He states that a “feeling of being apathetic” persists among Dominican professionals.
SANTO DOMINGO. – Architect Roberto Rijo expressed his concern about the trend among various institutions, especially in the government sector, of hiring foreign companies to design and execute projects in the Dominican Republic.
Rijo described this custom as part of an ancient “feeling of guacanagarix ” that, he claimed, continues to manifest itself in decisions that favor foreign talent over national talent.
He explained that this practice is observed both in public entities and in some private institutional instances, where the option is to seek foreign design firms even when there are qualified professionals in the country to take on those commissions.
The architect described this preference as "an aberration ," given that the Dominican Republic has the creative capital necessary to develop quality projects.
He stated that the country has sufficient knowledge and professional training, and that what is lacking is for the institutions involved to dedicate time to researching and recognizing who can do the work locally.
“It’s a matter of those companies and organizations, with a little bit of intelligence, figuring out who can do the work,” he said.
Rijo pointed out that, indeed, there may be specific cases where a project requires the assistance of an international office with highly specialized experience in a particular area.
However, he clarified that this specific participation should not be confused with allowing these foreign firms to be responsible for fully executing the projects within Dominican territory.
He indicated that allowing it represents an act of institutional ignorance , since it unfairly Dominican professionals who have the capacity to perform those tasks.
Rijo warned that this practice not only affects the participation of local talent, but also implies an inappropriate use of resources that could be invested in strengthening internal creative development.
He stated that when foreign companies are given preference to carry out projects, the opportunity to generate professional and economic growth for the national sector is missed.
The architect insisted that the resources allocated to these firms should be invested in creating value within the country, supporting Dominican architects, designers, and professionals.
He stressed that maintaining this trend only deepens the disadvantage compared to local talent, which often does not receive the opportunities it deserves.
Rijo concluded by pointing out that it is necessary to review these practices and recognize that the Dominican Republic has the professional capacity to undertake the projects designed for the country.
