For over a year, the Ministry of Education has been discussing with educators the matter of curriculum reform. Some teachers have raised concerns of their own on the topic, such as the timeliness in delivery of the revised kits and how that could affect students. Today, Minister Fonseca said he hasn’t heard of those concerns and pointed out that the whole idea behind curriculum reform is to make the work easier, but more effective.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“I really have not heard that complaint at the Ministry of Education. I know there are always challenges with any new – the implementation of any new, initiative, and the curriculum reform is a big issue, a big initiative. So there are some challenges as we go along, but for the most part, I think teachers have embraced it and they recognize that the ministry is working very closely along with them to make it even easier for them. The whole idea is to make their class preparation even easier and I think that goal is being achieved. Not to say we don’t have a few challenges, but I think generally it has been well received. And wherever there are difficulties, we sit and work with the managements and the schools to address them.”
They’ve come out swinging when the working conditions at the K.H.M.H. do not meet their standards, but now employees at that hospital will no longer pay taxes when they collect their gratuity upon retirement. This comes through discussions between the Public Service Ministry and the Ministry of Finance. Today the Minister of Health and Wellness, Kevin Bernard shed light on this breakthrough.
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness
“That has been a process through the public service and Ministry of Finance. That was something that we were trying to fix what had existed. As you know, some subsidiary or called statutory bodies were exempted and they were not exempted. So it was all an issue where the Ministry of Finance and the public service felt that they had to put it in line with other statutory bodies. So that’s, basically, that’s what was done.”
Tonight, we officially commence our pre-election coverage of the 2024 municipals with a series of profiles that will introduce mayoral and councilor candidates from all nine cities and towns to the masses of Belizean voters. In our inaugural segment, we take you to Punta Gorda where we met with mayoral hopefuls from the Belize Progressive Party, the People’s United Party, as well as councilor candidates from all three political organizations. Here’s our first episode of Meet the Candidates.
Anita Nicholas
Anita Nicholas, B.P.P. Mayoral Candidate, PG
“From a child, I was always around with politics with both of my grandparents, my grandfather and my grandmother. When they would go to any political activities, they would take me along with them and I thought there was where my interest and my love for politics grew. However, I decided, based on what I have seen and based on what I have learned, to hold the politicians accountable and I was not seeing accountability in both of the major political parties, I decided to join the Belize Progressive Party which was a new party and that was how I decided to run with the Belize Progressive Party.”
Seleni Cus
Seleni Cus, U.D.P. Councilor Candidate
“What motivated me was that I saw the state our town is in at the moment and as a youth, I have been out before I even thought to get involved with politics and I thought that, you know, I could make a difference here in town and I would be a voice for the youths and women here in my town as well. Based on records, I believe that we don’t have most females being involved in politics and being the first Maya female to put up my name on a ballot paper here in Punta Gorda, I think that it is something, you know, that our youths can look at, especially young females. They can look at that and, you know, take a stand because it’s time for females to come up and join the political field.”
Jahrine Avila
Jahrine Avila, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate
“For me, personally, I’ve always been involved with different organizations in my community, giving back and always volunteering my time. So when I was approached by one of our past leaders, Mr. Galvez, he spoke with me and my first thought was, you know, I’m not that type of person to be into politics but he was like, look at the bigger picture, look at what you have done in your community and see what you can do now on a bigger platform. So I thought about it and said, “Hey, why not!” This is not for myself, but for my community. I’ve always been involved. I have love for my people and my community, so why not give it a shot and do what you do best.”
Kevin Choc
Kevin Choc, U.D.P. Councilor Candidate
“What inspired me to run again, put my name on the ballot, is the people, you know. I have a passion to serve, you know, and the people have seen that and they, basically, I have a group of people who are behind me, pushing for me to be, some ah dehn mi even wahn I run fi mayor, but, you know, yoh haffi climb up di ranks. I believe that everything takes time. So di people is what inspired me to put my name on a ballot.”
Isani Cayetano
“What do you believe is perhaps different this time around from the previous time you ran for office?
