Residents of More Tomorrow, in the Cayo District, were alarmed on Tuesday when they stumbled upon thousands of used tires dumped along the road to their village. Initially, it seemed like these old tires were just being discarded there. However, News Five later discovered that the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing had placed them there for roadwork purposes. Chief Engineer Evondale Moody explained that the road to More Tomorrow is prone to flooding, and the ministry is experimenting with using these rubber tires in road construction to address the issue.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“The ministry has just over three thousand, one hundred miles of road that we have to maintain countrywide and one such road is the More Tomorrow Road which is a secondary road within the Cayo District. That road normally is susceptible to flooding. As you may be aware, I think a few weeks ago, there were some complaints from the school in that area about access to the village and also to the school. And so, we had to go in and do some remedial works in terms of periodic maintenance, but that is our fourth trip to that area just in this year. And so, what we are trying is an engineering technology called mechanical concrete whereby you utilize old tires to construct a formation basically, and you would utilize that in areas where you have areas that are susceptible to flooding or you have major consolidation. And so, the old tires are basically set up in a grid formation, similar too what we call a geo-grid, which you would have to import; however, utilizing the old tires is beneficial to us because it also prevents erosion from happening and also acts as a confinement for the aggregates that we’re placing on the road. Within the area that we’re doing this test, this pilot project, on the More Tomorrow Road is, as I said, usually susceptible to flooding and we thought that trying this technology it would also be environmentally friendly. So the idea is that you place these tires in a grid formation and we infill these tires with aggregates and then compact over it. We have done that today, for approximately five hundred meters. We intend to try and complete at least one point six kilometers which is about a mile and we want to do that by the end of this week as a pilot project.”
When we visited the location earlier today, we met a team of workmen laying down the tires in what Moody describes as a geo-grid which is used to reinforce soils and similar materials. Geogrids are much stronger in tension compared to soil. This strength lets them spread forces over a larger area of soil, making the ground more stable and secure than it would be otherwise. Here’s more from MIDH.
Santiago Juan
Santiago Juan, Ministry of Infrastructure Development & Housing
“It’s an old technology in which, basically, you’re providing a firmer base for low-lying parts of the road. You dump over them and form like a cell, like a honeycomb, and once you dump over them, they stay in place and you raise the road. It’s much cheaper and very environmentally friendly and easy to do. So that’s what, basically, they are for.”
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“The ministry, itself, has a large fleet of equipment and we continuously have to be changing out tires but there’s no use for those old tires. We can’t burn them, there’s no way we can discard them and so the process that we are implementing, as far as we know, it’s an environmentally friendly process because we are basically just burying the tires and using them within the road construction industry to help us elevate the road formation and also protect it from being inundated by floodwaters. So the idea that we are implementing on the More Tomorrow Road, we believe that it will be more beneficial to the community. Once this is proven to be successful in Belize, then it’s something that we would be able to try in other areas throughout the country. This is not the first country that is implementing this technology, it is being done in Central America, it’s being done in the U.S. and also in Canada and some parts of Europe as well.”
What’s the latest on the Belize City Swing Bridge? The crossing near the mouth of the Haulover Creek is in dire need of being replaced. Earlier today, we also asked Chief Engineer Evondale Moody for an update on the pending project which will be funded by the Japanese government.
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
Evondale Moody
“In respect to the Belize City Swing Bridge, yes, I have been involved in discussions with JIICA. It is the Japanese that will be financing that project. In the last discussion I had with them, just over a month ago, there’s a consultancy team that’s supposed to be in the country within the next week or two weeks to carry out the final studies with respect to the design of that structure. That is because this project will be funded by Japan and so they intend to engage a Japanese consultant to do the design and also a Japanese contractor to construct that bridge. So we expect that by early next year, by the first quarter, we should get confirmation from them with respect to the financing and then those works would commence on the Belize City Swing Bridge. With respect to the BelCan Bridge, there is no new update on that. We are still waiting on a decision from the Ministry of Finance on how we proceed with the implementation of that project.”
In just a few months, Belize will be rolling out new currency notes, and they’re coming with some big changes. For as long as we can remember, we’ve always seen the face of the British monarch on our money. But that’s about to change. The late Queen Elizabeth II, whose face has graced our notes since her coronation in 1952, will be replaced—not by her son, King Charles, but by notable Belizeans. Some folks think this change should have happened back when we switched from British Honduras to Belize in 1973, or when we gained independence in 1981. Others worry that moving from a royal to a patriotic theme might have some impact on our currency’s value. In this edition of our Five Point Breakdown, News Five’s Marion Ali dives into what this change means for us. Here’s the scoop.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño (File: September 17th, 2024)
“The Central Bank, the Governor came to my office, I think about two weeks ago to show us the new dollars. We will be using the national heroes, both George Price and Phillip Goldson. They are the ones that are going to be on the face.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
When Prime Minister John I announced on September 17th that our new currency notes will feature national heroes George Price and Philip Goldson instead of the late Queen Elizabeth, reactions were all over the place. Some people were thrilled about the change, while others had their reservations. The new notes will be hitting our wallets in the coming months, and it’s clear that this decision has sparked quite a bit of conversation.
