Earlier this week, the Christian Workers Union (C.W.U.) voiced their concerns over the sudden departure of Doctor Leroy Almendarez, the C.E.O. of the Social Security Board. The news of his exit came last week without any clear explanation, leaving union members worried about the fate of the agreements made during his tenure. Today, C.W.U. President Leonora Flowers shared those concerns.
Leonora Flowers
Leonora Flowers, President, C.W.U.
“There were certain pronouncement and promises made to the CEO at the time, Dr. Almendarez, to our members of staff. And come the thirty-first of December, those had not materialized, so looking into January and now getting at February to hear a swift exit of the CEO, we were, and we still are, concerned that those pronouncements and those promises need to follow through on the, for our members. So that was our concern. We haven’t had anything, any discussion with the new CEO. But we know that our people on the ground have had meetings and the Chief Rep has informed us that the CEO say the work continues, the work progresses. There’s going to be transition of anything that was promised and so we are waiting for those to take effect.”
Britney Gordon
“We understand that the last time, there had been a major concern with the CEO’s appointment was that there was a lack of communication between the board and the union members. This time with the resignation, has there been any sort of transparency as to why this occurred?”
Leonora Flowers
“I would have to answer and say that as it relates to CWU, we have not had any responses based on that. We are aware that when the last CEO was employed, that the board had moved to you advertise for one person, but they took on two persons. And that the NTUCB had indicated that there were not two advertisements. And although we had, the NTUCB, of which we are an affiliate member, had sent that information, the board still held on to its decision that it made. We were very cognizant. You advertise for one post, but you took two persons. And at the end of the day, we believe that those missteps are what led us to where we are now. So we’re hoping that the board would look at the way they decide these things. And in future, abide by what the law, the social security legislation says.”
Britney Gordon
“And being that they told you that the work continues despite a new CEO being appointed, does that satiate some of the concerns that you have?”
Leonora Flowers
“It does, it certainly does for our members, but CW will be waiting and ensuring that it does follow through.”
Today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams expressed his sorrow over the tragic fate of little Gabriel Orellano. He shared that a woman police officer, who was at a hair salon at the time, saw Gabriel run by. She immediately called the 911 hotline to report the sighting. Despite her quick action and the efforts of patrols to locate him, they were unable to find Gabriel.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“It is telling on us as a society to see that the child was seen running through traffic. Several vehicles almost hit him, and nobody stopped to check to see who the child was, where he was going, or anything, like. They just left him alone. It ended up in that sad way that no one would want to see a child, you know. We also reviewed the issue with the police officer who had given an interview to the media, I think its Love FM, stating that she had seen the child and had called the 911 and gave the information. We have checked on that and it is indeed true. She called and it showed that immediately after she called, the diary entry showed that she passed the information on to the patrols that were out. The patrols went and checked. Unfortunately, they were not able to find him, and again, you can see in the video, the child was moving very fast, and so, because of that, the patrol was not able to locate the child.”
Williams stated that the investigation into Gabriel’s tragic death is examining whether anyone can be held criminally or legally responsible. He explained that once children are at school, they are under the school’s custody. However, he noted that despite this, it will be challenging to find grounds to hold anyone criminally accountable for the child’s death.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“ At the end of the investigation, we will refer the matter to the DPP, but, I don’t foresee her giving such directives. At the end of the day, I think even the teachers at Stella Maris are shaken up by what happened. They are going through their own things right now because certainly they would not have wanted that to happen to the child. But we’ll see when that time comes.”
Paul Lopez
“Is there a main fact the police are trying to establish in their investigation?”
Chester Williams
“Well, the issue that we’ll be looking at is to see if there is any culpability in terms of negligence on the part of anybody. They would know that if you are in charge of a child, you have not just a moral obligation but also a legal obligation to ensure the safety of that child. And once that obligation is broken by way of negligence, then you can be held liable.”