Kevin Choc
“What is different is being in opposition. That is very different, you know, and I believe that hard times create strong men.”
Malcolm Galvez
Malcolm Galvez, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate
“PG needs a lot of help, you know. We need people, well we need leaders that are willing to stand up and speak on behalf of the voters, on behalf of the residents. One of the things that I personally did was, I got up at our national party council meeting and I mentioned that, you know, Toledo East has always been, the south has always been known as a PUP stronghold. I mentioned that to the prime minister and deputy prime minister and at the time we had the worst streets in the country. It’s not the best place to mention some of the problems, but it is important to us, so every opportunity the current council got, we tried to mention those issues.”
“I went there because I realize that we need to build that hope again, you know, that trust, that integrity as Belizeans and also as politicians. I believe that trust needs to build back and that’s one thing that I basically have with the people of Punta Gorda.”
Carlos ‘Obeah’ Galvez
Carlos ‘Obeah’ Galvez, PUP Mayoral Candidate
“People, voters here in PG, had asked me on numerous occasions to come back in participate in electoral politics and, you know, I decided after thirteen years, I decided, you know what, I said listen it’s at the call of the people, at the request of the people, why not?”
You just met several of the candidates vying for a seat at Town Hall in Punta Gorda on March sixth. They are all optimistic that their respective slates will be successful on Election Day. Beyond the campaigns, however, are serious concerns being shared by residents of PG and those issues have to do with the deplorable conditions of streets and drains. In the following story, News Five’s Isani Cayetano takes a look the infrastructure crisis that is frustrating Punta Gorda’s socioeconomic progress. Here’s that story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The southernmost municipality is often described as forgotten, lost in a world of its own where growth seems to evolve at a much slower pace than in other parts of the country. Infrastructure is a key factor for socioeconomic development, as it provides the physical and digital means for people to access opportunities, goods and services. All of that is quickly changing and residents of Punta Gorda are keenly aware of what it takes for their hometown to advance in those respective areas.
Punta Gorda Resident
Punta Gorda Resident
“When it comes to, like, road infrastructure, I don’t think anybody that lives here or that has come around here will think that they are doing a good job. However, we have seen some work going on. I don’t know how much that is going to accomplish, but until we see much and see how much it has done then we‘re going to be in a good place to render judgment. When it comes to roads, I think they are still lagging behind.”
As municipal leaders, the aim is to leverage social and economic infrastructures to support sustainable growth and development. It is necessary to invest in projects that meet the needs and demands of the citizenry, as well as align with the strategic vision and goals of the town council.
Carlos ‘Obeah’ Galvez
Carlos ‘Obeah’ Galvez, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, PG
“The crying you’re hearing from a lot of people is infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. With the present conditions of the streets and roads in town, we need to get to work as of now, not waiting until we get into office. So currently, we are currently working and repairing a lot of streets, major streets.”
For some, the recent roadwork may be long-awaited, given the deplorable state of streets and drains across the town. For others, it remains an extremely difficult situation that hinders the development of Punta Gorda.
“We have a municipality right now [that] is ailing in all aspects, you know, in regards to, when it comes to roadwork, when it comes to the economy, you know.”
Roads and physical infrastructure are critical because they improve the connectivity and integration of different communities in PG.
Punta Gorda Resident
“Weh da di improvement ah PG? I noh sih nothing. Dis maanin’ ah ride gone by da bridge, by Joe Taylor deh, di way I sih di foundation, da bridge, dehn got sohn lee, weh dehn wah do deh? Wah lee pass walk… dehn tek down Haulover Bridge and dehn ker it da Cayo. We noh got no two-way bridge, soh why dehn neva bring dat ya? Infrastructure, we have a lot of things here [that are] yet fi get done and we noh di sih no movements yet. Now I need fi send wah message to my government, to my prime minister and di government that I support, I need di staat sih my Joe Taylor Bridge staat build, I need fi staat sih my road paved.”
