One of the things that make Casco Antiguo special is that is a community where small things can be implemented resulting in big impact not only in the resident`s lifestyle but in Panama`s tourism.

Some might not believe it, but when you compile numbers... it is incredible to see. Casco Viejo is truly leading Panama as an example of social revitalization fueled by an economy that is gathering its own momentum. Its image is one of the favorite subjects of international reporters who find in Casco Viejo`s historic architecture and mixed community a wonderful story to tell... the story of true Panama and why people should come to explore it.

Fundación San Felipe is one of the oldest ngo`s working in Casco. Although you might not be aware of them, they keep one of Casco`s jewels in great shape (the San Felipe Neri Church) and run programs for kids in the neighborhood.

Downstairs, kids watch a pinguin movie at the computer lab. Normally, during their vacations they would have been roaming the streets with only mischief in their minds. Upstairs, a journalist defends freedom while downstairs freedom is created in the minds of local women who are breaking the cycle of poverty. Welcome to Santa Familia.

If you are a pet owner, ticks are one of your worst nightmares. But ticks in tropical countries are everywhere... so what can you do? AVACA`s members got together into a fumigation program, hopefully with good effects!

Culture and money, for some reason they are not always perceived as close relatives. Culture and social change seem like cousins, but somehow not necesarily people think they go to the same parties. However, it is through culture that we generate tourism and many other activities... and it so happens that as a tool for change is quite a bomb on its own. And that bomb has started to catch a bit of fire in Casco Viejo.

El Casqueño second edition is out! beautiful and thoughtful, it is a fair window into Casco Viejo´s everyday life and most important issues. Also, The Visitor dedicated a special edition to the old neighborhood... check it out!

This past weekend, a small event to celebrate the Environment Day turned into a hughe success. Beautiful palms were planted, but also the seed into our children´s minds about taking care of trees and the environment.

Tomorrow, at 9:30 a.m. the Casco Viejo Neighborhood and Friends Association will celebrate the United Nation´s Earth Day in Casco Viejo. AVACA, as it is known in Spanish, will have a small but fun event, where they´ll replace 7 royal palms that used to complete the landscape of Casco Viejo´s waterfront next to the National Theatre.

From May 27th to the 6th of June, the National Theatre and Anita Villalaz Theatre in Casco Viejo will be hosting the Saint Malo Music Festival. This festival is one of the few that preserves a classic tone to it with chamber groups, choirs and symphonic orchestras. Here is the schedule!

How to fight poverty effectively is a question that thousands of organizations around the world make themselves every day. In Casco Viejo, Panama, an experiment that started about two years ago by Fundacion Calicanto has started to root and bear fruits. It is focused on women, knowing that through them, you are able to change a family and eventually a society. How does it work? keep reading....

The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and the National Association Against Cancer (ANCEC) are presenting today a very special performance by dancer and coreographer Fernando Hurtado. I´ve seen him dancing before with Panamanian and Casco Viejo resident Analida Galindo and they are an explosive combination. All proceeds will go to help ANCEC with their important mission to fight Cancer in Panama.

Social change can be tackled different ways, but probably the most sustainable one is when people from all layers of a community come together for a common goal. Slowly, Casco Viejo is becoming a model on how to fight extreme poverty through community activism.

Every day, people bring hope. And that is the real beauty of the fight.

Only a few days for Jazz Fest and related or unrelated parties start to sprout. Here I got an invitation to a big party by DJ Seth Troxler who will be at Club Union on January 16th, starting at 9 p.m. The party will be filmed by Red Bull Music Academy Radio.

The final countdown for the Panama Jazz Festival 2010 has started. This year, the event will be dedicated to Sonny White who was a Panamanian pianist from the 20´s who played with international music stars such as Billie Holiday, Willie Bryant and Frankie Newton. Check out who is playing when and where!

A Foundation that helps women of low resources to overcome in life...

Come to the event!

2009 Latino Center Awards have been given to five outstanding Panamanians... three of them Casconians. Hurray!!!!

Her name and her work are legendary...

