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00:00:00 ♪ I get your fridge ♪
00:00:01 ♪ I get your cereal ♪
00:00:03 ♪ I get your meal ♪
00:00:04 - And a very special good morning Trinidad and Tobago
00:00:06 and the rest of the world.
00:00:07 I'm Marlon Hopkinson and welcome to The Morning Edition.
00:00:10 It's Monday, November 20th, 2023.
00:00:12 And thank you very much for joining us.
00:00:15 You know, we're into the full swing, you know, to Christmas.
00:00:20 I was out this weekend, you know, doing some shopping
00:00:23 and I saw you all and you all were out there, you know,
00:00:26 in the Christmas spirit and buying a lot of things.
00:00:29 You know how sometimes you say you don't have any money.
00:00:31 Well, I think we all have some money, yeah.
00:00:34 I'm not saying that for certain people to know it,
00:00:37 but it was good to see you all out there.
00:00:39 And you know, the traffic boy,
00:00:42 sometimes the traffic heading East, it's horrible,
00:00:45 but I guess it's all a part of the season, right?
00:00:47 So let's try to enjoy it.
00:00:49 A number of things happening on the weekend,
00:00:50 not too very good, but as I always tell you,
00:00:53 I don't like to share that bad news with you
00:00:54 almost immediately, but as we move on into the program today
00:00:58 that is going to come up and I can tell you
00:01:00 it is going to come up.
00:01:02 It's going to be first on our agenda, all right?
00:01:04 But all the same, it's good to have you with us.
00:01:06 You have that coffee and you have that tea
00:01:08 and something to eat because it's going to be a long
00:01:10 but interesting program for you today
00:01:13 and always educational, right?
00:01:14 Let's check out to see what's happening
00:01:16 in the Daily Express.
00:01:16 On the front page today,
00:01:18 Cops Broker Agreement to Stop Violence
00:01:21 Between Rival Gangs 6 and Rasta City,
00:01:24 Peace Deal and Mi Paranda,
00:01:27 Schools Paran Competition Migrant Children
00:01:30 who are pupils of the La Casita Hispanic Cultural Center
00:01:34 performed yesterday during the secondary schools competition
00:01:37 of the 2023 Junior Paran Competition.
00:01:40 Mi Paranda held at Bishop Anstey High School
00:01:43 in Porto, Spain, was held there
00:01:45 and the Arriba Bay School founded in 2017
00:01:48 seeks to help with the inclusion and integration
00:01:51 of Hispanics in Trinidad culture.
00:01:53 Imagine that, since 2017, the school was founded
00:01:57 and I'm just learning about that.
00:01:59 That's very interesting, but it's also good news
00:02:01 for the migrant children, all right?
00:02:04 And judges or judge orders dollars
00:02:06 for mistreated Venezuelans, millions for migrants.
00:02:11 Let's check out some sport now.
00:02:13 Back on top, Australian players celebrate
00:02:15 with the trophy after beating India
00:02:17 in yesterday's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final in India.
00:02:22 Virat Kohli covered his face with his India cap.
00:02:26 Rohit Sharma walked off with his head down.
00:02:28 What felt like the only chairs
00:02:30 inside the 132,000 capacity Narendra Modi Stadium
00:02:35 that was a sea of Indian blue all day
00:02:38 came from the jubilant Australian players on the field.
00:02:42 Aussies claim ODI World Cup title
00:02:44 as India stumble at final hurdle.
00:02:47 All right, all you don't get a headache over that now.
00:02:50 It's just a game, all right?
00:02:52 It's just a game.
00:02:54 Let me tell you a story, right?
00:02:56 So back in the day, I was a child, right?
00:02:58 And I had a neighbor and the neighbor loved cricket
00:03:03 and apparently his team lost.
00:03:07 You know, the poor gentleman got a heart attack and died.
00:03:11 Yeah, I know you all take this thing very, very seriously,
00:03:15 but you know, it's a game.
00:03:16 And as LeBron James says,
00:03:20 "You have to live for the moment," right?
00:03:22 So if you lose, you live in the moment,
00:03:24 you forget it and you move on, all right?
00:03:27 Just a little tip for you, all right?
00:03:29 So it's time to remind you of our TrinBagel,
00:03:32 your nice feature.
00:03:34 Remember to participate,
00:03:35 WhatsApp your videos or images to 737-3778, right?
00:03:40 We have anything for anybody?
00:03:44 All right, all right, all right.
00:03:45 So we do appreciate you sending your videos and pictures
00:03:49 and remember to put your name
00:03:52 so that we can say a very special good morning to you.
00:03:56 All right?
00:03:57 So as I said to you earlier,
00:03:58 we do have a packed program for you.
00:04:00 We are going to a very short break.
00:04:02 We're coming back, come back, you know.
00:04:04 (upbeat music)
00:04:06 (upbeat music)
00:04:19 (upbeat music)
00:04:22 (upbeat music)
00:04:24 (upbeat music)
00:04:27 (upbeat music)
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00:04:32 (upbeat music)
00:04:35 (upbeat music)
00:04:37 (upbeat music)
00:04:39 - Hey, hello guys, welcome.
00:04:41 Come have a seat.
00:04:42 This is so stylish and I love the fabric.
00:04:48 - Darlings, you must tell us
00:04:49 where you got your new furnishings.
00:04:52 - We got them locally at Standard.
00:04:53 They've got new chic European furniture
00:04:55 crafted from high quality material.
00:04:57 - Oh, standard?
00:04:59 - No, it's Standard, their brand new hive collection.
00:05:02 - Experience luxurious European furniture
00:05:04 at a price you will love.
00:05:06 The Hive Collection, now exclusively available at Standard.
00:05:09 (upbeat music)
00:05:13 (upbeat music)
00:05:15 (upbeat music)
00:05:18 (upbeat music)
00:05:21 (upbeat music)
00:05:23 (upbeat music)
00:05:26 (upbeat music)
00:05:28 (upbeat music)
00:05:31 (upbeat music)
00:05:34 (upbeat music)
00:05:35 - Beyond the Tape, weekdays at 5.30 PM.
00:05:38 - Go Sona, I'll come in.
00:05:43 - I don't give me no attitude there.
00:05:45 - You have she on her manners boy.
00:05:47 I wish I had your touch boy.
00:05:50 - You have to groom them.
00:05:51 First you have to target them, scope them out.
00:05:55 See if they have low self-esteem,
00:05:57 family problems, you know?
00:05:59 Then you move in and gain their trust.
00:06:02 - I like your glasses.
00:06:02 - After that, you fill a need.
00:06:05 Some of them like nice thing like fancy phones,
00:06:08 hairdos, clothes, food.
00:06:10 Let's have ones who only looking for somebody
00:06:12 to care and listen to their problems.
00:06:15 You feel me?
00:06:16 What important though,
00:06:18 you have to isolate them from the people.
00:06:21 Let them believe it's all about you and them.
00:06:25 - I care about you.
00:06:26 - Then you'll get through.
00:06:27 - Nice, nice.
00:06:30 - Look one righty, tratting now.
00:06:31 (upbeat music)
00:06:34 (dramatic music)
00:06:37 - A message from the counter trafficking units
00:06:43 of the Ministry of National Security.
00:06:45 (upbeat music)
00:07:02 (beep)
00:07:04 - Buddy!
00:07:07 (laughing)
00:07:12 (beep)
00:07:14 (upbeat music)
00:07:16 - All right, so welcome back everyone.
00:07:25 Before we move into the program,
00:07:27 there's a very interesting story today.
00:07:29 Millions for migrants,
00:07:30 state must pay 21 Venezuelans for arrests.
00:07:33 The arrest of 21 Venezuelan men, women and children
00:07:36 during the COVID-19 pandemic
00:07:38 and their imprisonment in atrocious conditions
00:07:41 at two police stations for three weeks
00:07:43 have led to the state having to fork out millions
00:07:46 in compensation to the migrants.