Perceptions of Belize’s Currency Value
Belizean Resident #1
Belizean Resident #1
“I don’t think George Price or Philip Goldson business pahn for no money. By the end of the day, dehn da just some heroes weh do certain things fi Belize. But by the end of the day, the Queen da mi the person weh actually mek this money stay da top.”
Belizean Resident #2
Belizean Resident #2
“The Queen has been on this money for a long time, so people are used to seeing that. If they see Philip Goldson’s face and George Price’s face, they’re going to think it’s counterfeit money.”
Belizean Resident #3
Belizean Resident #3
“I don’t think it will make any difference with the value of the money. I don’t see any reason why it should make a difference because our money is only good in Belize anyhow. You can’t take it anywhere else, even with the queen’s face on it.”
Belizean Resident #4
Belizean Resident #4
“Someday ih have to change. All dehn next countries, after a while, dehn get dehn own Prime Minister, or whoever, put pahn the paper money. So, I nuh see it as no devaluation.”
Belizean Resident #5
Belizean Resident #5
“If you really think about it, if the money has somebody else’s face, remember we done have Guatemala, weh want to take over Belize, soh I think Guatemala wah more want step in now because dehn wa she that we nuh deh under the British colony again.”
Belizean Resident #6
Belizean Resident #6
“If we take the Queen’s or the King’s [face] off our money, I think we will suffer for some reason, I don’t know.”
Marion Ali
“You think the money will be worth less?”
Belizean Resident #6
“Less, yes, I think so.”
Marion Ali
Marion Ali, Stand Up
“While there are Belizeans who have that concern that removing the late monarch’s face from the Belize dollar and replacing it with those of Belizean heroes will have a negative impact on the value of the Belize dollar, one economist we spoke with assures that is not the case. Rumile Arana says the value of the Belize currency has more to do with economics than what is printed on it.”
Rumile Arana
Rumile Arana, Economist, Arana Consultancies
“When we’re talking about our Belizean currency, having the Queen’s face on it, having the King’s face on it, having my face on it, won’t give it any value. What gives it value is the laws and the regulations of our country. It doesn’t matter whose face is on the dollar.”
Belize’s Currency is Legislated from the 1900s
The legislation to place the queen’s face on Belize’s currency dates back to the early 1900’s when Belize was a British Colony.
Rumile Arana
“When the first bank notes were provided, that was in the early 1900s, I believe. The monarchs were placed on the dollar bills. Now if you look at the Central Bank of Belize, they have a history of our currency. We’ve had bills where there’s a young Queen Elizabeth on there, and we have bills where there was an older Queen Elizabeth on there.”
Belize’s Current Exchange Rate
While Belize is a former British colony, our currency is pegged to the U.S dollar at a rate of two Belize dollars to one U.S dollar.
Rumile Arana
“The exchange rate is what you would pay for another currency like in terms of Belize dollars like we would say it costs two Belizean dollars to get one U.S dollar. That right there is our currency peg. We have been pegged to the U.S dollar since about 1976 and that has not changed throughout history, no matter what has happened in the economy.”
What Triggers Devaluation
What would trigger devaluation of the Belize dollar? Arana explains that devaluation is a decision that governments take, based on economic fundamentals.
Rumile Arana
“When a country devalues it’s currency it’s because it’s looking to boost its exports because when you devalue your currency, your currency becomes cheaper for foreigners. So, now, if Belize devalues its currency to say like three to one – I’m not saying this is going to happen – but if Belize devalues its currency from three to one, that means that the goods and services from Belize are cheaper to people in the United States. So, people do that for export purposes. If you stay at your fixed rate exchange regime, the only thing that you have to do, for Belize, the only thing that we have to do is to maintain a certain level of foreign exchange within our economy.”
Showing Appreciation for the Honour
Arana believes that featuring the faces of Philip Goldson and George Price on Belize’s currency would be a fantastic way to honor these two national heroes. The families of both men are thrilled at the idea of seeing their loved ones celebrated in this way. Alice Craig recently shared how much she treasured the moments spent with her uncle, George Price, especially since the family often had to share him with the entire nation.