Transport networks, including bridges, can facilitate the mobility of people and goods, reduce trade costs and connect markets. Returning mayoral candidate Carlos Galvez contextualizes this by looking at the achievements of the present Punta Gorda Town Council.
Carlos ‘Obeah’ Galvez, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, PG
“What they have done, they have initiated that Joe Taylor Bridge. That’s approximately two million dollars, a new bridge, a two-lane bridge. The contract has been signed already, M&M Construction, and also six major streets.”
Social infrastructure, on the other hand, improves the quality of human resources, such as education, health, and social services, which leads to an increase in the wellbeing and efficiency of the population. As an example, public education can enhance the skills and knowledge of the workforce, as well as foster innovation and creativity. Together, they foster social cohesion, cultural diversity, and political stability.
“On my manifesto, there are two things, two big things that we looked at, one is a House of Culture. When we get a House of Culture built here in PG, we will be looking at the tourism industry, the sector, you know, affecting that in all manner. We have the different cultures, we know that PG is one of the melting pots in Belize, you know. That will bring jobs, we have different crafts, different food items in PG. And of course, another one is looking at a call center. That will very much boost the economy of PG, money will be spending and things will begin to look better in that regard.”
To create a more livable, resilient, and prosperous municipality for the people of Peini, municipal leaders should collaborate with other stakeholders, such as the private sector, civil society, and international organizations, to mobilize resources and expertise in infrastructure development. Isani Cayetano for News Five.
Earlier today, when we caught up with Minister of Culture Francis Fonseca we asked him about the possibility of a House of Culture being built by NICH to benefit the cultural development of Punta Gorda. Here’s what he said.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Culture
“That’s definitely something we’ve discussed and that’s on the agenda. We’ve been talking to the Belize Tourism Board about partnering with them. As you know, I think they have a welcome center there in PG and we want to see how, perhaps, we can partner with them to develop and expand that welcome center into a House of Culture. So it’s something under discussion, but I think you’re absolutely right, you know. PG is a unique culture and I think we need to put a House of Culture there. So it’s certainly something we would like to do. When we can do it is another matter, we’ll see. But we’ve been discussing it with BTB.”
Ever since the termination of several members of the Christian Workers Union from the Port of Belize Limited, tensions have run high between the two parties. Since then, the union has rallied for compensation to be paid to the employees that they believe were wrongfully terminated. And in October 2022, the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal ruled in favor of the union, ordering sugar redundancy payments to be made to the stevedores by the Port. That payment has yet to be made to the stevedores, but that is not the only issue that remains unresolved. Today, the Christian Workers Union held a meeting, where grievances were aired out about the remaining thirty-five employees that were dismissed from their positions but who were not included in the court ruling made in 2022. According to them, all they want is a resolution. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Currently, the Christian workers Union and the Government of Belize are negotiating the payment owed to the union for the termination of several employees back in 2021. According to CWU President, Leonora Flowers, the union is awaiting a proposal from the government on the matter.
Leonora Flowers
Leonora Flowers, President, C.W.U.
“On the eighth of December when government took over the port, all our matters were taken over by the government and so that means too that the debt now rests with the government. So we’re, we have approached the interim board that they put in place and we’ve had an initial meeting with them and then we had another meeting which they are going to give us a proposal on what they propose to put on the table. We will get that on the fifteenth of February. So that is where we are.”
Flowers stated that the union is hopeful of meeting a resolution soon regarding the stevedores termination. However, another issue remains unresolved. Thirty-five staff workers were also dismissed at the time, which consist of security, warehouse, dock, and admin and maintenance department employees. According to the union, these employees’ terminations were overshadowed by that of the stevedores who were able to seek justice from Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal. According to Former employees, it was difficult to renter the work force as they claim that as union members, they were blacklisted. They claim that those terminated are still struggling to get their feet back on the ground.
Wayne Lambey
Wayne Lambey, Former Employee, Port of Belize Ltd.