00:07:48 All right, let's get into the program.
00:07:50 So murders and shootings and woundings in Port of Spain
00:07:54 and it's environs over the past week,
00:07:56 stemming from a new eruption and gang violence.
00:07:59 And while the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
00:08:00 has promised to take swift action
00:08:03 and has implemented new anti-crime measures
00:08:05 to combat the problem,
00:08:06 the murders and shootings continued up to this weekend.
00:08:10 The last one occurred in the vicinity of the bus stop
00:08:13 just outside Movietown.
00:08:15 Well, joining us now is acting senior superintendent
00:08:19 of police in TAB, Ramjohn,
00:08:21 head of the criminal investigations department.
00:08:24 Mr. Ramjohn, good morning.
00:08:26 - Good morning, Manan, good morning to the viewer.
00:08:29 - Yeah, all right.
00:08:30 Studio, could we please hear Mr. Ramjohn?
00:08:33 I think that we're having some audio problems.
00:08:36 All right, so we're trying to work out that.
00:08:38 But Mr. Ramjohn, from what we are seeing,
00:08:41 as I said, there was a shooting last night
00:08:45 in the vicinity of the bus stop opposite Movietown,
00:08:49 just outside Movietown.
00:08:51 We are also seeing an incident from MOVA
00:08:56 where two persons were shot, I believe, last night.
00:09:00 Mr. Ramjohn, I think people would want to know
00:09:03 what is happening in Port of Spain and its environs.
00:09:08 What is responsible for this?
00:09:10 - Yes, Manan, again, I would recommend
00:09:17 and I would start by saying that the upsurge
00:09:22 or the uptake is noticeable
00:09:24 and we are the TTPF, we are taking note of that.
00:09:28 We are employing our strategies.
00:09:31 We are continuing having visibility and presence.
00:09:35 There is intelligence to suggest
00:09:38 that there is some increase in the type of violent crimes
00:09:43 that we are immediately assessing it using our CAFA data
00:09:49 and we are in that combat area to have
00:09:53 and to restore peace and confidence.
00:09:55 What I am saying is that the investigative process
00:10:00 is at a sensitive stage with a recent state of crime
00:10:05 that gives us an uptick and we are addressing that
00:10:08 as evident of weekend where we had the arrest
00:10:13 of almost 15% persons of interest that we interviewed.
00:10:19 We got intel information and yes,
00:10:22 it is spreading across to the Western Division
00:10:24 and Northeastern because those are our partners
00:10:28 in the divisional management.
00:10:30 I can assure you the head of the Western Division
00:10:34 and the Northeastern Division together with Port of Spain
00:10:37 and myself together with the executive,
00:10:40 the Assistant Commissioner of Crime,
00:10:42 Assistant Commissioner Maharaj of Port of Spain Division
00:10:46 and the leadership together with ATP Thompson,
00:10:49 we have engaged in a lot of strategies and strike
00:10:52 to combat this and to restore peace and confidence
00:10:55 in those three areas as mentioned.
00:10:58 - But you know, Officer Ramjohn,
00:11:02 while that the TTPS is saying,
00:11:06 and I know that over the past maybe two weeks
00:11:09 and I believe last week there was a strong statement
00:11:12 from the police commissioner saying
00:11:15 that the police will get those who are responsible.
00:11:18 Last week we did an interview with the DCP Simon
00:11:22 and he also promised new anti-crime measures
00:11:26 to deal with this problem.
00:11:28 But I think it is safe to say, Officer,
00:11:30 that while I suspect that the TTPS has stepped up
00:11:34 its efforts to deal with this situation,
00:11:37 I don't know that you have gotten the desired results.
00:11:42 - Yes, Madam, and I say every success
00:11:47 that we have received in the last week or two
00:11:51 with the seizure of the cashier of firearms,
00:11:54 although it may be in different areas,
00:11:56 the recent discovery of the narcotics,
00:11:59 the arrested persons,
00:12:01 coupled with the commissioner statement mandate
00:12:04 and DCP's mandate,
00:12:06 I am saying that we have successes
00:12:08 that we have measured there
00:12:10 and our copper branch really relates to that
00:12:13 and gives us that drive to tell us
00:12:16 that where we are heading,
00:12:17 where we are putting the resources.
00:12:19 Yes, it is incremental and police work by its nature
00:12:24 really depends on evidence
00:12:26 and I must hammer down the public support
00:12:30 that we are getting a little more can tell us more.
00:12:33 Once they see something, say something.
00:12:36 Our five or five tips,
00:12:38 our Port of Spain offices are there
00:12:40 and we rely heavily on the stakeholders.
00:12:44 We are also supported by the defense force,
00:12:48 our other support services of the city police,
00:12:51 the traffic wardens.
00:12:53 Yes, the increases in crime together with our successes,
00:12:58 we, there is a congruent
00:13:01 and we are hoping with our new measures
00:13:04 for the upcoming Christmas and Carnival,
00:13:07 with our crime plan which will be released
00:13:09 for the Port of Spain in the coming days,
00:13:11 it will also enhance that package and ensure.
00:13:15 We must also use the variable to measure success
00:13:20 by our presence, our deterrent factors
00:13:23 and also our visibility in itself there.
00:13:27 We measure this on a daily basis, a 24 hour
00:13:31 that drives the copper information
00:13:33 and yes, indeed, success is coming.
00:13:36 - Yeah, officer, don't you think,
00:13:39 and I'm sure you would agree it's a dynamic situation
00:13:42 and there has to be a constant review
00:13:45 and a constant relook of the anti-crime measures?
00:13:48 - Yes, madam and everything, there is room for improvement.
00:13:53 I can let you know for this week with the events,
00:13:56 we had at least three high forward meeting
00:13:59 together with the Deputy Commissioner of Crime,
00:14:01 Assistant Commissioner of Crime
00:14:03 and we have relooked, we have re-examined
00:14:06 on a daily basis where we went, where we're going,
00:14:10 the resources need and I can tell you
00:14:13 there is a high visibility of police officers
00:14:16 as of this morning and also during the week.
00:14:19 We are commanding these officers,
00:14:22 we have aligned supervisors to have direct supervision.
00:14:25 We will, you will be seeing senior officers
00:14:29 on the ground to curb this noticeable spike.
00:14:33 I would also add and take, push something to the fore line.
00:14:37 The police service is measured with statistical data
00:14:41 from our scientific source, the copper branch.
00:14:45 I can say with certainty that the Port of Spain division
00:14:48 had a 30% reduction in murders.
00:14:52 That is significant to say by numbers.
00:14:55 60 last year and we had a reduction of 30%.
00:14:59 Although you have mentioned that there were murders
00:15:03 last week and this week, we are timing that
00:15:05 not to get it out of hand.
00:15:07 Further, for some reassurance,
00:15:09 we have a reduction in Port of Spain for serious crime,
00:15:13 serious crime in all areas and more noticeable,
00:15:17 the performance target set by the Commissioner
00:15:19 to our violent crime reduction plan.
00:15:21 We have met it, the last (mumbles)
00:15:24 Port of Spain has dropped significantly.
00:15:27 That is one way the movement of criminal elements
00:15:30 to go about.
00:15:31 So yes, these are some success.
00:15:34 Success not only in Tekshan.
00:15:36 Those three areas together with a significant 30% drop
00:15:41 in the wounding and shooting really gives us
00:15:45 some measure of success now.
00:15:46 - What about reports, officer, about several persons
00:15:53 involved in gang activities being questioned by the police?
00:15:58 I think that the impression that members of the public got
00:16:02 was that these persons were arrested.
