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If AI recommends dental clinics, here is what a Panama clinic should check

Oct

If AI recommends dental clinics, here is what a Panama clinic should check

In short: when asked which dental clinic they recommend in Panama, Perplexity and Brave AI named 33 clinics in 101 mentions across 20 queries in the Radar IA study, and only one, Clínica Ford Dental Spa, appeared in 15 of the 18 answers that included names. What surprised me most while running it was not who won, but why: the clinics AI recommends tend to share something that has little to do with the quality of their treatments. They have Google reviews, one page per treatment with the specialist's name, an English version, a presence in medical tourism guides, and…

K-dramas coming to Netflix: releases from October to December

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Lifestyle, Shows

K-dramas coming to Netflix: releases from October to December

In short: several major K-dramas reach Netflix between October and December. First is Dead-End Job, with Lee Jae Wook and Go Min Si, on 30 October. Next come the film Possible Love, by Lee Chang-dong, on 6 November, and the crime series Blue Road on 20 November. In addition, Doctor X and 100 Days of Deception air weekly from early October. The dates come from specialist press and may change; the end of the article lists which titles still have no confirmed day. Netflix originals: the firmest dates TitleDateWhat it is Dead-End Job30 October8-episode series, fantasy and horror with humour,…

Dismissal in Panama: Just Causes, Letter, Notice and Severance

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Business, Economy

Dismissal in Panama: Just Causes, Letter, Notice and Severance

In short: In Panama, an employer can dismiss a worker on an open-ended contract only for a just cause provided by law and following the formalities of the Labor Code (articles 211 to 214). The dismissal must be notified in writing, with the date and the specific causes. The 30-day notice, or its payment, is required by article 212 only when certain workers are dismissed without cause, such as those with under two years of service. Updated in October 2026 using the text that includes reforms up to Law 44 of 1995. Contents of this guide The general rule and…

Ranking of SEO and GEO agencies in Panama: who works on AI engine visibility

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Professional Services & Technology, Rankings

Ranking of SEO and GEO agencies in Panama: who works on AI engine visibility

In short: Radar Panamá reviewed the agencies that offer search engine optimization (SEO) and AI engine optimization (GEO and AEO) services from Panama, and selected nine with a declared focus on the discipline, a verifiable track record in the Panamanian or regional market and a website that backs up what it says. Centria Group heads the list as the only one with its own scientific research line on measuring brand presence in AI, on top of two decades of history and a Panama base since 2013. This is not a ranking by revenue or audited results: it is a map…

Work Permit for Foreigners with Family Reunification Residency in Panama

Oct

By Deilys Romero

Guides, Professional Services & Technology

Work Permit for Foreigners with Family Reunification Residency in Panama

In short: In Panama, residency through family reunification and the work permit are two separate procedures: the first is granted by the National Migration Service and the second by the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development. Under Executive Decree 4 of 2023, any employment relationship of a foreigner requires a valid work permit, except self-employment without subordination. The spouse of a Panamanian and the parent of a Panamanian child have their own categories, treated as equivalent to local labor. Checked on October 7, 2026. Contents of this guide Residing and working are separate permits Which permit fits each route Married…

Cost of living in Panama by city: food basket, rent, utilities and salaries compared

Oct

By Deilys Romero

Business, Economy

Cost of living in Panama by city: food basket, rent, utilities and salaries compared

In short: living in Panama costs very different amounts depending on where. The basic food basket is 366 balboas a month in Panama City and 342 in the rest of the urban country, according to the Finance Ministry as of March 2026, but housing multiplies that gap: a two-bedroom apartment runs about 1,000 dollars in San Francisco or Costa del Este and 500 in David. Cumulative inflation to August 2026 was 2.1%, after a 2025 with slightly falling prices. The average salary is 756 dollars and only Colón, Panama and Panamá Oeste exceed it. This guide gathers official and market…

