2024-09-19 - Channel 5 Belize

Education, Business, Farming, and A Love for Cricket

Perhaps the saying by Sir Thomas Moore that to be humble to superiors is a duty, to equals, a courtesy, to inferiors, nobility best describes Doctor Roy Young. A resident of Bermudian Landing, Young is highly educated and in his own way, continues to provide for students who need to advance in school. He is carrying on with his parents’ dream of managing a resort, but with all of this, he has a tenacious love for the sport of cricket. Young sat with for this week’s edition of Belize on Reel and explained how he managed to juggle it all and how he never let go of the sport, and why it’s important to revive cricket among youths. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Dr. Roy Young, Cricket Enthusiast

“What I’m trying to do is to, along with others in the area – is to try to grow the area, to improve the area, to see all of our young people come up differently.”

Marion Ali, Reporting

He’s the owner of The Nature Resort situated behind the Community Baboon Sanctuary building in Bermudian Landing. But what many may not know is that Dr Roy Young is also President of the Belize National Cricket Association, a retired educator, a consultant, and a mentor to youths in the area. He came from humble beginnings.

Dr. Roy Young

“I born in this village, I born just months before Hurricane Hattie and our house blew down by the school. And so my parents moved out this side, so we were one of the first out this side of the village, and so we lived here as like a lot of people in the rural. I had to cut – I was the only son in the family, so I had to cut firewood, beat rice, and do those kinds of things. And my grandmother was my direct neighbor, so I also do those things for her.”

In 1979, a terrible flood made travelling between Bermudian Landing and Belize City impassable. That was for him, the imprint for his life’s path, never letting go of agriculture and the environment. But right along with that defining moment was his love for the sport of cricket.

Dr. Roy Young

“As young people in the Belize River Valley, we always have time for cricket. We will find that – and so I played as a young person. I played while I was at St. John’s College, in the high school team. And then I played at the village level when I came out here to teach. Our Summer Fever team was a very good team.”

It was during these halcyon days that Young’s path crossed with Felix Sutherland, a resident of Lemonal. The two share quite a few things in common, including a love for cricket. Theirs would be a friendship that Sutherland says blossomed from then and lasts to this very day.

Felix Sutherland, Friend of Dr. Roy Young

“I went in as a student at Belize Teachers College where he taught me REAP. REAP is an acronym for Relevant – it began as Rural Education for Agricultural Production, but realizing the worth of such a program they quickly changed the rural to relevant education in an effort to offer more schools as a result of relevant. It was offered to urban schools as well. So, he was my REAP lecturer and we have been friends ever since. He’s always one to give positive advice. He’s always one to demonstrate. He teaches by modeling what he would like to see. So he has had a profound influence on my life.”

Apr 24, 2023, Belize to Host Central American Cricket Championship Tournament

Felix Sutherland

“I am his first son’s Godfather so, we are also compadres. Presently, Roy is the President of Belize National Cricket Association. I am the Chairman of the Dispute Committee for the Belize National Cricket Association. So, wherever there’s Roy, I am maybe two steps behind or wherever I am, he may be two steps behind.”

Young says that while he no longer plays competitively, he still takes the field, and it’s always a rejuvenating feeling.

Dr. Roy Young

“I do play on what we call the over-fifty for those players who are fifty years and older. So, we had a nice tournament last time. The National Sports Council came out. The Department of the Youth came out. So we have a blast.”

Young says as President of the Association, he wants to revive the dying sport.

Dr. Roy Young

“That’s part of our mandate, so right now we have a team from Carmelita, which is in Orange Walk. We used to have a team from Belmopan. And so our effort to change that is to introduce cricket to the primary schools. So just before COVID we had teams of coaches going out to five schools in Cayo to teach them about cricket.”

In 2018, Young led the Belize Cricket Team to the regional competition and explained why it was so important for people to learn the game.

(Nov 2, 2021)

Dr. Roy Young, President, Belize National Cricket Association

“For people to know about cricket in Belize, we want to start with the awareness and a lot of people don’t want to play the game because they are scared of the ball. There are different versions of the ball, there are tennis balls, there are softballs and so on. So we have our females also playing now and they played a slightly similar ball to the hardball.”