00:16:05 Were they arrested or were they taken in by the police
00:16:10 just for questioning because we're also seeing a report
00:16:12 that a number of them have been released thus far.
00:16:15 - Okay, Marlon, and that signifies the Commissioner's
00:16:19 mandate in relation to what happened recently
00:16:23 as you spoke of in Belmont and the Bessel Street areas.
00:16:27 Yes, I was part of that team with those persons
00:16:31 that came in as persons of interest.
00:16:34 We also, we looked and did our intelligence work
00:16:37 by bearing in mind, we have to meet the threshold
00:16:41 of evidence as stipulated by the gang,
00:16:44 anti-gang legislation.
00:16:46 And these are some of the tools and arsenal that we have
00:16:49 that we have to arrest, detain people to quantify
00:16:54 and qualify and also to put some, make sure that
00:16:59 this evidence, this intel that we have can manufact
00:17:02 into evidence in accordance with the anti-gang legislation.
00:17:07 I just want to address two points.
00:17:09 I'm not a attorney at law, but the policing practice
00:17:12 and as we are the gang, it really interprets
00:17:16 what is gang violence, gang leaders,
00:17:19 being a member of a gang.
00:17:20 And the threshold, we have to meet with that.
00:17:23 We have to respect the law.
00:17:25 We must work in confinement.
00:17:27 So with this recent arrest, on the weekend,
00:17:29 we did gather some information.
00:17:31 We also did some due diligence because predictive policing
00:17:36 and precision policing also would tell that
00:17:39 the police person will be in harm's way.
00:17:43 So there was more advisory and I did can say
00:17:47 that I myself dealt with the three attorneys.
00:17:50 They were assured that their clients were treated well,
00:17:53 timely, but because of the weekend
00:17:56 and because of some of the constraints,
00:17:57 there was a little inordinate delay,
00:18:00 but the attorneys were kept minute to minute,
00:18:03 day to day about their clients.
00:18:06 We had no complaints.
00:18:08 If there's any now, I would ask them to refer
00:18:11 to the police complaint authority
00:18:12 if they feel their arrest were unjustifiable
00:18:17 and also have the police complaint authority
00:18:20 and our police complaint.
00:18:22 So those are some of the takeaway
00:18:24 with the recent arrest over the weekend now.
00:18:27 - Yeah, officer, there are two schools of thought
00:18:30 when it comes to the anti-gang legislation.
00:18:33 One is that enclosed in this legislation
00:18:38 a number of initiatives, well, let's not say initiatives,
00:18:44 but mechanisms in this legislation that can assist police
00:18:49 and they are adequate enough to assist the police.
00:18:55 And there's the other school of thought
00:18:57 that the police, many of them are not au courant
00:19:01 with what is available in this legislation.
00:19:06 And therefore there is limited enforcement
00:19:10 of this type of legislation.
00:19:12 What's your thoughts?
00:19:13 - My thought, I would want to keep that truly legislative,
00:19:17 my intention, the spirit of the law.
00:19:19 Although the anti-gang give us that type
00:19:23 of investigative body framework in itself,
00:19:28 we have to look at the other laws
00:19:30 because inherent in the anti-gang legislation,
00:19:33 it defines what is a gang related activity.
00:19:37 And it has broadened the scope
00:19:39 from last year motor car homicide shooting.
00:19:42 So there's the arsenal of the other legislation
00:19:46 where we have to tread careful in bringing that
00:19:50 to make arrest.
00:19:51 I can assure you all of our intelligence agency
00:19:55 are in that propensity in that proclivity in a way
00:20:00 that we are guarding that evidence
00:20:03 and arrest will be forthcoming.
00:20:06 We also overlooking the pattern that gives us
00:20:09 where the offenses by its very own nature
00:20:13 forms under the gang related activities.
00:20:16 And we are pursuing that angle.
00:20:18 So there is room for improvement.
00:20:20 There is discussion.
00:20:22 And again, with the mandate of the commission and the deputy
00:20:25 and because of the Utah season, we are hastening
00:20:29 but we are not sacrificing speed for accuracy in that term.
00:20:34 So we are looking to ensure that the threshold
00:20:39 of evidence is met there.
00:20:41 And when arrests are made, it will be justifiable
00:20:45 and in accordance with the anti-gang legislation
00:20:47 or the other laws that we may charge them under.
00:20:51 - We are also seeing a report in the past few hours
00:20:55 of an agreement, an agreement brokered by the police
00:21:00 to stop the violence between rival gang six and Rasta City.
00:21:05 There's a full report today in the Daily Express
00:21:09 written by my colleague, Mark Besant
00:21:10 and he speaks about the intervention of the police.
00:21:15 And the report also speaks about the police's efforts
00:21:19 to have discussions with the heads of these gangs
00:21:22 in order to have this peace and this peace deal.
00:21:26 But apparently, sir, apparently it has been broken.
00:21:30 - Okay, I didn't read the full article
00:21:34 but I am aware of the article.
00:21:36 I am aware of Mark Besant and his writing.
00:21:40 And the police really don't engage in the regular communication
00:21:45 for the political language of peace
00:21:49 and yet we have to observe the law.
00:21:53 We have to act without favor or affection, malice or ill will.
00:21:57 And yes, when we arrest, it may confer
00:22:01 that we are breaking deal as you know,
00:22:03 the Trinidadians and the local colloquial language
00:22:06 will bring across in that publication.
00:22:09 But the police work on theory, intelligence
00:22:12 and yes, it will translate in deals,
00:22:15 it will translate in accommodation.
00:22:17 But what more is important
00:22:19 is that we value each and every one line
00:22:22 and we would engage in discussion with our stakeholders,
00:22:27 with our victims, with our persons of interest
00:22:31 to get that whole package
00:22:33 to make Trinidad and today go safe.
00:22:35 So yes, when I get the full document,
00:22:38 indeed I will respond to Mark Besant
00:22:41 and get a clearer picture
00:22:43 so that the officer can have furtherance
00:22:46 to reassure what is contained in the article.
00:22:48 - All right.
00:22:50 As people prepare to get to come into Port of Spain,
00:22:55 today, Mr. Ramjohn, I'm talking about parents
00:23:00 dropping off their children, schools, operations,
00:23:05 resuming members of the business community,
00:23:10 opening up their businesses for work today.
00:23:15 What is your message to them?
00:23:17 Because there could be the perception
00:23:21 that certain parts of Port of Spain are unsafe
00:23:25 and they would not want to venture into Port of Spain
00:23:29 and its environs where these convulsions
00:23:33 have been happening over the past few days,
00:23:35 they may not want to go there.
00:23:37 What's your advice to them today?
00:23:39 - Yes, Marlon.
00:23:43 Indeed, I would capture your opening remarks
00:23:45 where you notice a hype of people in Port of Spain
00:23:48 and that will give prudence to my comment now.
00:23:51 What I want to ensure, Trinidadians are bold,
00:23:54 they are Trinidadians, they are very energetic persons,
00:23:58 they like to spend money, they like to be there.
00:24:01 I would tell the people,
00:24:02 they will see a heavy police presence.
00:24:04 There might be some inconvenience with stop and search,
00:24:08 with our visibility, our strategy,
00:24:11 but I would want to tell the people,
00:24:13 there's a good in coming to Port of Spain.
00:24:15 I would add that we sent cruise ship.
00:24:17 There were no incidents, thank God,
00:24:19 and thank to the people, the stakeholders
00:24:22 and our partners in the national security
00:24:26 that we provide a blanket.
00:24:27 So when we have four or 5,000 cruise ship people
00:24:29 coming into Port of Spain,
00:24:31 our traveling travels, our purchases,
00:24:34 they are free to come to Port of Spain.
00:24:36 I would want to advise,
00:24:38 the ugly in this is that they continue
00:24:42 to fall victims of opportunity of crime with Facebook.