Three cases in Panama: what happened when content was structured for AI

Oct

By Deilys Romero

Data, Professional Services & Technology

Three cases in Panama: what happened when content was structured for AI

In short: three projects developed in Panama and the region show what happens when a company publishes clear, structured and verifiable content, designed to be read by search engines and artificial intelligence models alike. A luxury real estate project increased its organic traffic by 541% in six months; a beach hotel by 210% in a quarter, with its domain authority rising from 4 to 14; and an industrial furniture manufacturer by 68% in a quarter, with authority going from 3 to 42 in two years. The cases were presented by Néstor Romero, chief operating officer of Centria Group, at a…

Social security contributions in Panama: what the employee pays, what the employer pays and what changed

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Business, Companies

Social security contributions in Panama: what the employee pays, what the employer pays and what changed

In short: in Panama the employee contributes 9.75% of salary to the Social Security Fund and the employer 13.25% since April 2025, a rate that will rise to 14.25% in March 2027 and 15.25% in March 2029 under Law 462 of 2025. Added to that are the education insurance, 1.25% from the employee and 1.5% from the employer, and occupational risks, paid only by the company. The reform did not change the retirement age, 57 for women and 62 for men, nor the 240 contributions needed for a pension, but it created a system of individual accounts with a solidarity…

Panama Residency by Marriage to a Panamanian: Provisional, Permanent and What Happens in a Divorce

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Guides, Professional Services & Technology

Panama Residency by Marriage to a Panamanian: Provisional, Permanent and What Happens in a Divorce

In short: Marrying a Panamanian does not grant residence automatically. A foreigner married to a national and living with the spouse can apply to the National Immigration Service (SNM) for a two-year provisional residence permit and, once that term ends, request permanent residence. The file includes a marriage interview and proof of the marital home. Data checked on October 7, 2026 in the SNM's official sheet RD1 and in articles 220 to 223 of Executive Decree 320 of 2008. Contents of this guide How residence by marriage works Provisional and permanent: what changes Documents in the file Cohabitation, interview and…

October releases in Panama: the films and series coming to cinemas and streaming, with dates

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Lifestyle, Shows

October releases in Panama: the films and series coming to cinemas and streaming, with dates

In short: October 2026 opens in Panama's cinemas with Digger, Alejandro González Iñárritu's film starring Tom Cruise, and Verity, both from Thursday 1 October according to the Cinemark Panama listings. Then come Street Fighter (15 October in Latin America), DC's horror film Clayface (22 October) and Klara and the Sun with Jenna Ortega (22 October). On streaming, the biggest names are VisionQuest, Marvel's series on Disney+ (13 October in Latin America), season four of The Diplomat on Netflix (15 October), Mike Flanagan's Carrie on Prime Video (7 October) and Lupin Part 4 (23 October). This guide includes only titles with…

Panama’s November holidays: 5 national days, which weekday they fall on, long weekends and what closes

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Lifestyle, Trends

Panama’s November holidays: 5 national days, which weekday they fall on, long weekends and what closes

In short: November 2026 brings five national dates in Panama: Tuesday 3 (Separation from Colombia), Wednesday 4 (National Symbols Day), Thursday 5 (Consolidation of the Separation, celebrated in Colón), Tuesday 10 (First Cry of Independence in La Villa de Los Santos) and Saturday 28 (Independence from Spain). Four are mandatory rest days under Article 46 of the Labour Code: 3, 5, 10 and 28. The 4th is not a public holiday for private companies, although the Government usually closes public offices and schools. None falls on a Sunday, so there are no automatic transfers; the 28th, falling on a Saturday,…

Oct

By Daniela Bohórquez

Business, Companies

JETOUR in numbers: what stands behind the brand and what it means for buyers in Panama

In short: JETOUR is the SUV brand that the Chinese group Chery created in 2018. According to its own press releases, it sold 622,590 vehicles in 2025, 9.5% more than the previous year, and operates in more than 100 countries with over 2,000 sales and service points; Business Review credits it with more than 2.5 million cumulative customers as of August 2026. It assembles the T2 in Malaysia and Pakistan and has industrial projects in South Africa and Egypt. For anyone buying in Panama, that scale does not guarantee good service by itself, but it lowers the risk of the…