Little Gabriel will be laid to rest on Monday, and his father, Vidal Orellano, shared that many schools and individuals have expressed their desire to attend. He also mentioned the overwhelming support from the community. On Thursday night, a group of motorcyclists arrived at Gabriel’s grandmother’s home, handing over a box of money they had collected to help the family. Dressed in blue, revving their engines, and honking their horns, the cyclists then rode the two-mile route that Gabriel ran on Monday afternoon. Vidal Orellano told News Five that he deeply appreciates the public’s show of support.
Vidal Orellano
Vidal Orellano, Father of Deceased
“They have some schools that are calling that want to participate for his funeral and more people are coming, so we’re working out things to see how we do it Monday. Right now I’m happy because the community of Belize is helping my son, and sorry about what happened to him, especially since he was a special needs person. And he is helping the community now to see that special kids need more attention, need more care, need more eyes to watch them mek this nuh happen again. I want to thank the people who have supported me, people who did the bike ride, the people who bring me the gifts last night, the people who are wearing blue for my son, I want to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart for all the support for him. With this I know my son will live on through everybody because everybody knows him now.”
Vidal Orellano, the father of little Gabriel Orellano who tragically drowned after escaping from Stella Maris School on Monday afternoon, has been receiving support to lay his son to rest. The community has shown immense kindness, reaching out to help after heartbreaking videos surfaced showing Gabriel running through several streets before slipping into the sea and drowning. While some have criticized those who saw the child running in heavy traffic and doing nothing, there’s also an understanding that people might hesitate to approach a fleeing child for fear of being seen as predators. Adele Catzim, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Human Development, suggests that people can still help by calling the relevant authorities.
Adele Catzim-Sanchez
Adele Catzim-Sanchez, C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development
“People don’t want to be perceived as predators for children, and so, yes, it is true that we’re not encouraging people to be predators. But when we do see that a child is in need or in assistance, at least we can stop to lend a hand. At least we can stop to inquire, find out why that child is there, and we can call the police, we can ask them if they have the number for their parent, who their parent is, we can call the Department of Human Services. That’s what it is and so there are things that we can do. Yes, we know that there might be predators who are trying to do things, but if people were trying to intervene and someone saw that there might be a predator, they would at least have called the police or called someone else, and maybe there would’ve been more of a quicker intervention for a child. We know we cannot turn the clock backwards, but we do need to use this as an opportunity to learn and to be more responsive as a society. And again, I do reiterate that it’s not everyone who was unresponsive. There were people who tried to intervene and I think that if we can at least highlight that as something that is positive, it encourages other people to then want to intervene.”
After almost seven years, the Belize City Council has finally inked a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Christian Workers Union, aiming to uphold labor regulations and foster the municipality’s growth. This updated CBA brings several perks, including more compassionate leave, higher subsistence allowances, and staff salary adjustments. Mayor Bernard Wagner of Belize City shares more about this exciting milestone.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“When we came into office, that CBA was then expiring in 2018 and we were quickly brought to the table in 2019 but things occur outside of our being able to get this done for our staff, our workers, our field workers, our administrative workers is really huge for us and I want to ensure that I left a document along with the union where workers interests are at the forefront.”
Britney Gordon
“You mentioned that a salary adjustment had already been in place since April of last year.”
Bernard Wagner
“Yeah, we did a real extensive look at the pay scales in our entire organization. And we found that in many instances there were some measure of not meeting the standards of their peers in the industry. Probably a field worker would not be getting the same pay if he were working in a private sector. And so we wanted to ensure that we fix that issue there. And which saw that for field workers. Their hourly rate went from really like six dollars and forty-six cents to seven dollars and four cents per hour. While our administrative staff went from eleven dollars and fourty-seven per hour to eleven dollars and ninety-seven cents per hour. So clearly that was really something that we feel proud of to hold our hats on. And like I said, a document of this nature. Is for the moment and it continues to evolve, it continues to be refined. And as you, you work towards refining it you will see that more benefits come towards workers.”