Felix Sutherland says that although his friend has been successful in education, in his career and in sports, he never let any of it breed arrogance.

Felix Sutherland

“Speaking about Roy and putting him in the spotlight is not something that I would have envisioned because he’s always unassuming. He’s so quiet. He’s always reserved and would never be heard loudly, except whenever his, his professional or scholastic aptitude are requested of him.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

PM says 10K Cases of Corona Beer Due to Local Shortage

The government of Belize recently authorized over ten thousand cases of Corona beer to be imported into the country. The volume of the shipment raised concerns among local brewers about the impact that the flood of Mexican beers would have on the Belizean market. Prime Minister John Briceño explained that the importation is due to a shortage of local beer at a time of high demand. Here is more on that.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“It’s ten thousand cases. And not a single bottle has been imported yet. They just issued, or about to issue the the permit to import it. What has been happening is that there has been a shortage of Belikin, there has been a shortage of Coca-Cola in the market. I got a message from one of my constituents yesterday saying, here with the twenty-first, and we are short of soft drinks and beer, and this is a time when we can sell. And I’ve been in touch with the CEO, mister Michael Bowen, an excellent businessman and Belizean. And he’s saying that they have increased the production and sales have increased. But it seems because of the growth of the of the economy, we’ve been growing very fast, it’s been difficult to catch up. So there’s some shortages. Is that a policy that we want to go down to? I don’t think so. I don’t think that’s a policy that to we want to support local industry but if from time to time there’s a shortage we may need to consider in the short term to allow that to come. We are still looking at the issue of the Corona beer and probably quite likely at the next cabinet probably it will become will come up for discussion.”

B&B Disappointed with G.O.B. Over Corona Importation

Belize’s biggest brewery, Bowen and Bowen, has expressed disappointment with the Government of Belize for granting a permit to another private company to import ten thousand cases of Corona beer from Mexico. And while the PM says it’s to meet growing demands, B&B says they do not have a shortage of beers. Today the company’s Corporate Relations Manager, Rosanna Villanueva, spoke with us on the matter.

On the phone: Rosanna Villanueva, Corporate Relations Manager, Bowen & Bowen Ltd.

“It came to our attention recently as well, and I mean, I can’t express how deeply disappointed we are at what seems to be some sort of shift in policy, Marion. For us at Bowen and Bowen. it seems to us that there’s no effort being made to protect Belizean industry with a move like this. We – you know, if you try to cross the border to Mexico with even one case of beers, you’ll have to pour it out. And the reason for that is that the Mexican government is protecting its industries. So, for us, it just seems as though there’s the lack of, of that passion to protect Belizean industry as well. As well, we’ve heard one of the rationales for this is something about supplying the tourist industry, which that makes no – there’s no logic in that, because if someone comes to Belize to visit Belize, they want to drink a Belizean beer, they’re not going to want to drink a Mexican beer. So, that doesn’t make any sense to us. It’s just very disappointing that something like this has even been considered, or, you know, seems to be happening at this point. There’s no shortage. A couple months ago, we did have production issues, which, you know, we were very open with the media. We shared that with the media what we were dealing with, but our supply has stabilized. We have all our beers being produced in the market. So there’s no shortage as such right now. If it’s a matter of variety, Bowen and Bowen produces a wide range of beer brands. We also import some beers from CARICOM. So it’s not a matter of lacking variety or anything in the country. But yes, we are supplying the country. Our beers are being produced, so there is no shortage.”

Is There a Sugar Shortage in Belize?

If you’ve gone to the store to purchase sugar or flour recently, you may have noticed a store policy, limiting the quantity that one family can purchase at a time. As recently as today, 88 Shopping Center in Belize City limited the amount of flour to five pounds per family and sugar to two. This led shoppers to wonder whether Belize is experiencing a sugar shortage. We spoke with the Supplies Control Unit, which clarified that the limit is not due to a shortage, but rather the trend of buyers purchasing large amounts to sell illegally outside the Belize market. This was reiterated by Prime Minister John Briceño, who told us that the government is attempting to combat the issue.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“No, I don’t think there should be a sugar shortage, but yes, I think what has been happening is that Belize sugar industries have been trying to manage the amount of sugar that we put out in the market to ensure that it’s not being sold illegally or contraband into Guatemala and to Mexico. The price difference is way too great. And we have to try to find how we can not take it to that level, but to try to find a kind of an equilibrium where we make it more difficult to contraband. We have a very porous border, so it’d be difficult to monitor. But no, there’s no sugar shortage and we continue to work with BSI to ensure that we get sugar onto the market.”

