expand its geopolitical influence as well as its economic and military footing from Asia to Europe and Africa.

While this initiative has worked out well for China’s strategic interests, it hasn’t done the same for participating countries. At least eight countries that signed on the OBOR initiative are so indebted to the Chinese that they had to hand over their strategic assets to China to offset their debt. Despite these worrisome precedents, leaders in both Italy and Iran eagerly signed up to OBOR in 2019, hoping the red capital from Communist China would rescue their nations from economic woes. Now they are paying a dear price for it.

What Has Happened in Italy

Italy’s economy has been struggling for two decades. It has seen three recessions in 10 years. Its unemployment rate stood at 10.3 percent, and its youth unemployment rate was 33 percent as of 2018. According to Marco Annunziata of Forbes, the living standards in Italy today are roughly the same as they were 20 years ago because very little growth has occurred.

Italy’s economic woes are caused by aging industries, ruinous regulations (especially its overly rigid labor laws), an inefficient banking system, high levels of corruption, and constant political turmoil. From 1946 to 2016, Italy had 65 governments. No matter who was in charge, he lacked resolve to implement serious structural reform and deregulation to boost the economy.

Instead, every one of the 65 governments hoped they could spend their way out of an economic mess. Italy’s debt burden as a percentage of annual economic activity measured by GDP is at 132 percent as of 2018, the second highest in the EU, only slightly better than Greece.

The most recent political upheaval in Italy took place in May 2018. Weeks after an election, the anti-establishment groups and pro-EU lawmakers failed to produce a new coalition government. The final compromise resulted in a virtually unknown law professor, Giuseppe Conte, becoming the new prime minister.

Like his predecessors, Conte has been unwilling to implement any structural reform. Instead, he sought an “easy” way out. Almost exactly a year ago in March 2019, against warnings from the EU and the United States, Italy became the first and only G7 country to sign onto OBOR. As part of the deal, Italy opened an array of sectors to Chinese investment, from infrastructure to transportation, including letting Chinese state-owned companies hold a stake in four major Italian ports. The deal gave communist China a foothold in the heart of Europe, but Conte downplayed it as “no big deal at all.”

Lombardy and Tuscany are the two regions that saw the most Chinese investment. Nearly a year later, the first Wuhan coronavirus infection case in Italy was reported in the Lombardy region on Feb. 21. Today, Italy is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak outside China, and Lombardy is the hardest-hit region in the country. As of March 14, Italy reported 24,747 cases and 1,809 deaths. Now the entire country is in lockdown until at least April 3. Its economy is expected to contract 7.5 percent in the first quarter, opposite what Conte had hoped.

What Has Happened in Iran

Iran faces some of the worst economic and political challenges it has in decades. The Trump administration re-imposed economic sanctions in 2018, which has worsened an already crumbling economy. In 2019, Iran’s inflation rate was 40 percent. The regime had to introduce a ration to limit meat consumption last year. Its currency, the rial, has lost 70 percent of its value to U.S. dollars. The overall unemployment rate was 15 percent but between 40 and 50 percent among young people.

Fed up with economic hardship, Iranians took to the streets in late 2017 to 2018 and then again between 2019 and early 2020. Initially, they protested to voice economic grievances about government corruption, but the protests quickly shifted to demands for fundamental political reform. They rejected their government’s policy of supporting terrorists in countries like Syria while ignoring economic hardship at home, and called both for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down and for “death to the Revolutionary Guards,” a powerful military force loyal to him.

The Iranian government responded to these protests with an iron fist. In 2019 alone, the Iranian government reportedly killed more than 1,000 protesters, arrested thousands more, and shut down internet nationwide for six days to block news of the crackdown from being shared domestically and internationally.

Facing domestic economic and political challenges and international isolation, Iran has sought out China as an ally against the United States, relying on economic ties and military cooperation with Beijing to fend off U.S.-imposed sanctions. China has been keeping the Iranian regime afloat by purchasing Iranian oil, selling the Iranian regime weapons, and transferring nuclear technologies.

But 2019 was the year Iran officially signed up to OBOR. China sees Iran as a crucial player to this initiative because Iran is not only rich in oil but also lies in a direct path of an ambitious 2,000-mile railroad China wants to build, which will run from western China through Tehran and Turkey into Europe.

Today, Iranian health officials trace the country’s coronavirus outbreak to Qom, a city of a million people. According to the Wall Street Journal, “China Railway Engineering Corp. is building a $2.7 billion high-speed rail line through Qom. Chinese technicians have been helping refurbish a nuclear-power plant nearby.” Iranian medical professionals suspect either Chinese workers in Qom or an Iranian businessman who travelled to China from Qom caused the spread of the coronavirus in Qom.