00:24:45 They continue to come to do deliveries
00:24:49 and I would want to recommend as asking me,
00:24:52 Tashler, notify the police,
00:24:55 they are police on the beat, let them know.
00:24:57 We will be looking out for the area of Charlotte Street,
00:25:00 the environment, the business,
00:25:02 where these dropout, these deliveries are happening,
00:25:06 where the shoppers are there.
00:25:08 And I would want to tell the shoppers,
00:25:10 I know we get carried away, I myself,
00:25:12 when I get to shopping areas,
00:25:14 I would just, you know, bask into everything.
00:25:17 Let us put some due care
00:25:19 when we are going shopping into Port of Spain,
00:25:21 or we are going there,
00:25:22 we want to enjoy that freedom, that democracy.
00:25:26 We want to have free movement in Port of Spain,
00:25:28 but we must be aware,
00:25:30 not everyone in Trinidad and Tobago
00:25:33 is like each one of us there.
00:25:35 So I would encourage them to go there,
00:25:38 apply a little caution,
00:25:40 but if they don't see a police
00:25:42 within a hundred or 200 feet,
00:25:44 they are free to call us on the 999 and let us know.
00:25:48 But I know that would not happen
00:25:50 because there is a strong visibility in Port of Spain,
00:25:53 as of last week and this week,
00:25:54 not because of any heightened crime or uptick,
00:25:58 but because we want to make this Christmas
00:26:01 into the carnival season safe,
00:26:03 we want to reduce incidents there.
00:26:05 So my people of Trinidad and Tobago,
00:26:07 you are free to go on shop,
00:26:08 but just for our TTPs,
00:26:11 observe our continued tips with our media
00:26:15 and observe your self-care,
00:26:17 and you know, be safe.
00:26:18 Look around, alert, tell us something there.
00:26:21 You are our valuable customers
00:26:24 and that is our job to serve
00:26:26 and reduce that fear,
00:26:28 reduce that fear of crime
00:26:30 and provide that safety dragnet.
00:26:32 Malum.
00:26:33 - Acting Senior Superintendent,
00:26:35 have the police already implemented
00:26:38 its anti-crime measures for Christmas in Port of Spain?
00:26:42 - Yes, there is the attendance of the anti-crime,
00:26:47 but I would want to give the ACP crime
00:26:49 and the senior suit in the coming days,
00:26:52 and I will discuss with them maybe to get it done earlier
00:26:56 to really expose the whole crime.
00:27:00 But I can give you a sneak peek of it.
00:27:02 It will have strong visibility.
00:27:04 There will be strong presence
00:27:07 and there will be aggressive police officers in uniform.
00:27:10 We will also be joined by other units
00:27:13 that will provide discussion support.
00:27:16 You know, people like the police
00:27:18 and they will want to talk.
00:27:20 I am imploring, let the police and the people talk together.
00:27:23 We will get intel.
00:27:25 So I am saying, yes, the crime plan will,
00:27:28 the anti-crime measures will be revealed,
00:27:31 and I'm hoping before Friday,
00:27:33 because one day too much,
00:27:35 we need to restore that confidence and trust for the people.
00:27:38 So I will have discussion with my executive
00:27:41 and the Port of Spain executive
00:27:43 to see if we can fast track that.
00:27:44 So it will give us extra security and a sense of safety
00:27:48 for people to come to Port of Spain,
00:27:50 spend, enjoy, and enjoy our capital city.
00:27:54 - Yeah, Acting Senior Superintendent Intab Ramjohn,
00:27:57 head of the Criminal Investigations Department.
00:27:59 Thank you very much for speaking with us this morning, sir.
00:28:02 I'm sure that members of the public
00:28:05 would appreciate the assurances
00:28:06 that you have given them today.
00:28:08 Thank you very much again.
00:28:10 - Thank you, Marlon, and thank you for letting the CTPF
00:28:13 give that help, you know, that confidence this morning.
00:28:16 I thank you so much.
00:28:18 - All right, officer, bye for now.
00:28:19 So it's time for a quick break.
00:28:20 We are coming back.
00:28:21 (upbeat music)
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00:30:25 - We're here at the Vikas Country Club in Barapur
00:30:31 for TV6 and Taj, 92.3 FM's newest,
00:30:35 most vibrant, most energetic singing competition
00:30:38 to hit Trinidad and Tobago, Dhamal.
00:30:40 (singing in foreign language)
00:30:44 - Dhamal.
00:30:55 (upbeat music)
00:30:57 (upbeat music)
00:31:00 (upbeat music)
00:31:11 - All right, so welcome back everyone
00:31:24 to the Business of Tobago.
00:31:25 Now, concerns remain high among those in tourism.
00:31:28 After recently, 300 tourists were left without transportation
00:31:32 for sightseeing tours after maxi-taxi drivers
00:31:35 did not show up for work.
00:31:36 Chief Secretary Farley Augustin later said
00:31:38 that some cruise lines were threatening to remove Tobago
00:31:41 as one of their scheduled destinations over the situation.
00:31:45 On the line this morning is Chairman
00:31:46 of the Tobago Business Chamber, Martin George.
00:31:49 Mr. George, good morning.
00:31:51 - Yeah, hi, good morning to you Marlon
00:31:53 and good morning to your viewers on TV6
00:31:56 and good morning Trinidad and Tobago.
00:31:58 - Yeah, Mr. George, before we proceed with our interview,
00:32:01 I'm just looking at your Christmas tree there.
00:32:05 It's putting us in the spirit, you know.
00:32:08 I'm just admiring it.
00:32:10 - Thank you, thank you, thank you.
00:32:12 You know, I always say despite all the doom and gloom,
00:32:14 we always must look for the positives in life.
00:32:17 - Yes, Mr. George.
00:32:18 All right, so let's look at this situation
00:32:20 where these tourists were left stranded.
00:32:23 I know that you would have commented
00:32:25 some time ago about this matter,
00:32:27 but you being on the ground in Tobago, Mr. George,
00:32:31 and speaking, I'm sure, to a number of stakeholders
00:32:33 about this matter, has this matter been resolved?
00:32:36 - Well, the thing is I am not yet sure
00:32:40 that it has been resolved because the fact of the matter
00:32:44 is that there are two major taxi organizations
00:32:48 that operate out of the port of Scarborough.
00:32:51 One is the Port Taxi Drivers Association,
00:32:54 who you saw their president, Mr. Cloyd Williams, came out,
00:32:58 and he tried to give an explanation
00:33:00 for the actions of his drivers,
00:33:03 and the other one is TransMax.
00:33:05 And they have been in legal battles for decades,
00:33:10 that's all I could say,
00:33:12 over the right to transport, tourists, et cetera.
00:33:16 And I think the current arrangement
00:33:18 is that there's supposed to be a 50/50 sharing agreement.
00:33:23 So it would appear from the report
00:33:27 and from the press conference given by Mr. Cloyd Williams,
00:33:31 it seems that he was speaking on behalf of his members
00:33:34 who did not turn out.
00:33:36 So I'm not yet sure that the issue has been resolved,
00:33:41 you know, because the thing is they have claimed,
00:33:44 you know, that the monies are due on Owen,
00:33:46 but our point is regardless of what the scenario is,
00:33:51 even if monies are due on Owen,
00:33:53 this is not the way you go about it.
00:33:56 You don't hold tourists to ransom.
00:33:59 Marlon, listen, Tobago doesn't understand
00:34:03 how fragile its tourist economy is
00:34:07 and how much of a fledgling economy it is.
00:34:11 You know, I have been on a cruise ship
00:34:14 where Tobago was actually one of the destinations
00:34:16 because I wanted to see and experience it
00:34:19 from the eyes of a tourist coming to Tobago.