Before the People’s United Party took power in 2020, its Plan Belize manifesto promised to completely reform the health system. The P.U.P. vowed to update the country’s rundown hospitals, make healthcare affordable nationwide, and help Belizeans overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Tonight, we look at these promises to see if the healthcare sector has improved under the Briceño administration. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with that report.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
In 2020, during a global healthcare crisis, the People’s United Party came to power. The COVID-19 pandemic had caused widespread devastation, and the PUP promised to make strategic changes to Belize’s healthcare system to ensure that all Belizeans have access to essential medical care.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño (File: Nov 12, 2020)
“And as such we will respect the decision of the Belizean people. As of today, we are no longer P.U.P. standard bearers but we are representatives of the people. We are a government of the people of Belize. And I want to assure everyone that we are going to be an open, accountable, and accessible government for the people of Belize.”
In their Plan Belize manifesto, the PUP promised to set up a Public Health Emergency Response Commission to study COVID-19’s impact on Belize and recommend better ways to handle future medical crises. The government quickly secured vaccines and received millions of dollars in equipment donations from foreign allies. They also put strict regulations in place to slow the spread of viruses.
Dr. Julio Sabido, Medical Officer, Ministry of Health & Wellness (File: Oct 15th, 2021)
“The curfew remains from nine p.m. to four a.m. Restaurants, saloons, diners and other similar establishments are allowed to operate. They may offer dining-in services by reservations only, but for no more than fifty percent of the seating capacity and for fully vaccinated persons only. Restaurants that have proper ventilation or a restaurant that has, an open-air restaurant or an outdoor restaurant, or an alfresco dining restaurant that is allowed to operate may offer dining in services by reservation only for no more than seventy-five percent of its seating capacity, with fully vaccinated persons only.”
The manifesto also promised to appoint a wellness minister to lead a national campaign for healthier living. Initially, the Briceno administration chose Michel Chebat as Minister of Health and Wellness. However, things got chaotic when the ministry’s CEO, Dr. Deysi Mendez, left after just one year. As the ministry struggled to find a suitable replacement, Prime Minister John Briceño replaced Chebat with Kevin Bernard as the new health minister.
Prime Minister John Briceño (File: Jan 17, 2022)
“He took it over when the pandemic was at its worst and the Ministry had absolutely no plan and so he took that on and rolled up his sleeves and worked hard day in, day out. Could he have done certain things better? Of course! We could always look back, as we say, looking back you have twenty-twenty vision. But I want to again, put on record, my appreciation for the tremendous work that Michel Chebat did during this very, very difficult time.”
Every year, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and hypertension remain the leading cause of death in Belize. The PUP has promised to improve care for these diseases and work with the Ministry of Education to fully introduce health education in schools to prevent NCDs. In 2023, the ministry launched the Healthy Habits, Healthy Schools, Healthy Belize project, which provides healthier meals to students and cuts down on sugary drinks. The following year, Belize joined the HEARTS Initiative to fight cardiovascular diseases in the region. The ministry has also successfully rolled out the National Health Insurance (NHI) to provide affordable healthcare services to Belizeans nationwide.
“As you are aware, the rollout of the entire district has commenced. There have been consultations that is taking place. The plan is that by the end of this year, we should have NHI across the entire country. So there is a process. I think that in May, we are looking at targeting the Cayo side and then Belmopan city, and then we go on to the other surrounding villages because Cayo district is very huge. It is our hope that by the end of the year, as I said, we would have full coverage of NHI across the entire country.”