Britney Gordon

“So I understand that, but to allow, for the stores to prohibit people from buying more than two pounds at a time, isn’t that a bit ridiculous of an ask?”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I really don’t know, I can’t comment, because I don’t know, but I think we’ll have to try to, I’ll ask the minister responsible for supplies control is this, also the minister of agriculture to, to take a look into it.”

How Will GOB Balance Void Created by Income Tax Adjustment?

The Prime Minister also had good news for people who earn less than twenty-nine thousand dollars per annum. He said that effective January first, persons who fall in that bracket will no longer pay income tax. But while that is good for those in the working class, how will the government fill the void that is created by that adjustment? That is a question that the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also asking.

Katherine Meighan, President, B.C.C.I

“That is a question that, of course, all of us are asking. That is a question that the government has to answer. But that’s a question where we are hoping to be able to collaborate with the government on that. Now, we certainly can see the benefits. You know, from our members continuously, when we speak to members, we hear the challenges of where the income tax as it is and at that threshold has not necessarily helped to build productivity from within. So we’re looking forward to that. Now you’re right. There’s the other side of the game and how can we collaborate with the government to ensure that the revenue neutrality angle does not negatively affect another side of the game or that cycle, another piece of the pie, whatever you want to say. And will that negative effect be more dramatic than the, than the positive that comes into it.”

Chamber President Wants Collaboration Between MoE and BPOs

On Wednesday, Business Senator, Kevin Herrera said that the shortage of labour that B.P.O. companies are currently experiencing suggests that the Prime Minister’s comments on unemployment are indeed so. The PM, using figures published by the Statistical Institute of Belize earlier this year, stated that unemployment was down to three percent. Today, the President of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who is the general manager of a B.P.O., also agreed that the numbers must be reflective of a low unemployment rate. She added that it’s good when an industry has grown to a point where there is need for further development, such is the case with the B.P.O. sector. Meighan is of the view that there is now need for some intervention by the Ministry of Education to take the training of B.P.O. agents and employees one step further.

Katherine Meighan, President, B.C.C.I

“The B.P.O. sector has been an amazing contributor towards the Belizean economy. Part of that is the diversity angle. B.P.O.’s also play a role, just like the tourism industry, agriculture, et cetera, et cetera. I think that B.P.O.’s offer in general for Belizeans across the board, a professional environment, fair wages, and it also offers an opportunity for career growth and development. Now, we are currently seeing that the unemployment rate is low, and of course that connects to the continued growth of this sector, especially this sector that is very much connected to labor because the labor is really the bones, the heart, the assets. And what we are hoping to do, and, what we see as a solution going forward is really trying to collaborate and connect. We have our B.P.O. members that are asking us for support with training and development professional skills. And we also want to collaborate and connect and encourage the government to do the same because one, there’s opportunities from within for movement upwards through professional development, training, et cetera. There are also these opportunities where we can also prepare for the future. So we can work with the Ministry of Education to talk about what is the potential campaigns and what are the opportunities coming into the longer term and how can we connect that to the educational curriculum.”

Surrender Your Guns and Regain Your Freedom?