00:34:22 First of all, Marlon, the write-up
00:34:25 that all the other islands had,
00:34:27 it went on for pages and pages.
00:34:29 Tobago was quarter of a page.
00:34:32 That's all they had to say about Tobago.
00:34:33 They had nothing much to say about Tobago
00:34:36 and the cruise ship, you know?
00:34:38 And the thing is you have to understand
00:34:41 that these are people who, some of them,
00:34:43 this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
00:34:45 They would have saved up all their lives, you know,
00:34:48 for this trip.
00:34:49 They would have planned in advance, you know, whatever.
00:34:52 So therefore, when they pay their monies upfront
00:34:55 for a pre-booked tour,
00:34:57 because the cruise ships always push the idea,
00:34:59 look, go with the pre-booked tours.
00:35:00 They're safe, they're reliable, you have certainty.
00:35:04 You know, this is the very thing
00:35:06 that the cruise ships try to tell you, you know,
00:35:08 you will not get when you do the pre-booked tours
00:35:11 and that's exactly what happened.
00:35:12 So, I mean, it's absolutely a mess.
00:35:14 And I think that the cruise line agent needs to look
00:35:18 at some new arrangement to ensure certainty,
00:35:22 reliability, and efficiency in the transport of tourists
00:35:26 when they come here for their tours.
00:35:28 - But does the Tobago House of Assembly
00:35:29 have a responsibility here?
00:35:31 And if yes, what do you think about their
00:35:38 efforts at this time to resolve this matter?
00:35:40 - Well, it's not really that much of a THA responsibility
00:35:46 because the thing is, these are privately owned maxi-taxis,
00:35:50 you know, who, you know, do the tours.
00:35:53 So it's not really a THA issue,
00:35:56 except in so far as the repercussions
00:35:59 in terms of Tobago's overall tourism thrust.
00:36:02 The THA has to step in and say something.
00:36:04 So that's why I had suggested
00:36:06 that Mr. Farley Augustine, you know, make a statement.
00:36:09 And I saw that he did, you know,
00:36:11 and he was very strong in his condemnation
00:36:13 of the actions of the drivers, you know,
00:36:15 because the ripple effect of this,
00:36:18 you have to understand these cruise lines, you know,
00:36:21 there are so many interlocking directorates
00:36:23 and, you know, there's the spillover of ownerships.
00:36:27 So you might think this is just one cruise line,
00:36:29 but they might be owned by Royal Caribbean.
00:36:33 They might be, you know, partners with another cruise line.
00:36:35 So once they spread the word,
00:36:37 it gets filtered through the industry.
00:36:40 And then people start to say,
00:36:41 well, you know, Tobago is not a reliable destination.
00:36:45 You know, I mean, Marlon, I remember last year,
00:36:50 while I was in Italy, I spoke with a tour operator
00:36:53 who actually does tours to the Caribbean.
00:36:57 And, you know, I told her I was from Tobago,
00:36:59 and, you know, she said, "Ah, Tobago, Tobago."
00:37:03 So I asked her, well, you know, why the hesitation?
00:37:07 She said, you know, the one thing,
00:37:09 people love the island, but she says, you know,
00:37:12 the feedback she gets, high price, low quality.
00:37:16 And I felt so embarrassed, Marlon.
00:37:19 You know, and the thing is, Tobago needs to understand
00:37:21 you cannot have that type of reputation out there.
00:37:25 You have to make sure that people want to come back.
00:37:28 You know, I've tried giving them a definition,
00:37:32 an explanation of tourism.
00:37:33 Tourism is basically a way of pleasantly separating
00:37:38 a visitor from his money in a way that he enjoys it so much
00:37:42 that he wants to come back and repeat it all over again.
00:37:45 You have to make all experience enjoyable.
00:37:49 Make them feel welcome from the start.
00:37:52 Make them want to come back,
00:37:53 want to recommend it to their friends and family.
00:37:56 You don't want them going on Facebook and social media
00:37:58 and blasting out Tobago and say,
00:38:00 well, you know, we paid for a tour
00:38:01 and nobody showed up and the drivers were protesting
00:38:04 and no visitor wants that on vacation.
00:38:08 Nobody wants that.
00:38:09 - What's your position concerning
00:38:11 the chief secretary's attempts recently
00:38:16 at the world travel market in London?
00:38:20 Judging from what the chief secretary has said
00:38:23 maybe over the past few days about his visit
00:38:26 to the world travel market,
00:38:28 are you impressed by what he has said?
00:38:31 Are you in agreement with the efforts
00:38:33 at the world travel market?
00:38:35 - Well, the thing is, I mean, when one looks at it,
00:38:40 it appears that there is still a lack of understanding,
00:38:44 cohesiveness and coherence
00:38:47 in what is Tobago's tourism product.
00:38:52 If you follow me, Marlon,
00:38:54 and that has bedeviled the THC for several iterations.
00:38:59 So not just this present administration,
00:39:01 it has been a problem that they have been wrestling with.
00:39:04 They don't even seem to understand
00:39:07 what it is they are trying to project
00:39:09 out there to the world.
00:39:11 And, you know, I mean, it's centered,
00:39:13 the discussion centered on this character,
00:39:16 you know, this job molassey character,
00:39:18 you know, that they had.
00:39:19 And when I saw the chief secretary say,
00:39:20 well, they were trying to promote Tobago's carnival.
00:39:23 But you see, when one looks at the video objectively,
00:39:28 it didn't appear to be a carnival presentation as a whole.
00:39:32 It was just a lone individual, you know,
00:39:36 looking extremely scary and screaming at the visitors.
00:39:41 You know, so, you know, I mean,
00:39:44 if it is that you had all the other carnival characters,
00:39:47 you had the Moko Jumbies, you had the Borokeets,
00:39:50 you had the, you know, everything, the Peregrinade,
00:39:54 you know, and all of them were there in a cast
00:39:57 and then of course you show some maybe persons
00:40:00 in pretty masks, costumes, the feathers, the beads,
00:40:03 then that collective people could look at and say,
00:40:06 well, yeah, this looks interesting,
00:40:08 you know, that kind of thing.
00:40:09 But to just have this one individual there,
00:40:12 you know, carrying on in that manner,
00:40:16 I mean, of course, if the idea was to grab attention,
00:40:19 you did, but then is it the right type of attention
00:40:23 you're attracting?
00:40:24 It might be the same like the taxi drivers.
00:40:26 You know, you've got attention,
00:40:28 but is that the right type of attention that you want?
00:40:31 - Yeah, I think you described it
00:40:36 in the way that a number of persons saw it,
00:40:38 a character looking scary, screaming at people.
00:40:42 And I think, and you know, Mr. George,
00:40:46 the Jab Molassi has a certain type of,
00:40:50 well, when that person is playing the character,
00:40:53 it's a type of sort of menacing type of behavior.
00:40:56 I suspect maybe the visitors there
00:40:59 would not have understood it, yeah.
00:41:02 - But just that, Marlon, if you think of it,
00:41:04 even in Trinidad and Tobago, on the streets for carnival,
00:41:08 and we know the character,
00:41:09 and sometimes children are scared and they run.
00:41:12 So could you imagine visitors there, you know,
00:41:15 and they're thinking, wait, do I want to bring my children
00:41:17 to an island where people look like this
00:41:20 and behave like this?
00:41:22 If you understand me, how is that a vacation?
00:41:24 You know, I mean, I'm not sure I can wrap my head
00:41:27 around the thinking behind that portrayal, you know?
00:41:31 I mean, of course the person, I guess,
00:41:33 was very effective in his role,
00:41:36 but if it was to sell Tobago as a tourist destination,
00:41:40 I think that they definitely need
00:41:43 to go back to the drawing board.
00:41:45 - Yeah, let's look a little bit about the economy,
00:41:47 because I know that the chief secretary
00:41:50 over the past few days was also speaking about the economy.