The government also planned to support the development of the medical science faculty at the University of Belize. However, in 2024, they faced backlash for deciding to spend millions on land for a university hospital, even though the university had offered free land for the project.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness (File: August 8, 2024)
“I would not be able to speak on the cost of the land. That is, that is something that is, to the Ministry of Economic Development because that’s the way the decision for that was done. However, there was other challenges, the location of accessibility. Remember, it’s not only a teaching hospital, it’s going to be a tertiary facility where you need to have immediate access and so, they felt after the ministry and other technical team looked at it, they felt that they needed to be at a different location that is more accessible. But it will continue to serve, as Dean Johnson mentioned, not just the tertiary teaching hospital, but we also want to try and look at how we could implement our regional facilities to also become some level of teaching facilities where people can go in and learn clinical works and so forth. So, but yes, the decision was made to build a hospital at a different location. We are almost finished with the designs now, and I am hoping that we can break ground on that new facility by the end of this year.”
The government has expanded healthcare services across Belize by opening the Placencia Polyclinic and building the San Pedro and Caye Caulker Hospital. They’ve also made several updates to health posts in rural villages, especially in southern Belize. Britney Gordon for News Five.
Cabinet has given the green light to write off $54 million in debts owed to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital by its patients. Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard mentioned that this includes debts racked up by those hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness
“We committed in Plan Belize to making healthcare accessible and equitable. We committed in Plan Belize to always work to making the lives of Belizean better, to making decision in the best interest of our people and country. Today I stand before you to announce with great pride, that our Cabinet has given its approval for the KHMHA to take the lead with the write off of fifty-four million dollars in uncollected death, specifically for the period March 2009, to April 2022. This amounts includes debts accrued during the COVID years, a time when many of our citizens face unprecedented challenges. This is Plan Belize at work.”
Manuel Novelo, a Belizean author hailing from Orange Walk, is thrilled to announce the release of his latest book, “A Belizean Story.” Novelo first made waves in 2012, with his debut, “The Sacred Maya: Smoke Shell.” Now, over a decade later, he’s back with a fresh tale set in Belize. He visited our office today to give us a sneak peek at what readers can look forward to in this exciting new read.
Manuel Novelo
Manuel Novelo, Belizean Author
“I always love writing, creative writing. I’ve done that since I was a child. I have my first book was written while, back in the 1980s, actually, and I call it La Milpa. Never got it published. I still have it. The manuscript, I also wrote several other stories, many short stories, but the ones that I really had the opportunity to publish, this one that I published many years ago. I actually published it in the United States and I published it here in Belize. And now recently I just finished another one, which I call a Belize Story. Right, so this is my new book I would like to present to our Belizean public, our Belizean readers, hoping that not only children, but not only children going to school, but like everybody, adults, everybody will enjoy this book. So it’s real, real characters that happened in 1960s, 1970s, but again, I put a story. A story about three young boys and a pot licka, the adventures they had, and then I relate the story or the real history of The village of Palmar, the uniqueness of this village, when they used to live. In a village known as San Jose Yalbac and San Pedro City that’s near Gallon Jug the western part of the Orange Walk district. And then how they were forced out of their lands by the British Empire, by the B. E. C., the Great British Giants.”
Having a stable and secure home can change lives. For many in vulnerable communities, having a roof over their heads opens new opportunities, allowing them to rebuild, grow, and escape the grip of hardship and poverty. Albina Casimiro experienced this firsthand before she became a homeowner.
Albina Casimiro
Albina Casimiro, Recipient, Building for Change
“It was really rough. I had to go to work every day and see that my kids had food on the table, because I was a single mother with five children; Three boys and two girls. The two girls were the youngest when I got this house.”
Fourteen years ago, Casimiro seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – a chance to own her own home. Through the religious organization’s Hand in Hand Ministries, their Building for Change program made that dream a reality two years later.
Albina Casimiro
“ I had a bunk bed and a big double bed. So me and the girls slept together and the boys, they used the bunk bed.”
Sabreena Daly
“But how did you feel knowing that it was your own?”
Albina Casimiro
“I feel happy. I was so happy. So, so happy.”
Hand in Hand Ministries started its mission in Belize back in 2002, quickly becoming a beacon of hope for vulnerable communities. In areas where people struggle to gain the skills and resources to escape poverty, the ministry’s work makes a huge difference. Rashida Bethran leads the charge as the director of the Building for Change program.
