Carib Scope

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  • After a Decade of Delay, OSH Bill Hits Senate Snag

    After a Decade of Delay, OSH Bill Hits Senate Snag

    More than ten years after it was first drafted, the long-awaited Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) bill has finally advanced to the national Senate — only to become bogged down in procedural and substantive gridlock that has cast new doubt over the future of landmark worker protection legislation. For two full weeks, the proposal has been stuck in Senate committee review, leaving workers and employers across the country waiting without the critical regulatory safeguards the bill is designed to put in place. While public narratives have circulated blaming broad Senate inaction for the delay, sitting Union Senator Glenfield Dennison pushed back against that framing during a joint press appearance with independent colleagues Wednesday, arguing the holdup stems from deep, unresolved flaws embedded in the legislation itself.

    Dennison refuted claims that individual senators were deliberately dragging their feet on the bill, noting that the proposal spent 12 years in preliminary stages before reaching the upper chamber just this spring. “Don’t drop that on me — I don’t want anybody suggesting that it is me holding up the OSH,” Dennison said. “Let’s take that narrative and throw it in the trash.” The most obvious contradiction he highlighted centers on the treatment of domestic workers: the bill’s opening definition section explicitly frames domestic work as a covered employment category, but Section 3 includes a clear exemption that excludes domestic workers from the law’s protections entirely. This direct logical conflict, Dennison argued, is just the most visible of a long list of unresolved issues that have stalled the legislation’s progress.

    The bill’s delay has drawn criticism from across the Senate aisle, with UDP Senator Sheena Pitts doubling down on concerns about the exclusion of domestic workers and pointing blame directly at the Ministry of Labor and its leadership, including Labor Minister Kareem Musa. Pitts emphasized that Senate lawmakers are not intentionally stalling the bill — instead, the executive branch’s team failed to prepare answers for core questions raised during committee review. When senators pressed for clarification on key provisions, Pitts said, ministry representatives “told us, we can’t answer that right now.” Adding to the chaos, Minister Musa was out of the country during the initial review period, leaving no senior official able to resolve outstanding concerns.

    Pitts also tied the exclusion of domestic workers to the country’s international human rights commitments, noting that the nation has ratified the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which requires governments to advance gender equity. “You know who domestic workers are — women,” Pitts said. “It is so unfortunate that even the minister does not understand the legislation,” she added, criticizing the lack of preparation from the Labor Ministry’s top administrative team, including the Chief Executive Officer and Labor Commissioner, who attended the committee hearings but could not respond to basic questions about the bill’s text.

    The gridlock comes after more than a decade of legislative back-and-forth on the OSH bill, which was first introduced in 2014 to update outdated occupational safety rules and expand protections to vulnerable worker groups. The current delay has renewed concerns that the legislation will stall indefinitely, leaving millions of workers without improved safety standards and regulatory recourse for workplace hazards. For the time being, committee leaders have not scheduled a new vote or markup, leaving the bill’s fate uncertain as the legislative session progresses.

  • Shyne Barrow Blasts Panton’s UDP Faction as Self-Serving

    Shyne Barrow Blasts Panton’s UDP Faction as Self-Serving

    Internal fractures within Belize’s main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) have accelerated into open, public conflict, with two of the party’s most prominent senior figures launching blistering attacks on the leadership of current party head Tracy Panton just six months into her tenure.

    Former UDP party leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow joined forces with ex-deputy party chairman Alberto August to publicly denounce Panton and her aligned faction, airing long-simmering internal frustrations with unvarnished candor. Barrow, one of the UDP’s most high-profile figures, delivered his rebuke directly to voters via a public Facebook post, arguing that the party currently offers no credible alternative to the ruling government for Belizean voters. He went further to label Panton’s faction as an out-of-touch, self-interested bloc of politicians, who are primarily waiting for their turn to access power and personal gain rather than working to advance the party’s policy goals and reconnect with voters.

