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While locally the B.N.T.U. and P.S.U. have reached agreement with the government to forgo increments, there is a storm brewing involving regional exams. That is because despite opposition in the region, the Caribbean Examination Council, with the nod from the Council of Human and Social Development, is standing by its decision to hold examinations in […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Caribbean Union of Teachers Vehemently Opposes to CSEC Exams Being Held in July
The regional union says that it has seen no evidence of any action plan by Ministries of Education in the region, which suggests that they have adopted any approved set of standards specific to the reopening of school. Elena Smith agrees. Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U. “In Belize we have not yet come up […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Regional / International |
Comments Off on CUT Says Ministries of Education Not Prepared for CXC Exams
The desire to own a parcel of land sent hundreds of persons out to mile forty-four on the George Price Highway. Activist Nigel Petillo, formerly of BGYEA, has identified two thousand five hundred acres of arable land, whose owner is now deceased. Petillo promises to parcel off the property at an acre each per person. […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Understanding a Need for Land in Cotton Tree
We will have a look at the local tourism industry later in the newscast, but tonight the news for hundreds of employees at a local airline is not good. Tropic Air is reportedly sending home more than two hundred employees, including long standing ones, who have been employed at the company for years. The COVID-19 […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Tropic Air Sending Home More than 200 Employees
Belize now stands as the only country on the American mainland without a new case of COVID-19; that’s because today, Suriname recorded a positive case after forty-four days of no confirmed cases. It is exceptional news coming out of the region, especially for Belize, which has been able to contain the first wave of the […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Testing Protocol for Returning Belizeans
More than eight hundred and thirty people have signed an online petition to call on San Pedro officials to put a stop to a proposed water taxi terminal in downtown San Pedro. The San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi, the biggest operator on the island, acquired the Ruby’s Hotel property. That property, it is being […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Will There Be a New Water Taxi Terminal in San Pedro?
During the programme, Peter Lawrence summed up a few of the concerns about the project. He says that traffic congestion, safety for students and other concerns show that this is not a feasible project downtown and in front of the island. Peter Lawrence, Hotelier “The golf carts, all the golf-carts companies have like ten […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Businessman Says Proposed Water Taxi Terminal is Problematic
They say there are always two sides to every story and on Monday, we brought you the side of Assistant Superintendent of Police Aaron Gamboa. ASP Gamboa and junior officer, PC Mark Rodriguez got into a physical altercation on Saturday night in Camalote Village. ASP Gamboa says that Rodriguez was driving recklessly on the George […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Mark Rodriguez Tells His Side of the Story
PC Mark Rodriguez was arrested and charged for several offenses, including S.O.E. violations and for refusing to provide a specimen. He was arraigned and released on bail on Monday. Rodriguez says that aside from being a victim of police brutality, he was charged unfairly for offenses he did not commit. Mark Rodriguez, Alleges Police […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PC Rodriguez Slapped with Several Charges
According to Rodriguez’s wife, Krista Zelaya, the dispute between both parties is personal. She says that Gamboa has reportedly been developing her land, which was passed down from her father. Zelaya contends that the land belongs to her and that caused the escalation of the feud. Krista Zelaya, Common-Law-Wife of PC Mark Rodriguez “One […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PC Rodriguez Says Dispute is Personal, Over Land in Camalote
The Government of Belize, the Public Service Union and the Belize National Teachers Union are now on the same page. All sides have agreed to the word “forgo” as the negotiations on government’s cost-saving measures during the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end. G.O.B. had proposed that public officers and teachers forgo their salary increment […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Forgo’ It Is! B.N.T.U., P.S.U. and G.O.B. Resolve Impasse
When the dispute became public, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry weighed in saying that the unions were out of touch with the current reality of COVID-19 and the detrimental effects it has had on thousands of Belizeans. The sentiments of the Chamber were interpreted as a scolding to the P.S.U. and today Elena […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on B.N.T.U. President Says the Chamber Had No Idea
And while public officers and teachers are forgoing their increments, will they face retrenchment? At his press conference last week, the Prime Minister said he will borrow as long as he can to avoid retrenchment. But PM Barrow predicted that whoever succeeds him as Prime Minister will have to speak to the IMF and IFIs […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on The Possibility of Retrenchment in the Public Sector is Real