“Look at our world. We don’t want to make noise. We don’t want to have that old idea that the wheel that makes the most noise gets the oil. We are saying, reach us before we start crying. Come on, have a sit down and then whatever options are there, whether reinstatement compensation and let this thirty-five know because people are working, but it’s not the best job to have. I imagine you gave up sixteen years of your life to start all over again from nothing. Where we had single mothers, we had single fathers who were working and we are men on the day off who got texts that you are no longer, your service is no longer required without any other explanation. So that is my appeal. My appeal is to ask the tribunal and the government to have a heart, have a conscience, bring up the thirty-five case, have a conclusion to the matter, and we will all be okay again.”
In our final episode of Bringing Energy to Life, we look at electricity generation and how it makes its way to the national grid from independent power providers who supply the country with a significant amount of energy. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with that story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The process of converting any form of energy into electric power is called electricity generation. One of the most common ways to generate electricity is by using a turbine, a device that spins a rotor shaft connected to a generator. That turbine can be driven by the kinetic energy of flowing water. The Mollejon Dam is one of three hydroelectric facilities operated by Fortis Belize on the Macal River.
Tedford Pate
Tedford Pate, Operations Manager, Fortis Belize
“As you notice in the background, we have our dam across the river. That is what creates the main storage in a hydroelectric facility, without the water it’s impossible for us to produce power. So as long as we have adequate storage within the dam then we have the ability to transfer that water through the penstock from the dam into the power plant.”
Built in 1995, the Mollejon Dam, which currently generates in excess of twenty-five megawatts, is the country’s first commercial hydroelectric facility. The reservoir saves and collects 1.71 million cubic meters of water.
Tedford Pate
“So as the water enters into the power plant, it passes through a series of controls for safety purposes. So we have what we call a main turbine shutoff valve and then we have wicket gates that allow the water to pass into the turbine. That then spins the turbine that is connected to the generator by a shaft, and as that spins, the generator itself produces the power, the water continues down the river to its normal flow.”
The electricity generated is then transmitted to a substation and distributed through a network of wires and transformers called an electric grid.
Tedford Pate
“The power now that comes out from the generator is transmitted to the substation, as you can see in the background at a voltage of six thousand, nine hundred volts and then it’s stepped up by that transformer in the substation to the transmission grid voltage which is a hundred and fifteen thousand volts. So once the power is on the grid, then BEL is then responsible for distributing that power to wherever the need is across the country.”
Twenty-five megawatts of power is generated by Fortis Belize at Mollejon, seven point three megawatts at Chalillo and nineteen megawatts at the Vaca facility. Hydroelectricity is one hundred percent renewable energy.
Omereyon Fregene
Omereyon Fregene, Manager, Energy Supply, B.E.L.
“In Belize, as you know, BEL is the sole transmission and distribution company for electricity. Our main sources comprise of the Fortis Belize Ltd, hydro dams: Chalillo, Mollejon and Vaca. We have a small hydro dam down south called Hydro Maya Ltd. We also have the biomass plants which is BELCOGEN, ASR/BSI at the northern part of the country and Santander Sugar Industries at the western side.”
Biomass is used to generate energy by converting organic matter into various forms of renewable fuel which can then be used to power engines, turbines, or generators that produce electricity. Santander Sugar Group has been providing energy to the national grid since early 2016. It is one of seven independent power providers that supply BEL with electricity.
Cayetano Acosta
Cayetano Acosta, Electrical Manager, Santander Sugar Group
“We mill six thousand tons of cane a day, of which thirty percent is bagasse which we use to generate approximately sixteen megawatts of energy. Eight megawatts is destined for internal consumption and eight megawatts is destined for the grid. We are harvesting sugarcane to produce sugar, however, the process to convert cane to sugar requires a lot of energy. It requires steam and electrical energy to power driver and motors. The most sustainable way to meet our energy needs is by using the same byproduct that we are getting from the extraction of juice from the sugarcane.”
Renewable energy comes from natural sources that are constantly replenished, such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass. It has many benefits for the environment, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. Renewable energy also promotes energy independence.