    August fully backed Barrow’s criticism, centering his own remarks on Panton’s qualifications to lead the party. He publicly questioned whether Panton has the necessary experience to rebuild the fractured organization, and called on her to step down temporarily, build up political experience over time, and mount a leadership bid again in the future.

    As the wave of internal backlash against Panton grows, political observers have noted that the public infighting has ramped up pressure on the new leader to respond to the criticisms from within her own party. When approached for comment by reporters, Panton pushed back firmly against the calls for her departure, framing her focus as staying committed to the multi-year project of rebuilding the UDP rather than engaging in petty internal squabbles.

    Panton pointed out that she has only served as party leader for less than six months, and inherited a party in complete disarray when she took the top role. She outlined the depth of the challenges she inherited: the party’s bank account was left completely empty, its national headquarters was in a state of ruin, the party’s constitution had been effectively discarded, and previous caretaker leadership had operated without any commitment to fair play, transparency or accountability. Despite these steep challenges, Panton emphasized that the UDP remains a broad, inclusive organization that welcomes all members who want to contribute constructively to rebuilding the party’s credibility and regaining the trust of the Belizean electorate.

    She did not mince words for critics within the party, however, warning that internal dissent that undermines the rebuilding effort will have consequences. “There is also a thing called natural attrition. Not everyone will get on the ship and if you don’t get on the ship you do so at your peril, because one thing I will tell you, this ship will sail,” Panton said, reaffirming her commitment to holding the leadership and moving forward with the party’s rebuilding regardless of internal opposition. She added that the door remains open to any member willing to contribute meaningfully to the party’s progress.

    This report is a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with all dialogue transcribed accurately per standard transcription conventions.

  • Illegal Dredging Claims Mexico Rock Near Ambergris Caye

    Illegal Dredging Claims Mexico Rock Near Ambergris Caye

    Belize’s coastal ecosystems are facing an urgent, unaddressed threat from unregulated development and illegal dredging, environmental advocates have warned, pushing authorities to tighten enforcement of existing conservation rules and halt harmful activity immediately. In a public joint statement released this May, the Ambergris North Alliance (ANA), a local environmental advocacy group, has named Mexico Rocks near Ambergris Caye as the site of the most recent confirmed violation, where dredging operations have continued long after their original official permits expired.

    ANA President Catherine Paz detailed the most recent incident, which unfolded just one week before the group’s formal announcement, at a newly constructed bulkhead located roughly 600 yards from X’tan Ha Resort, right along the boundary of the Mexico Rocks Marine Reserve. From the moment the bulkhead was built, ANA raised red flags, submitting formal concerns to Belize’s Department of the Environment (DOE), the local mayor, and the area’s elected representative. No action was taken to remove or modify the structure, leaving a persistent problem that has now escalated into illegal activity.

    Paz explained that the bulkhead’s placement causes recurring navigational issues for barges accessing the site: shifting sand frequently traps vessels, forcing crews to dig out the channel again and again. The ANA captured clear video evidence of the most recent unauthorized dredging, which continued illegally until midnight, pausing only briefly for a couple of hours before resuming. Paz confirmed that while the project held valid permits during its initial phase, those approvals have expired, and no new permit has been granted for ongoing work.

    This single incident is not an isolated case, according to ANA. The organization points to a long pattern of unregulated dredging, land reclamation, and quarrying across northern Ambergris Caye and other sensitive coastal zones across Belize, including Hol Chan, Bacalar Chico, Placencia, and Corozal Bay. Cumulative damage from these activities is already putting the region’s unique biodiversity and natural climate resilience at severe risk, Paz says, and the repeated failure of authorities to respond to community concerns has eroded public trust in government environmental oversight.