But religious leaders and the Iranian government were slow to take action. Religious leaders in Qom refused to cancel Friday prayers until the end of February, which allowed infected pilgrims to quickly spread the virus to other parts of the nation. Although on Feb. 1 the Iranian government banned its airlines from flying to China, it made an exception for Mahan Air, an unofficial airline for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The WSJ reported that Mahan Air “had carried out eight flights between Tehran and China between Feb. 1 and Feb. 9 to transfer Chinese and Iranian passengers to their respective home countries.” This explains why so many high-level Iranian officials are infected by the coronavirus, including First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and more than 20 lawmakers. Mohammad Mirmohammadi, an adviser to Khamenei, was the most senior Iranian official who died of the coronavirus as of today.

Iran is now the third-worst hit country in the coronavirus pandemic, with close to 14,000 cases and 724 deaths. Given the secretive nature of the regime, many suspect the actual numbers of cases and deaths are much higher. Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, says, “Coronavirus has exacted an even higher political toll on the regime, because it has exposed the country’s ruling clerical elite as incompetent and out-of-touch.” He predicts the coronavirus may accomplish what years of actions by the West have failed to achieve: the collapse of Iran’s clerical authoritarian regime.

Italy and Iran have very different social, economic, and political systems. Yet both nations share something in common: Their leaders refused to implement economic and political reforms in their nations. Instead, they sought close ties with communist China in recent years, selling out their countries and their people’s interests, hoping Beijing’s red capital would rescue their failing economies. Now their economies are worsening and their people are suffering most in this outbreak — all because of these leaders’ short-sighted and foolish decisions.

And I have a link to that article in the federalist. Ah yes, the economic hitmen.

And then there’s this, The Mayor of Florence Italy. Posted to YouTube the 4th of February 2020…

 

I have embedded this youtube video in the shownotes from CGTN Here’s the text from the post…

Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella has suggested residents hug Chinese people to encourage them in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, a member of Associazione Unione Giovani Italo Cinesi, a Chinese society in Italy aimed at promoting friendship between people in the two countries, called for respect for novel coronavirus patients during a street demonstration. “I’m not a virus. I’m a human. Eradicate the prejudice.”

So, here’s the facts. Have you heard any of this from the main stream media? Humm??? Just be afraid.

Let’s look at today’s figures. Italy..

69,000 confirmed cases of Covid 19 cases, 6,820 deaths compared to cases right now, today in the US. 55,129 with 787 deaths. There’s a big difference by a factor of ten. Ten times more deaths in Italy than in the US.

That’s an interesting figure. Italy got the much deadlier strain, type L, but we are seeing the much milder strain here, the S strain.

Around the world today, there are 417,042 recorded cases of the virus with a total of 18,300 deaths. Worldwide.

This year, the flu season is just about over. The 2019-2020 flu season saw 38 million people get the flu, 390,000 were hospitalized, and 23,000 died including 149 cases of pediatric death.

So far, during this pandemic, less than 800.

Worldwide cases of the flu are estimated to be between 38-54,000,000 ill with the flu, about 20,000,000 hospital visits and 60,000 dead.

I bet you didn’t know an average of 1,100 people die worldwide every day from Malaria. Does anyone care?

It’s unpopular right now to speak out on this subject. Lots of pressure on social media to get in line. I get that. I’m not going to tell you that you should ignore the shelter in place orders out there. Lots of money and treasure are being expended to make this happen, to flatten the corona curve, and by all means do what they say. It makes sense to wash your hands like a madman. It’s okay to keep your distance I suppose, and by all means, if you feel sick, stay at home but for goodness sake. Peel yourself away from the TV and the radio. My wife is scared to death. She cries at night. It’s so wrong. I’ts so unnecessary.

So, go ahead and write me your hate mail. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me we need to be afraid and keep this going as long as it takes. But we can’t afford it, the Mexicans, our friends can’t afford it and let me just put this out there. There’s a grand experiment going on right now, all over the world. No, I’m not going deep dark conspiracy here. I’ll save that for another day. But…there is a grand experiment happening all around the world, in millions of locations. One of them is right down the street from you. It’s your local grocery store, convenience store,  and mom and pop market.

All of the baggers, the checkers, the managers the shelf stockers…all of them, have been working full time since before the beginning of this shutdown. And today, they are working overtime hours and seeing more people than they have ever seen walk through their doors, emptying their shelves, and handing them their cash. If they haven’t all gotten ill. If they’re not all dropping like flies, then we need to get back to our daily business. Scoial distancing yes, hand washing yes, but this hysteria needs to stop. Next year we will see the Tylenol Flu and Covid 19 day and night sleep remedy. The Theracovid is just around the corner. So, that’s all.