Alice Craig Castillo
Alice Craig Castillo, Niece of George Price
” I can recall seeing so many pictures of my aunts and my uncles, but minus Uncle George. You know, I would see Mom and Dad, I would see Aunt Jo and Uncle Poly, I would see Aunt Jane and Uncle Henry, I would see Aunt Betsy and Uncle Gilly, you know, in the pictures. John Price was in them sometimes. Uncle Sam left from early, so he wasn’t around much, but Uncle George was never there, because he was doing the business of the country. Those of my cousins who were born in that time were lucky enough to travel with him when he moved around the country. He would take turns calling on us to go and I went with him twice.”
Philip Goldson’s son, also named Philip, was appreciative of the decision made.
Philip Goldson
Philip Goldson, Son of Philip Goldson Sr.
“It’s a good thing for Belize to have its notable people represented – all aspects of life. And the currency is a major part of that. And having or starting with our Belizean heroes is a good starting point for this. I believe my father would have been positive about it. He might not have been eager to have his face on it, but he would have been positive about doing something like this. Without that group that began this process of changing and demanding change and suffering for it, we might not be where we are today, but be much further back in our development.”
The new red and blue currency notes are set to hit the streets in just a few weeks. While Britons sing “God Save the King,” Belizeans will soon be saving money that proudly features the faces of those who stood up against the monarchy. Marion Ali for News Five.
As Hurricane Milton makes its way over Florida tonight, a low-pressure system near Bermuda poses little threat of becoming yet another tropical storm in the state’s path. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), a low-pressure system is located a few hundred miles south-southwest of Bermuda, just over the state of Florida.
The circulation of the system is becoming increasingly elongated, and environmental conditions are becoming “less favourable for any tropical or subtropical development,” the NHC reported. Its chances of developing into a cyclone have fluctuated between 20% and 40%, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) now estimating a 30% likelihood of further development within the next 48 hours. However, forecasters indicate that those odds are decreasing.
“Upper-level winds are expected to become too strong for further development tonight or into Thursday,” the NHC reported this afternoon.
The next tropical storm to form will carry the name Nadine.
Today, the University of Belize held an Indigenous Resistance Day forum to celebrate the vibrant Maya and Garifuna cultures. This event brought together people from all walks of life to explore the history and cultural significance of these communities’ practices and beliefs, while also engaging the youth in meaningful conversations. News Five’s Britney Gordon was there to give us the full scoop. Here’s the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The spirit of indigenous resistance is alive and thriving, growing stronger every day. Indigenous Resistance Day brings together people from diverse backgrounds to shine a light on the struggles of indigenous communities and their fight for liberation. Today, at the University of Belize, students and stakeholders gathered to discuss the importance of preserving these rich cultures and to educate each other on their unique beliefs and practices.
Delmer Tzib
Delmer Tzib, Coordinator, Inter-cultural Indigenous Language Institute
“We are celebrating it in a very unique way, trying to open a space for academic discussion, but also to an extent, breaking the walls, because we want the community to also be engaged in discussions about what does it mean to be indigenous in Belize, secondly, different expressions that relate to the cultures that exist in Belize. One of the biggest concepts that we are pushing is the idea of interculturality. Interculturality centers on the notion of understanding each other. So you don’t only know that these cultural expressions exist, but you try to understand what is the significance of it.”
At the forum, both Mayan and Garifuna communities came together to share the cultural significance of the Deer Dance and the Wanaragua. The aim is to tear down the barriers between Belize’s diverse cultures, fostering a true sense of intercultural unity.
Joshua Arana
Joshua Arana, Owner, ORO Drumming
“Culture is very important. All of us identify with a culture and we need to start to find ways of understanding how. What commonalities we have because we keep looking at the differences that, that makes us who we are. And today we’re going to talk about the Wanaragua. Some, many people know it as Jankunu, and we’re going to get into a little bit more details about what one hour, one hour ago really is.”
The Owner of ORO Drumming, Joshua Arana, presented on the Wanaragua dance, explaining what the different ribbon colors and steps of the dance signify.
Joshua Arana
“It is important for our youth population to be able to understand who it is that they are, who it is that we are, and where it is that we came from. I think that present day there is a disconnect between what was, what is, and what will be. All of us as people we are here because our culture is our legacy from our ancestors. And we need to start recognizing that for us to be able to know where it is that we want to go in the future.”
Creating spaces for young people to discuss indigenous cultures reassures students that pursuing an education doesn’t mean abandoning their heritage. Eighteen-year-old Tareek Smith, now a sophomore at the University of Belize, shares how deeply involved he’s been with the Garifuna community.