    The ecological risk of the illegal dredging is particularly acute because of the site’s proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef, one of the world’s most important coral reef systems. Paz noted that the reef sits less than a quarter-mile from the shore at Mexico Rocks, and moves even closer to land further north. Sediment stirred up by dredging (a process called siltation) is carried directly to the reef by natural currents, smothering corals and disrupting the entire marine food web that supports both local wildlife and the coastal tourism and fishing industries that are the backbone of the local economy.

    After years of quiet outreach and repeated requests for meetings with authorities that went unanswered, ANA moved to issue its public call for action. The group is demanding an immediate halt to all development activity in the country’s most sensitive coastal and marine protected areas, alongside much stricter enforcement of existing environmental protection laws.

    In response to inquiries from reporters, Belize’s Department of the Environment and Mining Unit confirmed that they have received ANA’s formal reports of illegal activity, and stated that the incident is now under active investigation.

  • Placencia Lagoon Controversy Exposes Permit Violations

    Placencia Lagoon Controversy Exposes Permit Violations

    Scheduled for publication on May 19, 2026, a simmering dispute over unauthorized sand extraction from Belize’s Placencia Lagoon has erupted into a broader conflict over coastal development governance, pushing environmental accountability and community representation into the national spotlight. What began as local outrage over a private contractor violating the terms of its dredging permit has grown into a coordinated demand from local leaders for a formal voice in critical environmental and resource development decisions.

    After the country’s Department of Environment and national Mining Unit stepped in to address the initial violation, the Placencia Village Council launched an independent investigation that uncovered multiple additional permit breaches. Now, the council is pushing for a permanent seat at the table when government agencies review environmental clearances and mining permits for the peninsula.

    Placencia Village Councilor Kristine Small emphasized that the stakes of the conflict extend far beyond the boundaries of a single local jurisdiction. Any development activity along the Placencia Peninsula, she explained, shapes the economic and environmental well-being of all residents across the region. Small noted that the unregulated dredging has already damaged critical coastal ecosystems, including seagrass beds that serve as core habitat for manatees, commercial fish species and other forms of marine life that form the foundation of the peninsula’s livelihoods. Many local residents, tour guides and artisanal fishers rely on the lagoon’s natural resources for both food and income, she added.

    At the center of the community’s complaint is the lack of local oversight over high-impact coastal development. Small pointed to long-standing government claims that understaffing prevents consistent monitoring of permitted projects, a gap that the Placencia Village Council is ready to fill. “We want to appoint a trusted local representative to carry out consistent oversight to ensure all projects follow the rules moving forward,” Small said, stressing that cross-jurisdictional impacts make local input non-negotiable for projects along the peninsula.

    The controversy in Placencia Lagoon has coincided with growing opposition criticism of the government’s approach to coastal development across Belize. Gabriel Zetina, United Democratic Party caretaker for Belize Rural South, has accused the ruling government of trading long-term environmental sustainability for quick short-term economic gains, amid parallel complaints from residents of Ambergris Caye and the Placencia Peninsula over unregulated dredging operations.

    Zetina said that no level of government has been willing to accept accountability for the flawed permitting process. When questioned, national officials in Belmopan shift blame to local leaders, while local leaders point back to the national Department of Environment (DOE) as the authority responsible for granting permits. The DOE, in turn, claims that permits are only approved when local leaders issue a letter of no objection, creating a circular blame game that leaves no one responsible for monitoring and enforcement.

    “We are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs just to sell the feathers,” Zetina said, noting that Placencia residents have watched for weeks as dredging equipment damages one of the country’s most biologically diverse coastal ecosystems. He added that residents across Belize Rural South will continue pushing for full transparency around dredging and coastal development projects, where critical public information has been largely inaccessible.

    For its part, the Placencia Village Council says it remains optimistic that national authorities will agree to include local stakeholders in future decision-making processes, addressing the governance gap that allowed repeated permit violations to occur.