In Casco Antiguo it has been a custom for several years to be part of the Sunday Flea Market...

For this week in La Casona they will have several cultural events, for you to come and have a good time with friends and family...

Looking for a school in Panama? Tips on finding a school in Panama... and close to the Casco Viejo!

Culture is hardly ever thought as an economic engine. But it is! and as a secondary effect, it also raises the lifestyle of the society as a whole (or was it all the way around?). Join hands and contribute to Casco Viejo´s cultural future...

This has been an intense week for international piano star Danilo Perez and his wife and music therapist Patricia Perez. Fundación Danilo Perez has not only launched the next Panama Jazz Festival 2010, but also announced their program Music For Change.

More about the Fundación Danilo Pérez...

"Panama at the Smithsonian", is a series of public programs and educational activites...

Which NGO´s and charitable foundations work in Casco? this posting is part of a six-posting series. Here you´ll find who/what and how to participate of: FUNDACION SAN FELIPE

Which NGO´s and charitable foundations work in Casco? this posting is part of a six-posting series. Here you´ll find who/what and how to participate of: HOGAR DE LA INFANCIA AND CASCO ANTIGUO DANCE SCHOOL

Which NGO´s and charitable foundations work in Casco? this posting is part of a six-posting series. Here you´ll find who/what and how to participate of: THE SCOUTS

Which NGO´s and charitable foundations work in Casco? this posting is part of a six-posting series. Here you´ll find who/what and how to participate of: APROJUSAN

Which NGO´s and charitable foundations work in Casco? this posting is part of a six-posting series. Here you´ll find who/what and how to participate of: FUNDACION CALICANTO

Danilo Perez Foundation: Present 2009 Programs: "Education First" - Seminars, Workshops, Music... don´t miss this opportunity.

Still one week to go and enjoy the concerts in the Panama´s Alfredo De Saint Malo Third Music Festival...

If you want to learn more about computer programs and how to use it, be part of this course in Fundación Calicanto.

By means of Executive Decree No. 26 of March 2, 2009, the Government of Panama significantly reduced from US$615,000 to US$260,000 the bank time deposit at the National Bank of Panama required to qualify for a Second Passport.

With a diversified economy and a strong, conservative, banking system, Panama is on the move to protect the country as much as possible from the current economic crisis. For the last three years, Panama positioned itself as one of the fastest growing economies in the region, with numbers as far as 10% a growth reached only by countries such as China.Worldwide, this year has been very different for everyone. But Panama’s advantage over the region may survive ...

To spark change through dance. To transform children into creative forces... Casco Viejo has started a pioneer program that will change from inside out.

Panama will receive today a delegation led by Prince Philippe of Belgium and his Minister of Economy Vincent Van Quickenborne. The goal: to participate in the expasion of the Panama Canal and explore the country´s benefits as a regional hub.

Breaking the cycle of poverty in Casco Viejo is really simple. It just takes dedication, knowledge and love. Children are so eager for these elements, they´ll do the rest. They have found a home in this program, and now their home just got better!

These past two weeks have been a frenzy for Ariel Espino and his team at Oficina del Casco Antiguo. Not only he was running business as usual with all the social programs the OCA has and building renovations that range from social housing within Casco Viejo to the rescue of old ruins and turning them into beautiful public spaces, but he was also - and for the first time at that office - launching an ambitious website, and even more, hosting a special UNESCO delegation that arrived to check on how things where going down here due to some letters they have gotten that the Casco was in danger.

The US Marines invade Casco Viejo! learn why.....

One of the well known tactics to attract children anywhere is to have them make fun stuff. Aprojusan, a local ngo, uses art as honey to get local children to assist to their center. While they are there, they receive help with homework, basic healthcare and emotional support. Now, while we where trying to have a serious conversation... check out the madness around us! I was about to skip office to join them...

Obama´s election was cheered by everyone. However, there is so much stuff to fix at home, so many sacrifices to be made... so much hard work. What about Panama? Casco Viejo? what are the advantages, the choices?

A pioneer program at Casco Antiguo is changing the lives of underprivileged residents.

