President Ma Ying-jeou's Latin American visit, codenamed the Forever Rising Project, continued on the morning of July 13, his second day in the Dominican Republic. The president had breakfast with the ROC media members traveling with the delegation, after which he laid a wreath at the mausoleum dedicated to the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. Later in the morning he toured the Center for Comprehensive Care for the Disabled (Centro de Atención Integral para la Discapacidad, CAID) in Santo Domingo. At noon President Ma made his way to the National Palace where he accepted the order conferred by his Dominican counterpart, President Danilo Medina, followed by a state luncheon.
At 7:00 a.m. local time (7:00 p.m. on July 13 Taipei time), President Ma had breakfast with the media corps traveling with his delegation. Prior to the conclusion of the meal, the president responded to questions by reporters regarding Taiwan's relations with mainland China and the United States. He remarked that the government has consistently embraced a "low key, no surprises" approach in its interaction with the United States, and also advocates the development of cross-strait relations on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means.
Speaking of the recent powder explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in northern Taiwan, the president said that after the accident he visited Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Mackay Memorial Hospital to check on some of the injured, and also made trips to Cathay General Hospital and Taipei Medical University's Shuang Ho Hospital to understand the needs of medical personnel and victims' families at those facilities. The government will continue to make every effort to help those who were injured in the accident to recover as soon as possible, he said.
Following breakfast the president visited a mausoleum for the Dominican Republic's founding fathers to lay a wreath. He also visited the CAID, which was established with the assistance of Dominican Republic First Lady Candida Montilla de Medina. This allowed the president to see with his own eyes the achievements of the Dominican government in caring for children with physical and mental disabilities.
President Ma was briefed on the CAID's facilities and operations, after which he was accompanied on a tour of the building by First Lady Montilla to see the language center, hydrotherapy room, and group therapy room. The president expressed his admiration for the care provided to the children and the diverse range of teaching aids there. He also took advantage of the visit to present educational aids to children at the center to express his concern for the mentally and physically challenged in the Dominican Republic.
After completing the tour of the CAID the president's motorcade took him to the National Palace. Upon arrival, President Medina welcomed President Ma and the ROC delegation with military honors. The two leaders then held discussions and President Ma received the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella (Orden al Mérito Duarte, Sánchez y Mella).
President Ma delivered remarks after receiving the order, saying that this marks the first time he has led a delegation to the Dominican Republic since President Medina's inauguration, and that he was deeply grateful for the high level of courtesy and hospitality that he and the delegation have received from the government and people of the Dominican Republic.
President Ma remarked that the Dominican Republic is an important ROC ally and that the two nations have maintained diplomatic relations for over 70 years. In recent years, joint cooperation projects in the areas of vocational training, welfare for the disabled, social safety, and assistance to small- and medium-sized enterprises have been carried out with great success, he said.
The president also expressed his deepest gratitude for receiving the Order of Merit. He commented that Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic, in 1838 established a patriotic society called La Trinitaria in an effort to promote independence. Although Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Ramon Matias Mella did not join La Trinitaria in its pioneering stage, they continued to lead the independence movement after Duarte had been exiled, and the Dominican Republic subsequently declared its independence on February 27, 1844. This period in history was extremely difficult for the Dominican Republic, aptly depicted in the Chinese expressions "Where there's a will, there's a way" and "Faith can move mountains," said President Ma, who went on to say that what was accomplished should always be remembered and commemorated by future generations.
Lastly, President Ma quoted President Medina who once said "manos a la obra," or "Let's get to work," to encourage government officials from the two countries to continue to strive for national development and spare no effort to enhance the wellbeing of the public in both nations.