  • New Health Plan, New Costs? Panton Questions NHI Scheme

    New Health Plan, New Costs? Panton Questions NHI Scheme

    As debate over Belize’s national healthcare overhaul gains momentum ahead of a key parliamentary vote, the country’s main opposition leader is raising urgent red flags about the potential financial burden the proposed framework could place on working families. United Democratic Party (UDP) head Tracy Panton has emerged as a leading critic of the draft National Health Insurance Authority Bill, homing in on a controversial clause that grants the scheme’s governing board — with final approval from the relevant government minister — the power to mandate mandatory financial contributions from enrollees.

    With cost-of-living pressures already stretching household budgets across Belize, Panton argues that the current draft legislation is ill-considered and would exacerbate financial hardship for a population already grappling with rising everyday expenses. In sharp remarks criticizing the government’s legislative approach, Panton emphasized that the opposition cannot back a bill rushed through parliament under the banner of universal healthcare that lacks critical transparency and guardrails.

    Panton points to three core flaws in the current proposal: insufficient accountability mechanisms, vague, underdeveloped language around long-term financing, and a complete lack of clarity about the true out-of-pocket cost the scheme will impose on ordinary Belizeans. Most critically, she warns the legislation creates a pathway for what amounts to a new tax on citizens to fund the national health system. The proposed structure would establish a parallel contribution system to the country’s existing Social Security Board (SSB), requiring working Belizeans to make mandatory payments to both funds simultaneously.

    “This is not National Health Insurance — this is what I call a national hustle insurance,” Panton stated, calling on the government to level with the public about the true terms of the reform. The National Health Insurance Authority Bill is scheduled for its first debate in Belize’s National Assembly in early June, setting the stage for a tense showdown over the future of the country’s healthcare system. This report is adapted from a televised evening news broadcast transcript, with original Kriol-language statements rendered in standard spelling for clarity.

  • Cyberbullying Case Crumbles After Chester Williams’ Absence

    Cyberbullying Case Crumbles After Chester Williams’ Absence

    A high-profile cyberbullying case centered on a former top law enforcement official in Belize has been abruptly dismissed, after the key complainant failed to appear for the scheduled trial. The case, which was set to open on May 19, 2026 at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, targeted Barry Flowers, a serving police officer based in Orange Walk, who was accused of committing online harassment against ex-Commissioner of Police (COMPOL) Chester Williams.

    Court proceedings never moved past the initial check-in, however, after court officials called Williams’ name three times outside the courtroom and received no answer. Prosecutors confirmed to Magistrate Neeshad Mohammed that Williams had received formal legal notification of the trial date, and that court staff had made repeated attempts to reach him ahead of the hearing to confirm his attendance. All outreach went unanswered.

    Under local judicial rules, a criminal complaint cannot proceed without the attendance of the named complainant to give evidence and answer cross-examination. With no alternative path forward, Magistrate Mohammed formally dismissed the charge against Flowers. In unusually blunt remarks delivered from the bench, the magistrate criticized Williams’ absence as a blatant act of disrespect to the court, noting that the former top cop’s position should have carried an even higher expectation of respect for judicial process. He emphasized that the country’s courts will not be weaponized to advance personal grudges between public officials.

    Flowers left the courthouse as a free man immediately after the ruling, and told reporters following the hearing that he is now exploring his own legal options to pursue action against Williams over the baseless charge. The underlying dispute dates back to 2025, when Flowers allegedly published a Facebook post that was critical of Williams’ tenure as police commissioner. This is not the first time a cyberbullying complaint filed by Williams has ended in dismissal for the same reason: it marks the second such case involving the former COMPOL that has collapsed in court after he failed to appear to support his own complaint.

  • Confronting Grooming to End Child Violence in Belize

    Confronting Grooming to End Child Violence in Belize

    As reports of sexual violence against minors climb steadily in Belize, a growing public outcry has emerged to confront the hidden, predatory tactic of grooming that paves the way for abuse – and to protect the nation’s most vulnerable young population. With community leaders and law enforcement now prioritizing proactive education and awareness, Belizeans are breaking the long-held culture of silence that has allowed these crimes to thrive. News Five journalist Britney Gordon dives into the growing crisis and the collective work underway to keep children safe.