Last night, a group of friends organized a tapas night at Canal House in Casco Viejo with Argimiro, a Panamanian young chef who studied in Spain and even did his professional practice at the famous El Bulli Restaurant (Ferrán Adriá, 2 and 3 Michelin stars!). When Argimiro returned to Panama, he fell in love with Casco Viejo and I have to say we fell in love with his food, so anytime he organizes a party or just a tapas night we are more than thrilled. And last night we had a treat.

Heriberto Trejos had a big smile on his face. A group of women who live in San Felipe, Santa Ana and Chorrillo are being interviewed to participate in a hotel training course organized by Fundacion Calicanto. As the manager of the foundation, Heriberto has a diverse portfolio of social projects, all of them with a common goal: breaking the cycle of poverty in the local families of Casco Antiguo, allowing them to take control of their lives and be an active element of the thriving future of the historic city.

A group of Panamanian artists, including Blanca Dávalos and Yiyi Barra from La Casona have been worried about other artistic media gaining too much space over painting. They´ve planned a full month of painting exhibitions with seven different artists at La Casona, which will be up for a month starting September 25th. It will include Panamanian artists Rolando De Sedas, Ricaurte González, Silvia Costa, Manuel S. López and Cristina Garrido, and international painters Damien Prouvost and Dahiana Bukschtein. This is the note at today´s La Prensa:

Last week the world went bananas on the trade market. A rollercoaster that has more than one at the edge of a heart attack, it has been really worrysome for all of us to see gigants fall and take with them everything they can. Markets in Asia, Japan and Europe have been affected. In Panama, however, things have been slightly different.

When Al Gore launched his “ Inconvenient Truth” he touched many nerves world wide. Liked it or not, people reacted in such a way that has forced all relevant presidential candidates ( like Barak Obama and John Mccain) to take note of these issues seriously. The energy crisis is real. Just today (and to make things worst) I opened the newspaper and read how hurricane Ike has at least a dozen of refineries closed in the United States. Food crisis is coming up next. What can we do?

An ambitious project is being announced: the World Bank and the Office of Casco Antiguo will invest close to $2M to promote cultural industries in the historic city. Here is the article in Spanish, by La Prensa...

The good news: my eggplant just gave two little and beautiful "berenjenas". The bad - ugly news: somehow it just got a horrible pest!!! help!!!

Last night, the United Nations Environmental Programee inaugurated at the National Theatre in Casco Antiguo their "For the Earth" Festival. It will last a month, with several activities withing Casco Antiguo, ranging from poetry to rock concerts. Most of the activities will be held at

September in Casco Viejo starts with interesting events: dance and music all over. Check out the new events here...

Casco Viejo will host a very special event in September. The United Nation´s agency for the Environment (known in Spanish as PNUMA) will present an art festival featuring artists from different disciplines, from poetry to street painting. Check out the event calendar here!

Do you know what is SENACYT? find out! they are launching their 4th Technology and Innovation Awards with an amazing budget of 8 million dollars to distribute between the winners!

Last Saturday a nice article came out about Casco Viejo (which in Panama is known as San Felipe, Catedral, la Ciudad... so many names!). I looked for it in the electronic version of La Prensa, but couldn´t find it. So here is my translation and the original piece scanned at the bottom. It talks about speculation, restoration, patrimony (human and architectural) and what has been done in the past 10 years.

An amazing program is changing the lives of local families in Casco Antiguo. Check it out and join!

August seems to start with great enthusiasm. It is the National Theatre´s 100 year anniversary, plus other events are at hand. Here is the latest on cultural events in the Casco:

We received a flash note from Quintessentially announcing the next "Silent Auction" of Fundacion San Felipe. This year, it will be held at the Marriott hotel, and all proceeds will go to their various programs ranging from art to photography for kids.