Rashida Bethran
Rashida Bethran, Director, Building for Change, Hand in Hand Ministries
“When families come to our program for support, they are normally at rock bottom. Um, this is normally their last stop. For some type of, um, sustainable living for themselves. And it’s always a pleasure when we can work with these families. Because it’s not only a house. You know, people would see four structures and a roof go up in three days. But it’s more than that for the families receiving these homes. It’s a dream come true.”
Twelve years ago, Albina’s dream became a reality when she received the keys to a one-bedroom starter home. She left her nine-to-five job and threw herself into building her own small business. Every morning, she woke up with the sunrise to sell Johnny Cakes, a beloved Belizean breakfast treat. Riding her bicycle through the streets, she called out to say that they were ‘fresh from the oven.’
Albina Casimiro
“When I used to make Johnny Cakes, I woke up at 1am to knead and bake. Then I left home around 5:30 am to sell. People would hear me when I hollered, “Johnny Cake! Hot Johnny Cake! Right in front of your door—come and get it!” That was my morning slang for selling Johnny Cakes.”
Johnny Cakes eventually gave way to a variety of other items on the menu. In her latest chapter, Casimiro became famous for her ‘magic touch’ with pastries. Now retired at sixty-one, she takes great pride in knowing that her hard work was appreciated not just by the organization, but also by her children. Her son, inspired by his mother’s resolve, continued her legacy.
Eric Avila, Son
“My mom said she’s about to retire, so I told her, let me try it because she would always say to stop working for other people. I said, I’ll go and try it and I did. I tried it, and I fell in love with it. Every day, this is what I do.”
Sabreena Daly
“Were you in the kitchen prior to this?”
Eric Avila
Eric Avila, Son
“No, no, I liked the kitchen for eating. When it’s time to eat, I like being in the kitchen. I didn’t like cooking, but then my mom said, Come learn something. And now, It’s been one year since I’m baking tarts. That’s what I do now.”
Even after twelve years, Casimiro’s impact is still very much alive in the Building for Change Program. After receiving the keys to a home, she embraced empowerment sessions provided by the administration and even joined efforts with other women to pay it forward. They proudly call themselves the Women Leadership Group.
Rashida Bethran
“They understood the feeling they got when they received their home, that safety. And they wanted to give that same safe haven to our next family in need. They’ve formed a group with their leadership skills, and they’ve ventured into fundraising efforts. As a matter of fact, we have an upcoming fundraiser, the 15th of February, downtown, Brody’s, where they’ll be doing a bake sale. All of these efforts are towards our pool, to build a home for the next deserving family.”
Albina Casimiro
“I told them I could make tarts, and they said, Okay. They asked if I would donate the tarts, and I said yes. So, I donate 200 tarts every time we have a fundraiser—200 tarts, 100 lemon pies, and 100 tarts.”
When resilience, determination, and empowerment come together, the possibilities are endless. Casimiro’s story is proof of this, showing that the rewards of hard work can be shared with others. Twelve years later, life still brings its challenges, but it’s a far cry from where they began. The single mother turned the tarts her family baked into the means to secure her children’s education and even grow the home they once received.
Rashida Bethran
“The house has been a stepping stone for her and her family and if you notice, her house has grown. We gave her a 16 by 16, now it’s, I don’t know, 16 by 16 times 2.”
Eric Avila
“ It wasn’t easy but we have come a long way. When we made Johnny Cake, it was really hard. I watched my mom cry. I had to get up and sell the Johnny Cakes and still go to school. People didn’t know the struggles. That’s how I know my mom loved me. She always talks positively about me because it wasn’t easy. It was rough. So every day I just sit and bake.”
Every tart they bake, and you buy, is a delicious reminder of empowerment, family, and sacrifice. This Belizean dessert tells a story with every bite. Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.