    Grooming, a calculated manipulation strategy used by predators to exploit children, begins with the gradual erosion of boundaries: perpetrators first build trust with a young person to lower their defenses, normalize inappropriate interactions, and ultimately create conditions for sexual abuse. To help frontline officials identify and stop this process before harm occurs, law enforcement officers serving southside Belize City recently completed specialized training focused on recognizing early grooming warning signs and responding more effectively to child sexual abuse cases.

    Carla Alvarez, the lead consultant for the training, emphasized that underage victims never bear responsibility for the harm committed against them. “Children lack the emotional and cognitive capacity of adults, and it is our collective responsibility as grown community members to care for and protect them,” Alvarez explained. She added that predators specifically target children with unmet needs, noting that many victims lack consistent love, care, or attention at home – gaps that predators exploit by stepping in with gifts and focused affection that meets a child’s basic human craving for connection.

    “Predators will shower that isolated child with attention, build a false sense of loyalty, and gradually push boundaries to open the door for severe abuse,” Alvarez said, stressing that even trusted family members cannot be assumed safe. UNICEF data underscores this danger, showing that roughly 90% of child sexual abusers are already known to their victims, with family members accounting for a disproportionately high share of offenses.

    Mental health counselor Aimee Jex pointed out that engaged parents and caregivers are uniquely positioned to spot grooming red flags early. Small, easy-to-miss changes can signal trouble, she explained: “If a child suddenly comes home with an unexpected gift like a candy bar or new toy, that should prompt a conversation. It is our job as adults to notice irregular patterns of interaction that children would never identify as dangerous on their own.”

    Jex added that parents should not limit their vigilance to strangers, advising careful monitoring of all close relationships between children and adults, including teachers, extended family, and friends’ parents. Key warning signs include a child’s uncharacteristic hesitation around a specific person, or a close relationship between an adult and child that a parent knew nothing about.

    Alvarez and Jex both agree that ending child sexual violence in Belize requires more than just individual vigilance: the nation must end the stigma that keeps survivors silent and hold accountable all adults who fail to protect children. Communities that come together to prioritize transparency, education, and collective care can create the safe, protected childhood every young Belizean deserves. Britney Gordon, News Five, Belize.

  • Blue Teddy Bear Campaign Confronts Child Abuse Crisis in Belize

    Blue Teddy Bear Campaign Confronts Child Abuse Crisis in Belize

    In the Central American nation of Belize, a surge of public anger over widespread crimes against children has catalyzed collective action, following a string of recent arrests for alleged sexual violence against minors that has put national security and child protection officials on high alert. At the heart of this grassroots and institutional response is the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign, a coordinated effort led by UNICEF to empower ordinary community members as frontline defenders of vulnerable young people.

    On Wednesday, a new cohort of local community workers gathered for a day-long intensive training designed to teach participants how to identify hidden warning signs of child abuse, navigate safe reporting protocols, and challenge cultural stigmas that have long silenced potential witnesses. Lead national consultant Carla Alvarez, who heads the training program, emphasized that equipping everyday Belizeans with practical knowledge and confidence is the most effective way to strengthen the country’s fragmented child protection system.

    Addressing participants during the opening session, Alvarez centered her remarks on one of the biggest barriers to intervention: pervasive social stigma around reporting suspected abuse. “So many community members tell us they see something concerning, but they hold back out of fear of being publicly exposed or targeted for speaking up,” Alvarez explained. She went on to note that shifting social dynamics and the rise of digital technology have exposed children to risks that previous generations never faced, making collective vigilance more critical than ever.