00:41:54 He was in high praise of that the economy
00:41:57 is doing well in Tobago.
00:41:59 What's your perspective?
00:42:00 - What is the economy of Tobago?
00:42:03 That's my question, Marlon, if you understand me.
00:42:08 How can you call it an economy
00:42:12 when you come to Port of Spain every year
00:42:16 with a begging bowl to get three point something,
00:42:20 four point something, you know,
00:42:22 sometimes they ask for $5 billion
00:42:24 as your budgetary allocation.
00:42:28 You generate maybe a total of $100 million in revenue
00:42:33 or a little more than that.
00:42:37 How do you square those numbers?
00:42:39 That's not an economy.
00:42:41 It's a dependency.
00:42:43 That's what it is at this point.
00:42:46 So Tobago does not have an economy.
00:42:48 It's an economic dependency.
00:42:50 So when they talk about an economy,
00:42:53 it's really an exercise in sophistry, you know,
00:42:57 because you are not being accurate at all
00:43:01 to describe it as an economy.
00:43:02 I've always said that Tobago at this point
00:43:05 really does not have an economy
00:43:07 because without that, you know,
00:43:09 $4 billion every year from Port of Spain,
00:43:13 Tobago will collapse, you know?
00:43:15 So these are the things that we need to start looking at
00:43:18 in a serious way, Marlon,
00:43:19 because we need to understand that, look,
00:43:22 when they talk about they want independence
00:43:24 and they want self-governance
00:43:27 and they want to do their own thing,
00:43:29 I always say that's great,
00:43:30 but first let's aim for financial independence
00:43:35 and that fiscal autonomy,
00:43:37 because once you have that,
00:43:39 then basically you don't need to go
00:43:40 and ask anybody for independence.
00:43:42 You know, I've always used a very simple example, Marlon.
00:43:45 When you're a child growing up in your parents' home,
00:43:47 you depend on your parents for food, clothes, shelter,
00:43:51 you know, necessities, transport, everything.
00:43:54 But when you become a man and you're working
00:43:55 and you're earning your own money
00:43:57 and you have your own financial independence,
00:44:00 if you need to go and say, look,
00:44:02 you want to rent an apartment and move out,
00:44:05 you don't have to ask for permission.
00:44:07 You go to your parents and say,
00:44:08 hey, listen, mom, dad, you know, I could afford it now.
00:44:11 I have a job, I have savings.
00:44:12 I'm going to rent an apartment and I move out.
00:44:14 You don't need to beg for commission.
00:44:16 So Tobago has always had the cart before the horse
00:44:20 in this idea of autonomy.
00:44:23 And I've repeatedly said,
00:44:26 you need to aim for financial and fiscal autonomy first
00:44:31 and everything else will fall in line.
00:44:33 - All right.
00:44:34 Mr. George, please stay with us for a little while longer.
00:44:36 We must go to a very short break.
00:44:38 We'll be right back.
00:44:40 (upbeat music)
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00:46:12 (upbeat music)
00:46:14 (upbeat music)
00:46:18 (upbeat music)
00:46:23 - Skill, online here with this weirdo named Larry.
00:46:31 I'm getting rid of him now.
00:46:33 (soft music)
00:46:35 Eh eh.
00:46:37 (keyboard clacking)
00:46:41 (laughing)
00:46:44 - Let's take a selfie.
00:46:45 (camera shutter)
00:46:48 - It looking good boy.
00:46:49 I'm putting it online.
00:46:51 (soft music)
00:46:53 - Hey, I thought you say you went to the beach
00:46:56 with your parents.
00:46:57 - Who's you?
00:46:59 - It's me, Larry, from online.
00:47:02 (soft music)
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00:47:17 (upbeat music)
00:47:19 (upbeat music)
00:47:22 (upbeat music)
00:47:25 - Hey, nice music boy.
00:47:27 You know, sorry to say,
00:47:28 but it's the first time I've realized
00:47:30 how beautiful the music is in that song.
00:47:32 You heard that?
00:47:32 You hear the music just now?
00:47:34 All right, so we are continuing our discussion
00:47:36 with the chairman of the Tobago Chamber,
00:47:38 Mr. Martin George.
00:47:39 Mr. George, thank you very much for staying with us.
00:47:42 Let's deal with the issue of autonomy
00:47:44 because again, over the past few days,
00:47:48 the chief secretary was speaking about autonomy,
00:47:50 making a case for autonomy for Tobago again.
00:47:54 And he was speaking about,
00:47:56 well, the parliament has a role to play
00:47:59 because it would need a special majority and so on.
00:48:02 I knew you would have touched on it briefly
00:48:05 a short while ago,
00:48:07 but let's speak about the issue in a wider sense,
00:48:09 autonomy for Tobago.
00:48:11 Is Tobago prepared for that?
00:48:13 - Well, as I said, Marlon, first and foremost,
00:48:17 I don't think that from an economic standpoint, they are.
00:48:22 And then secondly,
00:48:23 you talk about the legislative requirements
00:48:27 and the legislative requirement from central government,
00:48:33 but then the question also would be,
00:48:35 what would be the legislative arrangement
00:48:38 that Tobago is seeking to have going forward
00:48:42 if it does gain autonomy?
00:48:43 You talk to five different Tobagoans,
00:48:46 you hear five different ideas.
00:48:48 Some people talk about a federation.
00:48:50 Some people talk about secession.
00:48:53 They want to break away totally.
00:48:56 Some talk about, you want to have an arrangement
00:49:00 like for instance, St. Kitts Nevis,
00:49:02 or an arrangement like what Scotland has
00:49:06 with the United Kingdom.
00:49:07 So the point is you ask yourself
00:49:10 what it is that they really want.
00:49:13 And there appears to be no common thread
00:49:17 that you can identify and say, well, hey, listen, yes,
00:49:20 this is what we are focusing on.
00:49:22 This is what we are planning for.
00:49:24 It's almost Marlon, like a dog chasing down a car.
00:49:29 So you chase the car and when the car comes to a stop
00:49:32 and you catch up with the car,
00:49:34 what are you going to do with the car?
00:49:36 You sniff around the tires,
00:49:38 you pee on the tires after that, what else?
00:49:41 If you understand me.
00:49:42 So you need to think your plan through
00:49:45 and have one cohesive idea to say, well, hey, listen,
00:49:49 this is what we're going for.
00:49:51 Because there's also the question as to, well, okay,
00:49:53 what would the new version
00:49:54 of Tobago's own legislature look like?
00:49:57 Would it be a unicameral system?
00:49:59 Would it be a bicameral system?
00:50:01 Would it be one which allows for independence voices
00:50:05 such as we have in our Senate
00:50:07 where you have the independent senators,
00:50:09 that kind of thing.
00:50:10 All of these things must be clearly identified
00:50:14 and there must be some unity of purpose
00:50:17 in terms of what it is they want in that regard.
00:50:20 So nobody's saying, no, you don't get it
00:50:23 or you're not entitled to it or whatever.
00:50:27 But the point is, they keep talking about it,
00:50:32 but yet still you are not really seeing
00:50:34 the fundamentals being laid down
00:50:37 to actually work a path towards it.
00:50:40 So in other words, you're barking, barking after the car,
00:50:43 but you're not thinking through,
00:50:45 well, what would I do when I get the car?
00:50:47 - Yeah, I'm speaking to Martin George
00:50:51 and we're speaking about a number of things this morning.
00:50:53 We have put everything on the table
00:50:56 when we're speaking about Tobago, Mr. George.
00:50:59 Let's talk about politics a little bit now.
00:51:02 You think that the tensions, the political tensions
00:51:06 that we saw earlier this year in Tobago,
00:51:10 you think those tensions have been put to rest
00:51:13 and now Tobago can move on in political peace,
00:51:18 if I can put it that way?