COVID-19 has had a severe impact on the economy resulting in massive layoffs especially so in the tourism industry. The B.T.B. was among the first to cut back on its staff, and this week, the local Tropic Air is sending home hundreds of employees. In some Caribbean countries such as the Bahamas and Barbados, tourism […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on The Impact of COVID-19 on Belize’s Tourism Industry
Last week, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced a tentative date for the reopening of the Philip Goldson International Airport to allow for international visitors to resume travel to Belize. July first is the earliest date on which the airport can reopen. Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero says that the reopening of this port […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on Reopening the P.G.I.A. Will Pose a Challenge…
While health experts foresee challenges with the reopening of the Philip Goldson International Airport, there is optimism at the Belize Tourism Board about international tourists being able to return to the Jewel. In fact, they have launched the dear Belize website that allows for persons in the main markets for the country—the U.S., Canada and […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on …But B.T.B. Keeping International Visitors Engaged
Jose Sosa, a Salvadoran construction worker was nabbed in Belize City this morning and when he failed to present documentation that he entered the country legally, he was escorted to the Magistrate’s Court. That’s where Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts-Anderson read him a charge of Failure to Produce a Visitor’s Permit, and found guilty. Sosa was fined one thousand dollars […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
Trials |
Comments Off on Salvadoran Jailed for Illegal Entry
With the borders and the international airport still closed, local tourism is being promoted across the country as a first step before international visitors begin making their way back to Belize. On May fifteenth, the B.T.B. launched its plan to have heads in bed as the tourism industry attempts to rebound from COVID-19. Here is […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Belizean Traveller Campaign is Launched to Boost Domestic Tourism
As the Belize Tourism Board promotes local tourism, it is also getting ready for the day when international visitors arrive at the P.G.I.A. It is collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the Belize Hotel Association and other industry partners to develop a property manual that will ensure that hotels and resorts put in place sanitation […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on B.T.B. Developing a Property Manual for Hotels/Resorts
The quality and long-term viability of the natural environment are critical to tourism businesses across the world. Marine animals, birds and wildlife contribute significantly and add value to Belize’s tourism industry. Birding for example, has been on the rise in the last few years, but birds across the world are under threat. While Belize has […]
Written on May 19, 2020 | Posted in
Environment |
Comments Off on Birding – the Challenges and Opportunities!
It’s day thirty-five since Belize has recorded a positive case of COVID-19, but the Ministry of Health remains on alert as border communities in neighbouring Central American countries continue spiking. Up north in Mexico, there are forty-nine thousand two hundred and nineteen confirmed cases, with five thousand one hundred and seventy-seven deaths. Meanwhile in Guatemala, […]
Written on May 18, 2020 | Posted in
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Health,
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Comments Off on 35 Days Since Belize Has Recorded Positive Case of COVID-19
Restaurants resumed on-premises dining on Saturday but the hospitality industry is looking a whole lot different. The use of the face mask by diners and employees is a must and so is the practice of social distancing. On Saturday, the first day of the resumption of business, some were not yet ready to transition to […]
Written on May 18, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Restaurants Resume On-Premises Dining, but Al Fresco
And while some restaurants were able to begin to operate over the weekend, there is another category of restaurant-style businesses that will have to adapt to the regulations. According to the Attorney General, Michael Peyrefitte, business establishments that possess a restaurant license were allowed to operate but those which possess a ‘publican special’ license have […]
Written on May 18, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Statutory Instrument 72 Amended
A crowd of persons showed up at mile forty-four on the George Price Highway on Sunday, lured by the promise of a piece of land. Nigel Petillo, of the Belize Youth Grassroots Empowerment Organization, is attempting a repeat of the Harmonyville Community where he successfully took over acres of land and parcelled it out to […]
Written on May 18, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Pet and Arthur Saldivar Charged After BGYEA Land Meeting in Cotton Tree
So while Petillo and his attorney were both arraigned this morning for matters having to do with social distancing, use of face masks and movement outside of the curfew, their brief time in the holding cell at the Belmopan Police Station contravened all those stipulations. According to the men, they were placed in a very […]
Written on May 18, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Locked Up With No Means of Adhering to Social Distancing