    Alvarez pushed back against long-held harmful misconceptions about abuse, stressing that the issue crosses all socioeconomic boundaries. “Too many people still believe child abuse only happens in low-income households, but that could not be further from the truth. It occurs in every community, at every income level, across all social groups,” she said. She also clarified that abuse extends far beyond the most widely discussed physical and sexual violence, encompassing psychological harm, emotional abuse, and neglect—harmful experiences that often go unrecognized and unreported for years.

    Rooted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the campaign’s core message is that child protection is not the exclusive responsibility of police, social services, or international organizations. “This is everybody’s business,” Alvarez emphasized, calling for open national dialogue to demystify what counts as abuse and encourage bystanders to act. This training session is one of dozens planned across the country over the coming months, which will also include specialized programming for law enforcement officers to help them more sensitively and effectively investigate cases of child violence.

    As Belize continues to grapple with a growing national crisis of child victimization, the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign aims to build a sustained, community-led movement that prioritizes the safety and well-being of the country’s youngest citizens.

  • Mayor Cawich Under Pressure as Pastors Call for Billboard Removal

    Mayor Cawich Under Pressure as Pastors Call for Billboard Removal

    In the Belizean capital of Belmopan, a public controversy that ignited on social media over an alcohol billboard deemed sexually suggestive has escalated into a formal, organized advocacy campaign demanding its immediate removal, pitting community moral standards against commercial expression and putting local city leadership in the political spotlight. As of May 19, 2026, a coalition of 20 religious leaders from Belmopan and its neighboring communities has submitted an official petition to Mayor Pablo Cawich, pressuring the municipal government to take swift action against the advertising display that the clerics argue violates widely accepted public decency norms and has sparked widespread public anger. Campaign organizers have publicly stated they expect the mayor, who is facing growing public and political pressure, will comply with the demand to authorize the billboard’s removal.

    Leading the coalition is Church Senator Louis Wade, who laid out the group’s legal and ethical argument for municipal intervention in an on-the-record interview. Wade explained that the formal petition, signed by religious leaders across the capital region, was crafted to remind Mayor Cawich of his core obligations to the city’s residents, including his public duty to uphold community standards in shared public spaces. “At present moment the letter to the Mayor of Belmopan is almost finished formulated. It will be signed by pastors across the city and surrounding communities, reminding the mayor of his responsibility and his fiduciary responsibility to the residents of Belmopan,” Wade said. “It is a public space. There has been a public outcry. It appears that the mayor does not know the law. The criminal code speaks specifically to indecent exposure of photographs, pictures or so on in public space. And so we want to do the right thing first. And so that’s the process we are taking.”

    Addressing counterarguments that frame the billboard as a protected exercise of free expression, Wade pushed back on the claim by noting context specific to Belize’s legal framework. While Belize recognizes freedom of expression, Wade argued that the widespread public opposition to the display outweighs the advertiser’s right to place the content in a shared public space. Responding to the framing of the demand as a restriction of free speech, he noted: “We don’t have such [First] amendment in Belize, but we have freedom of expression in Belize. The freedom of expression that trumps the billboard is the freedom of expression of the residents who say they do not want the billboard.”

    Wade also emphasized that the scale of public backlash itself serves as proof of the content’s indecency, noting that public anger over the billboard has spread across the entire country, covered by every major media outlet and spawning thousands of social media posts discussing the controversy. “The outcry is so loud that it has gone around the country. Every media house has touched it, thousands of posts on the issue and that alone, the public outcry, demonstrates the fact that it is indecent because if it was decent, there would not be a public outcry,” Wade said. “So there is already enough for the mayor of Belmopan to act. You have people that are writing ‘RIP’ all over the place but don’t connect the deaths to the moral and ethical issues, and it’s the job of the church to bring that out whether people are comfortable with what we have to say or not.”

    Interestingly, a nearly identical alcohol billboard has been installed along Central American Boulevard in Belize City, the country’s former capital, but as of the date of this report, no formal public complaints or organized opposition to that display have emerged. This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with all original quoted content preserved for accuracy and context.