00:51:22 - Well, I mean, certainly between Mr. Watson Duke
00:51:26 and Mr. Farley Agustin,
00:51:27 I don't think anything has settled.
00:51:30 I think that really and truly, basically,
00:51:33 any call for a rapprochement or a reconciliation
00:51:37 or an embrace is going to be an embrace
00:51:40 where each would be holding the long knife behind their back
00:51:44 just waiting for the moment to pounce.
00:51:46 So you can't take that at all as any sort of real unity.
00:51:55 Even in Trinidad, on the larger scale,
00:51:58 we saw the one love of the NAR
00:52:03 coming together and the 33 victory.
00:52:07 You see how quickly that evaporated
00:52:09 and you saw Mr. Pandey and Mr. Robinson
00:52:11 had the biggest fallout
00:52:13 and then it was daggers drawn after that.
00:52:16 So I think that is not going to change.
00:52:19 In fact, even though former Prime Minister Pandey
00:52:25 has said, in politics,
00:52:27 there are no permanent enemies or friends,
00:52:31 the reality is I don't see that Mr. Duke and Mr. Agustin
00:52:36 can really heal that divide
00:52:40 because I think their supporters are also encamped
00:52:44 against each other.
00:52:45 So therefore, the positions are hardening.
00:52:48 Now, the interesting thing, Marlon,
00:52:50 is that what this scenario brings about
00:52:53 is a narrative where you will see
00:52:57 that the two Tobago seats
00:53:00 are actually going to be the two most important seats
00:53:03 in the upcoming general election.
00:53:05 If you think of it,
00:53:05 you look at the numbers between the PNM and the UNC,
00:53:08 the major parties in Trinidad,
00:53:11 and you realize that those two seats are pivotal.
00:53:15 Right now, they are held by the PNM.
00:53:17 If the PNM is not able to retain those two seats
00:53:21 and if either Mr. Agustin or some other entity
00:53:25 were to get those two seats,
00:53:27 that can change the balance of power.
00:53:30 So it is really going to be critical going forward.
00:53:33 So, I mean, Tobago is actually the fulcrum
00:53:37 of the national election scale
00:53:41 in that they can actually tip it one way or the other
00:53:45 with those two seats.
00:53:46 So they will always remain relevant in that regard.
00:53:49 And I think that persons really need to start thinking
00:53:53 in terms of how you approach it
00:53:55 for the 2025 general election.
00:53:57 - Yeah. Martin George,
00:53:59 it's always a pleasure speaking with you
00:54:00 and thank you for allowing me
00:54:02 to put so many issues on the table this morning,
00:54:05 this one big morning.
00:54:06 - Well, I recognize that you've decided
00:54:08 to put all your bags in one asket.
00:54:10 (Martin laughing)
00:54:12 - As only you can put it, Mr. George,
00:54:13 it's always a pleasure speaking to you.
00:54:15 Thank you very much.
00:54:16 - Thank you very much. - Until we speak again,
00:54:17 bye for now. - Have a great morning.
00:54:18 - All right. - Thank you.
00:54:19 - So we do have a quick break for you
00:54:22 and we also have some news for you.
00:54:23 We're coming back.
00:54:24 (upbeat music)
00:54:26 (upbeat music)
00:54:30 - Good morning.
00:54:34 I am Alicia Boucher with your news to the hour.
00:54:36 First up, it was a bloody weekend
00:54:38 as one man was killed and five others wounded
00:54:41 in a shooting incident in Duncan Street in Port of Spain.
00:54:45 The deceased is Christian San Xavier, age 22.
00:54:48 According to police, around 7.30 p.m. on Saturday,
00:54:52 the group was aligning between buildings 47 and 49
00:54:56 when a white Nissan X-Trail and silver Nissan Tida pulled up.
00:55:00 Three gunmen with high-powered weapons
00:55:02 came out of the vehicles and opened fire on the group.
00:55:05 The six injured men were taken
00:55:07 to the Port of Spain General Hospital,
00:55:08 but minutes later, San Xavier, who lived at building 49,
00:55:13 was pronounced dead.
00:55:15 Four of the other victims are from Duncan Street,
00:55:17 while one is from Nelson Street.
00:55:20 The white X-Trail was found abandoned at Clifton Street
00:55:23 in the vicinity of St. Paul Street in Port of Spain.
00:55:27 The shootings came a day after Jason Alexander
00:55:29 and Sean Del Bernard were gunned down
00:55:32 on St. Paul Street in broad daylight
00:55:34 in what is believed to be a reprisal killing
00:55:36 for Keston Bumbles Moses,
00:55:38 who was shot dead outside the Belmont Police Station
00:55:41 four days prior.
00:55:42 Moses was said to be connected to the Rasta City gang,
00:55:45 which is in rivalry with the Six Gang.
00:55:48 Police have stated that there is a probability
00:55:51 that the incident on Saturday night is gang-related.
00:55:54 Meanwhile, two other men were gunned down
00:55:56 in separate incidents in Valencia
00:55:59 and Enterprise in Chaguanas.
00:56:01 The Ministry of Finance has revealed
00:56:06 that notices of valuation have been dispatched
00:56:09 to residential property owners.
00:56:11 While Minister of Finance Colm Inbert signals
00:56:14 that subsequent to this,
00:56:15 homeowners would be receiving notices of property tax,
00:56:18 he is seeking to clear up what he says
00:56:21 is misinformation circulating by mischief-makers
00:56:24 in the public domain.
00:56:25 He says the notices contain
00:56:27 the annual rental value of properties.
00:56:30 According to Inbert, it is being erroneously peddled
00:56:33 that the annual rental value contained in these notices
00:56:37 is the amount of property tax homeowners would be paying.
00:56:41 The minister underscores that for residential properties,
00:56:44 10% of the annual rental value is first deducted,
00:56:48 and then property tax is calculated at 3% of the balance.
00:56:53 A document has been uploaded
00:56:55 to the Finance Ministry's Facebook page
00:56:57 underlining steps property owners can take
00:56:59 when they receive the notice of valuation,
00:57:02 and it answers questions that might arise.
00:57:05 They include the terms and procedures
00:57:07 for objecting to the notice,
00:57:09 and if people with certificates of comfort
00:57:11 would be considered homeowners.
00:57:13 The Tunapuna-Piako Regional Corporation
00:57:19 has opened Tunapuna Week 2023,
00:57:22 which would feature a week of activities
00:57:24 catered to different people.
00:57:26 Chairman of the corporation, Josiah Austin, says,
00:57:28 "It is aimed at showcasing the talent, resourcefulness,
00:57:32 "and creativity of Bidges'."
00:57:39 And it's now time for a look at your weather forecast.
00:57:42 Conditions today are expected to be mainly fair,
00:57:45 hazy, and breezy.
00:57:46 However, there is a possibility of a few isolated showers.
00:57:50 As for the temperatures,
00:57:52 you can expect them to get up to 32 degrees Celsius
00:57:55 in Trinidad and 31 degrees Celsius in Tobago.
00:58:08 This time check is brought to you by Flow.
00:58:10 Rediscover Flow at discoverflow.co.
00:58:13 Flow, inspired by you.
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00:59:32 (upbeat music)
00:59:35 - Beyond the Tape, weekdays at 5.30 p.m.
01:00:00 (upbeat music)
01:00:03 - Clarity, it's what we want for our vision.
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01:00:30 (upbeat music)
01:00:34 (singing in foreign language)
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01:00:40 (singing in foreign language)
01:00:44 (upbeat music)
01:00:46 (singing in foreign language)
01:01:03 (upbeat music)
01:01:05 - All right, so welcome back everyone.
01:01:28 We do have a very important segment for you.