When govonor Newsome gave the shelter in place warning last Friday, he warned California could see as many as 22 million of our 44 million population come down with this virus. To date, California has a total of 2,617 diagnosed cases to date. New York has the highest number of cases in the nation with almost half at 26,430 followed by New Jersey with 3,675 diagnosed cases. In total, 55,129.

To me, that’s not a pandemic, that’s a sold out crowd at Chavez Ravine, Dodger Stadium. So you all better start getting sick if you want this to work. Right? Okay look….

Wash your hands with soap and sing feliz cumplianos a ti while you do it, and I’ll get off that soapbox again. In fact, let me burn it. We’ll see whare we are on this next week. Stay tuned..You have no choice, unless you hate me and shut me down. I’ll miss you. Just stay healthy and remember I care for you.

Let’s get to the interview shall we?

Contact Information for DIF Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Av. las palmas #105, Colonia Barrio Santa María. C.P. 48325
• Email: info@difpuertovallarta.gob.mx
• Telephone: 01 (322) 225 – 9936 
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sistemadifvallarta/

DIF on Puerto Vallarta should be on your list for donating when you visit Paradise here in Puerto Vallarta.

Currently the organization is run by the wife of the Mayor in Puerto Vallarta, and this lady is Candalaria Tovar de Davalos, wife of the Presidencia Municipal, Mayor Arturo Davalos. And she is something.

Let me read the mission statement…

System for the Integral Development of the Family

It is a decentralized body that designs and develops multidisciplinary public social assistance programs, whose objective is to provide care and serve the population that is in a vulnerable situation and with great deficiencies, which promotes the prosperity of the inhabitants of the municipality with human quality and professionalism. .

It is a reliable social assistance institution for the community and transparent in its operation, promoter of personal and family values ​​and virtues, active in the prevention and correction of the different socio-cultural problems that afflict our municipality.

Its services were designed to reach those who need the most and have the least, a key point for the effective integration of different groups in society, offering the public attention to their needs, human quality and professionalism in the service.

It has collaborators who are sensitive to social problems, trained, identified with the philosophy of the DIF Municipal System, promoters of comprehensive care and excellence, always seeking continuous improvement and professional and personal growth.

Its Public Social Assistance Programs promote the well-being and social inclusion of people, families and communities of the municipality who are in a situation of extreme poverty, physical, psychological and social vulnerability with attention.

Mission

We are a decentralized body that designs and develops multidisciplinary public social assistance programs, whose objective is to provide care and serve the population that is in a vulnerable situation and with great deficiencies, which promotes the prosperity of the inhabitants of the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, with human quality and professionalism.

Vision

To be an institution structurally strengthened and transparent in its processes of operation, material, economic and human capital resources in a constant search for comprehensive professionalism. To be leaders in the quality of social assistance and development of programs, activities and actions that allow the projection of a Vallarta society in constant growth.

Our friends Francie and Jimmy Plouff over at Tunnel Road BBQ, volunteered to help them with their emergency needs during the nasty flooding from tropical storm Narda. If you remember, we went on a humanitarian mission down to Tomatlan and also to the area just north of Mayto, to bring supplies down in October. And they were asked to be liaisons between the English speaking community in Vallarta and the Local community and government agencies.

Well, they had a tour of the facility and I tagged along. What I saw was amazing. The facility does so much for the people of Vallarta.

Social services, legal services, family planning, nutrition, psychologists, marital counseling, women’s health and development, and more. They have Zumba classes, a therapeutic pool, just so much. So, let’s go back to Jimmy and Frankie, and let’s review my tour of DIF, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

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Thank you again Francie and Jimmy. You two are wonderful for doing what you do for the less fortunate. And now it’s time for all of us to step up and pitch in. When you bring items to donate to Mexico, put DIF on your list. I have all the contact information in the shownotes. And right now, more than ever, your friends in Puerto Vallarta need your help. Stop what you are doing and send some money down. It’s almost 25 pesos to the dollar, do it now.

I have all the links you need in the shownotes or go right now to your Facebook page and type in Tunnel Road BBQ and check out their post and information. Double check to make sure nobody spoofs their page. Check out my shownotes…give me a day to get them all up there.

Okay, that should do it for this week.

Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.

And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making

a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.

And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.

Thanks to you Jimmy Plouff and Francie, you both are wonderful human beings. Make sure when this all blows over to see them at their Tunnel Road BBQ. It’s killer food and the owners are the nicest! And make sure you visit DIF next time you come to Puerto Vallarta. The need your help. Don’t forget your pesos for the locals.

And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!