The state of emergency that has been in effect for the past ninety days across portions of Belize City and the Cayo District will expire in five days. So, will the S.O.E. be extended for an additional period? Commissioner Williams says it’s an option that’s still on the table. But he says that the police department has worked out a deal with these alleged gang members, a tradeoff of sorts. Here is how he puts it.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I met with the people under the SOE two days ago. And, I have laid the cards on the table for them. They all said that they want this gang issue to stop. They want to be released and come home to their families. And I said to them, if they can see how peaceful the country has been since they were detained, it simply goes to show that they were the problem. They conceded to that and pledged that coming out of prison, so it’s not extended. They will work with the programs that we have in place, brother Nuri has committed to work with them continuously to see how we can help them to overcome whatever issues they may have. And I said to them, the same way how you all can live together in prison, why can’t you live this way when you’re out on the streets? You don’t need to be in prison to learn to live this way. And they agreed. But the important thing I said to them was that since you so want to change your life, you don’t want to go back to the gang life, usually you don’t want to go back to the shooting and killing of others, then surrender your guns. You don’t need, you’re no longer a gang member, surrender your guns. They agreed that they’re going to surrender their guns. So we’ll see what that goes.”

Benque Police Officers Investigated for Alleged Misappropriation

The Professional Standards Branch is investigating a police constable and a corporal from the Benque Viejo Police Station. The two officers allegedly misappropriated one thousand dollars from the Belize Police Department. ComPol Williams told reporters what the investigation has revealed so far.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“There was some situation where a lady was supposed to be hired to cook for some summer camp that the police had. And, the lady was charging, I think, one thousand dollars to do the cooking. That was agreed upon and then two days before the date of the cooking, the police officers told the lady that she would not be needed to cook anymore but the money will still be sent to her. And they told her that once the money is sent to her, she must transfer the money to their account. The money did came to the lady’s account and on the instruction of the police, the money was sent to one of the police officers account. So that matter is with PSB and PSB will deal with that matter adequately.”

D.P.P. Gave Directive to Arrest Pastor Victor Hernandez

On Wednesday night, we told you that the President of NEAB, Pastor Victor Hernandez has been arraigned on two counts of sexual offenses, including rape and sexual assault. Hernandez is currently out on bail. According to the Commissioner of Police, the alleged victim made a report some time ago, but the police were unable to get her to cooperate fully because she feared for her life. He noted that police moved on the arrest based on directives from the Office of the D.P.P.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“From what I was told by the acting OC of the Toledo Police Formation, is that this report was made to the police some time ago but there was no cooperation or minimal cooperation coming from the complainant due to fear from threats that she had received. Eventually she came forward and gave a full account of what may have transpired. And so, the police had sent the matter to the D.P.P. representative in the south for advice. And having reviewed the file, the evidence on file, he advised the police to proceed with the charges against the pastor and the police acted accordingly. It is extremely sad because those of us who are in public, who has authority and are in public life, where people depends on us, people relies on us, people trust us. When we breach the trust of the people that trusted us, then that is something that we have to be concerned about. A pastor is a person of eminence in society. And when a pastor is accused of rape, it will certainly cause a concern, not just for that community, but the whole country.”

Probe Reveals Admin Failure in Daniel Caal’s Detention

The Professional Standards Branch has launched an investigation into the death of twenty-six-year-old Belmopan resident Daniel Caal. He died at the Western Regional Hospital after being held in police custody for four days. An autopsy report revealed that he died from respiratory complications. Well, ComPol Williams says that several administrative breaches have been identified, including the fact that Caal did not have to remain in the holding cell for more than a few hours.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“ We can see with certainty that there may be no criminal culpability on the part of the police. But as the investigation is unfolding, we are seeing where some of our administration, administrative measures were breached. And so those police officers who caused the breach of our administrative measures will have to answer administratively. One such thing is that Mr. Caal need not to have been in police custody beyond the Friday. He could have gone to court. Why keep him in custody longer than it was necessary to do so? So, whoever was responsible for ensuring he had gone to court a Friday will have to answer why that did not occur. But if what the family is saying that they had visited the station to see him, and the police did not allow them to see him, the police can be wrong and they can be right. We do have visitation hours at the station. We can’t have a system where people walk in anytime wanting to see a prisoner. So, we have to look to see if that was during visitation hours. But if the family would have come and say, I’d like to see my loved one because we know he suffered from XYZ and is caught every so often, which then triggers something that might have the police, let’s make a check on him. So, we have to look at what exactly was said to the police by the family members when they alleged that they visited the station.”

Reporter

“Was there any explanation for the gash on the head?”

Chester Williams

“I believe that it was caused from a seizure and when he fell, the bar in the cell block may have hit his head.”