Omereyon Fregene
“BEL is, of course, well aware of the trends in generation sources and the move from traditional fossil fuel plants to renewables. So BEL did conduct a study looking at a twenty-year horizon and that study took into consideration generation, transmission and substation assets that we would need to have in place looking at what the electricity requirements are for the country within that twenty-year period. That study did also take into consideration that Belize, as a country has committed through the national determined contributions to reach seventy-five percent renewable energy for all electrical energy consumed within the country.”
Belize Electricity Limited has received notice from CFE in Mexico that it will be doing planned maintenance on the interconnection between B.E.L.’s transmission grid and CFE’s substation at Xulha [pronounced Shul-Ha]. These works will be done for a period of five days, from seven a.m. to five p.m. from February fifth to ninth. B.E.L. assures customers that there is sufficient in-country capacity from local energy sources, including hydro, biomass, fossil fuel, solar and B.E.L.’s own gas turbine. B.E.L. says it is working in collaboration with local independent power producers to maintain reliable and stable supply of power.
Healthy habits, healthy schools, healthy Belize”, that is the theme of the first Health and Nutrition expo held today the Belize Civic Center. The expo was held in order to encourage healthier habits and bring awareness to health concerns threatening the young population. Several primary and secondary schools attended the event earlier today, where they got to sample an array of nutritional foods, as well as learn about how to make small changes in their daily lives. News Five’s Britney Gordon stopped by to learn all about it. Here’s the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Today, dozens of students got the opportunity to learn about fostering healthy habits at the first ever Health and Nutrition Expo at the Belize Civic Center. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in partnership with several NGOs and government agencies, including the Ministry of Education. At the event, students visited booths where representatives educated them on topics such as mental health, nutritional dietary options, skin care, and non-communicable diseases.
Robyn Daly-Faber
Robyn Daly-Faber, Technical Advisor for Nutrition, Ministry of Health and Wellness
“So we wanted to be able to share with those that are in the program and others as well, the impact, the importance of health and nutrition. We’re giving out posters, informational, flyers, contents. We’re also being able to teach some of the students some pointers about health and nutrition today. We have twenty-two booths. We also invited some of the beverage companies that are selling juices that are natural for them to also promote their healthy products. So that gives us about twenty-two and we expect about five hundred students varying from preschool, primary and secondary school to join us today.”
Minister of Health and Wellness, Kevin Bernard spoke on the importance of such an event.
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness
“Today as you know the Ministry of Health and Wellness have launched the National Nutrition Policy last year. And as part of the commitment and to ensure that we move on with the policy, we have been able to team up with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, in showing our commitment as a government and as ministries, that we are committed to ensuring that we can Push into Belize, especially in our schools at a very young age, the issue of being healthy habits so we can create healthy schools and the end result that we have a healthier Belize. As we have been saying for a long time, we have to address the issues of non communicable diseases that are affecting our society. In my message, I spoke about it briefly, diabetes, cancer and all these things that are prevailing in our country, we need to reduce that and the only way we can do if our people start to eat up healthy, start to build those healthy habits, and it has to start not only from the schools, but from home, as Minister Fonseca rightly mentioned. It starts at home, but we must ensure that it is incorporated in the school system and that’s one of the reasons why the Ministry of Education has also adapted the healthy eating habits within the school system. For us, it’s important that we bring together stakeholders from both the non-governmental organization, the government partners, international partners, and the private sector to come together to ensure that we continue to promote this initiative.”