Tareek Smith
Tareek Smith, Wanaragua Dancer
“I am Garifuna. My parents are Garifuna and we have this culture, and we need to express this culture. So as I got older, I felt like I needed to connect to my culture, and that’s how I got into drumming and dancing and all this stuff.”
The holiday shines a light on the struggles that indigenous communities have overcome and are still grappling with to this day. Forums like these, create conversations about how that work can be supported and strengthened.
Rolando Cocom
Rolando Cocom, Director, ISCR
“Our indigenous peoples have endured horrendous suffering because of colonialism the diseases that were brought when Europeans arrived to this side of the world. It’s a significant depopulation of our indigenous peoples. And the same goes for Africa, for African ancestors and our Garifuna communities who had to escape genocide and resist for their very survival. And can now celebrate continue resisting.”
Director of the Institute of Social and Cultural Research at NICH, Rolando Cocom explains how the institute is working to celebrate indigenous people every day of the year.
Rolando Cocom
“Indigenous languages continue to be at risk. Traditional expressions continue to be at risk. And so that is what we’re, what we are aiming to do at the University of Belize. Is really to say the work of indigenous peoples are important. Their culture is important. And we want to ensure that more and more Belizeans have an opportunity to learn more from each other. And to reduce the suspicion, the discrimination that exists. Colonialism has brought to our society.”
Residents of More Tomorrow in Cayo were left confused and concerned when they woke up this morning and found dozens of old tyres along the village road. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has confirmed that the tyres will be used to upgrade the road due to its susceptibility to flooding. A few weeks ago, complaints were made by the school in the area in terms of access to the village and school. Periodic maintenance was done.
Chief Engineer Evondale Moody told News 5, “What we were trying is an engineering technology called mechanical concrete whereby you utilise old tyres to construct a formation, basically. And you would utilise that in areas where you have areas that are susceptible to flooding or you have major consolidation. And so the old tyres are basically set up in a grid formation, similar to what we call a geogrid, which you would have to import. However, utilising the old tyres is beneficial to us because it also prevents erosion from happening. And it also acts as a confinement for the aggregate we’re placing on the road.”
It is believed that this technology is environmentally friendly.
He added, “So the idea is that you place these tyres in a grid formation and we infill these tyres with aggregate. And then compact over. And so we have done that today for approximately about 500 meters. We intend to try and complete at least 1.6 kilometres, which is about a mile. And we want to do that by the end of this week as a pilot project. So that’s the reason why we have those tyres on the More Tomorrow road.”
Moody says he spoke with the Chief Environmental Officer. No major environmental concerns were expressed. The ministry maintains over 3,000 miles of road countrywide.
Former police officer Santiago “Santi” Ciau Jr. has died at the young age of 37. Ciau died yesterday after a long battle with a debilitating bone illness. Ciau joined the Belize Police Department on July 23rd, 2006.
In March 2023, the government retired Ciau due to medical unfitness from a 2009 workplace injury. He was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, and encountered repeated denials for invalidity benefits from the Social Security Board (SSB).
Despite appealing the decision, he received late notification, preventing a timely second appeal. “For seven months, I had no income,” he said in an interview back in December 2023.
Ciau’s situation formed part of an even broader issue concerning access to invalidity benefits in Belize. His case led advocates, including NTUCB President Luke Martinez, to call for urgent reforms to occupational safety and health legislation.
Authorities are looking for George Oshon, an 82-year-old resident from Hattieville Village, Belize District. He was last seen walking near J Mall on the George Price Highway, dressed in a long-sleeve camouflage jacket and long green trousers.
Oshon was reported missing on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
According to the descriptions provided by Crime Stoppers Belize, Oshon is of Creole descent, has a dark complexion, and stands approximately 6’5″ tall with a slim build.
Anyone with information about Oshon’s whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 922 or use the P3 APP at www.p3tips.com.
On Monday around 7 p.m., a silver/grey Toyota Forerunner SUV rear-ended a motorcycle carrying a family of four, resulting in the death of an 11-month-old girl. The incident happened on the Hummingbird Highway between miles 49 and 50 near the Agua Viva community, as the family was heading towards Belmopan.
The driver of the SUV fled the scene without offering assistance, leaving the family to be helped by a passerby who rushed them to the Western Regional Hospital.
The 11-month-old girl, Giselle Mejia, succumbed to severe head trauma shortly after 7 p.m. The parents, 45-year-old Moises Mejia and 27-year-old Kaylie Aparicio, along with their 23-month-old toddler, survived with injuries.
Aparicio suffered abrasions on her hands and knees, while the toddler had a forehead abrasion and a deep cut above their right eyebrow.
The father, Moises Mejia, sustained minor injuries and arm pain.