  • Years of Hard Work at ACC, One Graduation List: Who Made It?

    Years of Hard Work at ACC, One Graduation List: Who Made It?

    On a charged, emotionally charged morning in May 2026 at Belize’s Anglican Cathedral College, hundreds of students packed the campus’s central notice area, every gaze locked on the piece of paper that would cap years of early mornings, late-night study sessions, and relentless academic pressure: the annual graduation list. For most of these young people, this is the culminating moment of years of secondary education—when years of sacrifice either translate to the achievement they’ve chased, or force another year of effort to reach that goal. This year’s cohort, however, is already being remembered by school leadership for the extraordinary grit shown by its top graduates, each of whom overcame distinct personal and academic barriers to claim their spots on the graduation list and earn top rankings.

    The air hummed with a mix of tension and unfiltered joy on graduation list day, with screams of celebration, tight hugs, and even tears of relief echoing across campus as students found their names. For Principal Paulette Augustus, the moment is never just about a list—it’s the payoff for half a decade of relentless effort from every graduating student.

    “It’s been a long, exciting week and a half that we have been anticipating this day,” Augustus shared in an on-campus interview. “It’s the culmination of the years of study, the blood, sweat, and tears, per se.”

    Leading this year’s graduating class is valedictorian Ayeesha Longsworth, whose path to the top ranking was far from straightforward. Longsworth opened up about facing significant academic struggles during her first year of secondary school, particularly in mathematics, where she struggled to keep pace with coursework and found herself falling behind her peers.

    “I faced academic challenges in first form. I struggled a lot with math. And over the years, with the help of Ms. Martinez, she really brought out that excellence in me,” Longsworth explained.

    Beyond classroom support, Longsworth credited her tight-knit family and unshakable faith for keeping her motivated through the lowest points of her academic journey. She highlighted her parents, who worked through their own unspoken struggles to ensure she never missed a day of school, and her grandmother, who served as her spiritual guide.

    “I’d like to thank my parents for ensuring that I always came to school. And even if they struggled, they didn’t let me see. And I want to say thanks to my grandmother, who is my spiritual guide. She taught me to keep the faith, to keep God the center of my life,” she said.

    Claiming third place in the graduating cohort is Bristol Salazar, who noted that maintaining a consistent top-tier average across all subjects was a challenge in its own right. Salazar, who pushes herself to earn high marks in every class regardless of the subject, said the hardest part of her journey was holding herself to that high standard across the board.

    “The most difficult thing was trying to make sure you have a ninety and above across each classes, because I’m a person, I always want to be on a roll no matter which class I’m in,” Salazar said. When asked how she felt after learning she had earned a spot in the top five, she gushed: “Oh my gosh, I was so excited and grateful that I became one person out of the top five.”

    The only male student to earn a spot in this year’s top five is fourth-place finisher Justin Lee, who opened up about his own biggest challenge: building the consistent discipline needed to show up and focus on school work, even when he would rather have been enjoying time with friends.

    “A few challenges that I faced were dedication problems. Coming to school every day was a hard thing for me because I like play. And the focus on school mi hard, but my best friend helped me out. And my ma and my parents helped, push me to the right direction,” Lee said, speaking in Kriol that was transcribed per the outlet’s standard spelling conventions. When asked how he felt now that his years of effort had paid off, Lee shared a simple, joyful response: “Feel good. I feel happy that I did graduate and noh have to go through this again.”

    Principal Augustus says this year’s graduating class will stand out in her memory for its remarkable resilience, and she urged all graduates to carry the same perseverance that got them across the graduation stage into their next chapters.

    “My message to my 2025-2026 graduation class is perseverance, determination, self-will. Knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for each and every one of your lives and what is it that he plants there, it only grows,” Augustus said.

    Shane Williams of News Five reported from Anglican Cathedral College. This report is a transcript of the outlet’s evening television broadcast.