According to Education Minster Francis Fonseca, this event is part of a larger initiative to educate students about personal health and encourage change within the community. The ministry has been working on several other projects that are set to be implemented soon.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“I think we all know, in our own individual lives, we know how important health is, how important nutrition is to leading a healthy life. So I think for us at the Ministry of Education, what’s important is that. We have, in a sense, a captive audience. We have, as I said in my remarks. We have one hundred thousand students in our education system from preschool to university. And so we believe that represents a unique opportunity to really instill in our students these healthy habits which will ultimately lead to them leading healthy lives and Belize becoming a healthier country. So it’s, absolutely important at the Ministry of Education. We have focused on this in our new curriculum that we launched, the competency based curriculum health and nutrition and sports play an important part of that in that curriculum. We’ve also worked with the Ministry of Health to develop the National Nutrition Policy. And of course we’ve launched the National Healthy Start Feeding Program across the country, which is all about making sure that we’re providing nutritious meals to our students in their classrooms across the country. We have to start gradually, but I’m happy to report that we’re already in thirty-five primary schools. We’re already in nine high schools. Later this year, we’ll expand to twelve other high schools and I think six other primary schools. So it’s an exciting initiative. And the whole objective is about ensuring that we’re producing healthier citizens for Belize.”
The most ambitious undertaking by the ministries of Education and Health includes a joint endeavor to ban the sale of sugary drinks on school compounds. Minister Fonseca explained how the process is going.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“It’s a challenging issue because you know how addicted our people are to these sugary drinks and our students and young people in particular. But it’s something we feel very strongly about, so we’ve worked along with the Ministry of Health to pass that legislation about the banning of sugary drinks in our schools. We have to take a phased approach, obviously, a responsible approach so it’s being done in phases but I’m very glad with the initial results as we roll out that program. Already we’re seeing that, there’s so many good alternatives, coconut water, natural water, of course. So it’s, again, it’s a challenge. It’s an issue of changing habits and ensuring that our students understand and appreciate that it’s much better for you to drink some water or drink some coconut water than to drink a soda or a soft drink.”
Reporter
“When it comes to what the schools are allowed to sell, is it going to be made mandatory now?”
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“Yes, that’s the whole idea. That, as I said, the whole policy is about banning these sugary drinks in our schools, on our school compounds. But it has to be done in a phased approach. So it’s not saying, okay, effective today. No, it’s being done in a phased, rolled out approach. And so far it’s been very successful. And we hope, as I said my, our goal really is that over a period of say a year and a half or two years that eventually we can have a complete ban of these sugary drinks on our school campuses.”
The rains a couple months ago seriously damaged a number of streets in Belize City. Cemetery Road, which has not seen repair work for several years, was among them. But now that road is receiving urgently-needed resurfacing at two different locations, and what is interesting is that there are two different entities conducting the work. Today, the Belize City Council issued a press release informing that the work that has begun on the portion near the Constitution Park is a project that it is overseeing. That rehabilitation was made possible through funding of a hundred thousand dollars from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. Meanwhile, the MIDH is conducting rehabilitative work on another portion of Cemetery Road – that four-hundred-foot stretch from the roundabout to the junction with Elston Kerr Street. Chief Engineer in the Ministry explained to News Five today the two projects taking place on Cemetery Road.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Infrastructure Development
“The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing is currently doing some works on the George Price Highway from its intersection with the Central American Boulevard near the monument towards Partridge Street. These are some minor works that we had planned for just over a month or month and a half ago that we wanted to execute, but we could not execute that because of the range that we had. And also we wanted to utilize the contractor that we had doing some paving works at the Haulover Bridge, but now that we’re finished with those paving works, we were able to get the contractor to mobilize to that section of the highway yesterday, and I issued a public notice to the media so that they could have shared with the public of these works that we will be executing over the next five days. Basically, the idea is that we had some minor road failures in that little section, whereby the pavement was under some stress because of vehicular traffic that utilizes that section, especially the buses. We have a bigger project, which is called the George Price Highway Upgrading Project, which is the upgrading of the entire George Price Highway from Central American Boulevard to Belmopan. So, that section that we’re currently working on is within section 3 of the full scope of works. And so, we’re trying to limit the extent of works or the extent of funds that we have to spend within that year until we could get the full project up and running later this year. We do not go into the city unless we are asked to do so by those municipalities. However, as MIDH, we’re willing to assist and so they have been discussions between our CEO and also the minister for us to assist the City Council financially to do some works on Cemetery Road, and that will be implemented by the council itself and not by MIDH.”
