Panama, March 13 The Ministry of Culture has submitted to the National Assembly's Budget Commission applications for shipments with a view to ensuring the continuity and completion of key projects in cultural infrastructure, such as the restoration of the Reina Torres de Araúz Anthropological Museum (MARTA) and the construction of the Stelina Tebeira Cultural Centre in Penonomé.

"These projects are vital to the preservation of our identity and to the promotion of artistic education. Ensuring their completion is a priority for the Ministry of Culture as they represent vital spaces for the development of the community and strengthening of the creative industry of the country," noted the Minister of Culture, S.E. María Eugenia Herrera.

One of the most important shipments of items corresponds to restoration of the Reina Torres de Araúz Anthropological Museum (MARTA)a project with a total cost of B /. 24258,2290.00To ensure proper monitoring of the work, approval of Addendum No 4 with an amount of B /. 1.720,222.28 has been requested and will allow the extension of the management contract with Consortium Restoration MARTA (AYESA INGENIERIA and ARQUITECTURA, S.A. and CSA GROUP PANAMÁ, S.A.) until September 2026.

Minister Herrera explained that "The Anthropological Museum Reina Torres de Araúz It's a space that preserves our memory and identity as a nation. The restoration of this iconic place is a historic debt to our culture and to future generations. Reopening them will allow us to display our archaeological and anthropological riches and to educate and connect our people with their roots. That shift of parades is vital to ensure that restoration takes place with the highest standards of conservation and display and that Panama has an accessible and worthy museum of our history. "

Moreover, the construction of Stelina Tebeira Cultural Center in Penonoméand its initial contract B /. 10,888,000.00, requires a budget adequacy of B /. 1.616,764.06, increasing the total project cost to B /. 12.504,764.06. That adjustment responds to technical findings that have shown the need to strengthen the ground with pylots emptied in situ, guaranteeing the structural security of the building and its users.

"The Ministry of Culture has worked with the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic to ensure that these funds are administered with complete transparency. Culture is a pillar of development and these investments do not only preserve our heritage but also generate jobs and strengthen the tourism and educational sector," added the Minister of Culture.

The Ministry of Culture thus reaffirms its commitment to continue to promote projects that strengthen the national cultural infrastructure and facilitate public access to spaces of training and artistic expression.