After 12 years of waiting and with an investment of approximately $8 million, the José Daniel Crespo College, in the city of Chitré, officially received its new gymnasium, a project long-awaited by the educational community and the population of the Herrera province. The infrastructure will be used for the first time during the ninth and twelfth-grade graduation ceremonies this year, marking a significant advance for the academic, sporting, and community development of this emblematic educational center. The director of the José Daniel Crespo College, Jesse Díez, indicated that the completion of the gymnasium represents the end of a long wait, although he acknowledged that the project still has some shortcomings that they hope can be corrected. However, he highlighted that the gymnasium is already operational, which will allow resuming activities that had been limited for years. In the framework of the gymnasium's inauguration, personnel from the National Council for Sustainable Development (CONADES) conducted an evaluation visit to the facilities, with a view to making adaptations that will allow the holding of the National Youth Renewal Encounter (ENRJ) 2026, an event that annually brings together around 5,000 young people from across the country. The National Youth Renewal Encounter 2026 will be held from January 22 to 25, 2026, with the gymnasium of the José Daniel Crespo College as its venue, marking the return of the event to its place of origin, where it was celebrated for several decades and had to be suspended in previous years due to the conditions of the old structure. The executive director of CONADES, Antonio Tercero González, explained that the entity is considering the installation of drinking water reserve tanks on the perimeter of the gymnasium, with the aim of guaranteeing adequate supply during the development of the youth encounter. He added that the reinforcement of the storage capacity of the bathrooms and other sanitary facilities is also being evaluated, in order to offer a hygienic, functional, and sustainable space for the participants. The educational community received the opening of the new infrastructure with satisfaction, although they noted that elements such as an air conditioning system are still needed, as the gymnasium does not have air conditioning, which causes discomfort due to the high temperatures recorded for much of the year in the region.