Ciudad del Saber or City of Knowledge is literally a city within one of the former US military bases called Clayton. One of the most visionary compounds in Panama, it has become a technopark that holds universities, laboratories, incubators for young entrepreneurs and just all sorts of new stuff. If it is revolutionary, ground breaking, you can get in and benefit from a wide platform of incentives. So who is there and what is it exactly that they do? for example,

Ah! La Bella Roma! From the cradle of Western civilization to a huge melting pot, for those who have visited or lived in Rome it blows your mind away and steals a piece of your heart. But if you actually want to own a piece of Rome, you’d better be prepared to give also your kidney away (the good one), an eye and seriously consider adding up one of your lungs to sweeten the deal. Wao. The incredible thing isn’t that prices are astronomically high; it is that at over $20,000 US dollars per mt2 or $2,000 per ft2 people are still buying.

Panama´s Bienale is coming up in September. This year it features an interesting and almost unexplored theme: the ex Canal Zone, a controversial area that divided the country in two but also helped build the beautiful cultural diversity that Panama offers as a country today. Learn more! the work will be shown in the most authentic part of Panama: Casco Viejo, located 2 minutes away from it.

At the foot of Casco Viejo is a beautiful pocket park called "Baluarte de las Mojas"

Flash post! The Saint Malo Music Festival just inaugurated. What and When here....

Every year, around September, a group of artists present their work at the Contemporary Art Museum. This year, several "Casco Addicts" are competing: film directors Abner Benhaim and Enrique Castro Ríos. Other years have had photographer Rachelle Mozman, who is also a Casco resident

Back in 1998 things where quite different in Casco Viejo. It was more Viejo than Casco. It was a fragile, run down, un protected site most people in Panama (government and not) had "written off". Back then, a group of passionate profesionals stood up and basically made it happen: brought the attention of UNESCO and worked until this endangered species was protected for life. Today, they run life changing programs in the Casco Viejo community. Check it out!

Entrepreneurship is a beautiful thing to see. Locals getting up by themselves and actively being part of Casco Antiguo´s revitalization. That is fantastic. VIP Fruits and Sandwiches is here!

With all the world’s climate issues, we would like to take this opportunity to get everyone thinking about a more sustainable Casco, an example to the rest of Panama City. The seeds are already getting planted... join us! there is a fun contest here, where you can really make the difference.

Since the release of our community bulleting we are getting information from vecinos of events and activities, so I´ll be posting them here as well. This promises to be a great show, not too often we get to have opera in town, so don´t miss it this March 15th!

Where to eat, where to stay and what to do in Casco Viejo, Panama. Restaurants, bars, theatres and more

Events Calendar... updated! International Festival of Performance Arts coming soon...

Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on the Republic of Panama to positive from stable, citing growth momentum and fiscal consolidation, which has put Panama's public and external debt indicators on a downward path.

Panama is investing more than $4 million dollars on airport infrastructure all around the country. At the same time, new carriers are adding up and current ones are increasing routes and flights. France is now only 10 hours away, KLM will start direct flights into Amsterdams hub in February.

Panama Real Estate Investment: This is a small project which we hope plant the seed for a big change and help raise the bar in developments in the area. It will be the first project in the old city to have...

Panama Real Estate Investments: In 2007, Panamanian economy grew 9.5%. This is Panama´s 4th year of sustained growth where the GNP per person has incremented 7.7%. Public debt was reduced (from 61% to 54%) and public investment increased. Find out more!

Panama, Community: In need of a haircut? Panama now has a wide range of options... but very few (probably none!) like V.I.P in Avenida A and Calle 5ta. A unique barbershop run by one of Casco´s gang (known as Calle 4ta)

Panama Art. Known as La Reformada back in 1917 - 21, this building was the masterpiece of Arquitect Leonardo Villanueva Meyer. The first "skycraper" of Panama (5 floors!) When the area decayed, it became the home of a dangerous gang. Today, with the area clear and hopefully a renovation plan coming up, La Casona proposes an interesting art show about the testimonials left on the walls by the gang on how their lives and hopes where. Don´t miss it!

The bollo man, the yogurt girl, the chicheme guy and the grilled chicken family... they are all examples of local Casco Viejo neighbors that have created sucessful businesses. How can we help spread that "inner fire" around? keep reading... and join the cause!