01:01:30 So concerned about crime and fraud,
01:01:33 the Confidential and Internal Agency of Investigations
01:01:36 is about to launch its Better Business
01:01:38 Trinidad and Tobago platform.
01:01:40 So joining us now is Inshan Salamat,
01:01:42 the Executive Director, Chief Investigator
01:01:45 of the Confidential and Internal Agency
01:01:48 of Investigations organization.
01:01:50 Mr. Salamat, thank you very much for coming this morning.
01:01:53 - Morning Marlon, it's good to have us here.
01:01:57 Thank you for the opportunity.
01:01:58 - Of course.
01:01:59 - You know, and morning to your viewers.
01:02:01 - Yeah, so let's talk a little bit about
01:02:04 what you are proposing,
01:02:07 the Better Business Trinidad and Tobago online platform.
01:02:12 And let's go back to when you got the idea to do it.
01:02:17 What spurred you on and you said to yourself,
01:02:21 "Look, I think I need to do something about this."
01:02:25 - Well, what spurred the idea was that
01:02:29 we have seen a steady increase in fraudulent matters
01:02:33 being reported where individuals,
01:02:36 the citizenry were being defrauded by service providers,
01:02:40 individuals who impersonate themselves as service providers,
01:02:43 as well as genuine service providers
01:02:47 who deal in very unethical business practices.
01:02:51 So in getting those reports of fraud
01:02:54 and being asked as an investigator
01:02:57 to investigate those cases of fraud
01:02:59 has massively increased over the years.
01:03:02 And we have realized that
01:03:04 because of the overburdening of the TTPS
01:03:07 and the various other crimes that needs to be attending,
01:03:12 that the citizenry was more or less left out
01:03:18 when it comes to the recourse
01:03:20 of these type of investigations.
01:03:23 The fraud in our country has grown to tremendous heights.
01:03:28 And the complexity of fraud has grown
01:03:35 to technological side of things,
01:03:39 which citizens are totally unaware.
01:03:44 And they are unaware of it
01:03:49 as well as they become victims of it.
01:03:51 A simple task of calling a service provider
01:03:56 that you have seen advertised to come into your home
01:04:00 where most in a spaces are with your family
01:04:03 to service the AC or fix your plumbing or do electrical
01:04:07 has now become a tremendous risk to that homeowner,
01:04:11 especially if you're home alone,
01:04:13 if you're a single mother, you're a stay at home mom,
01:04:17 you're at a tremendous risk because you just make a call
01:04:20 and somebody comes to your home and you have-
01:04:23 - But you just don't know who is who.
01:04:24 - You don't know who is who, that's correct.
01:04:26 So you have fraud, right?
01:04:28 But then you have the other side of heinous crimes
01:04:30 such as molestation, rapes and murders, sexual assaults,
01:04:35 which these type of perpetrators,
01:04:39 they portray themselves just to get into the door.
01:04:42 And when they get into the door,
01:04:44 that person becomes a victim.
01:04:46 - Right, so the online platform, what does it intend to do?
01:04:51 - Right, so what we have been working on
01:04:54 for a couple of years now is creating an online platform
01:04:58 called Better Business Toronto Baygo.
01:05:00 And what it does, it highlights, verified
01:05:03 and accredited service providers.
01:05:06 So we have different categories and you know,
01:05:09 as you can imagine, anything could be a category.
01:05:11 - Of course.
01:05:12 - You have plumbing, you have electrical,
01:05:13 you have painting, AC technicians,
01:05:15 babysitters and caregivers as well, right?
01:05:18 And then you go across the board.
01:05:19 Is that we, they are highlighted on the platform.
01:05:22 So anyone in the public domain can go onto the platform,
01:05:26 to the different categories that they're looking for
01:05:29 and search either by category or by area
01:05:31 and get search results of these service providers
01:05:35 who we have extensively investigated, accredited,
01:05:39 verified information, as well as you get all the checks
01:05:44 and balances needed in order to you as a citizen,
01:05:49 make an informed decision as to who you want
01:05:51 to come to your home to do these services.
01:05:53 - Right, so the people that are going to be
01:05:58 on this online platform,
01:06:01 you say that they have been vetted.
01:06:04 So they, I suspect they would have been questioned.
01:06:07 They would have been asked to provide certain documents,
01:06:11 not only certification for the skill that they have,
01:06:15 but also documentation concerning their character.
01:06:19 So that when you put that individual on the platform,
01:06:25 the customer can be assured that that person
01:06:29 who is coming into your home is not only certified,
01:06:33 re the skill that that person is providing,
01:06:36 but also there is some, yeah, certification
01:06:41 and documentation concerning that person's character.
01:06:45 - Yeah, you're quite correct.
01:06:47 So what we did was we, I treated it as, you know,
01:06:52 what can we do to serve the public,
01:06:54 especially the most vulnerable, right?
01:06:56 So what we have done, our processes for vetting
01:07:02 is very much broad.
01:07:03 It's a broad spectrum process.
01:07:04 So we have a criminal profiling part of the process.
01:07:09 So if you do have criminal record that warrants you
01:07:13 in terms of when we do the assessment,
01:07:15 you may not be put onto the platform, definitely.
01:07:18 Then you have the community profiling of the individual
01:07:22 that gives you a good background of the type of individual
01:07:25 at their home with their community, their neighbors.
01:07:28 You know, they say charity starts at home,
01:07:31 but there is also more than charity.
01:07:32 There is also the character of someone starts at home
01:07:36 because, you know, you could be the best person out there
01:07:40 to your friends and home to your family and your neighbors,
01:07:43 you're something else, you know?
01:07:45 So we have the community profiling.
01:07:48 We have the endorsements of your past
01:07:51 and previous employers, right?
01:07:53 As well as we have different aspects of the investigations.
01:07:57 Now, I should mention these investigations
01:08:00 are not done via the phone, right?
01:08:02 So when someone is interested in becoming part of the platform,
01:08:06 they either call us or when the platform is launched,
01:08:09 they apply on the platform.
01:08:11 And then we carry out those investigations.
01:08:13 Now, we do interview the service provider
01:08:15 to get the relevant documentation
01:08:17 and their certification and their past employment
01:08:20 and who they work for and so on.
01:08:22 But everything else is done in the terminology
01:08:25 of boots on the ground, right?
01:08:27 We do investigations with boots on the ground,
01:08:28 which gives you the intelligence from on the ground.
01:08:31 So we visit your community,
01:08:32 we speak to neighbors that you are totally unaware of,
01:08:36 because we don't want you pointing us
01:08:37 in the right direction to your right neighbor.
01:08:40 So we talk to your neighbors, we get that profile done.
01:08:43 Then we speak to the individuals
01:08:45 that you would have worked for before.
01:08:46 And in that investigative process,
01:08:48 it uncovers more individuals than you may have mentioned
01:08:52 to us that you worked for before.
01:08:54 Because at the end of the day,
01:08:55 nobody puts in where they were terminated
01:08:58 or where they did unethical behavior.
01:09:01 They will put the ones that they're good with.
01:09:03 But that's why we have boots on the ground investigation.
01:09:06 So we actively go to these individuals
01:09:09 and interview these individuals,
01:09:11 get recommendations, we get reviews.
01:09:13 And that is what the consumer sees on the platform.
01:09:18 >> So all of this information is going to be made public?
01:09:20 >> It is, but only information that is for the public,
01:09:24 the personal information of the service provider
01:09:27 where they live, all other aspects of it
01:09:30 is remain confidential.
01:09:32 So when you go onto the platform as a consumer,
01:09:35 you would see actually a picture of the individual.
01:09:39 So before you even pick up the phone to call that individual
01:09:41 you know what he looks like.
01:09:43 And you know these days because of COVID,
01:09:45 one of the bad things that's put off for COVID
01:09:47 was the fact that if you have an intention
01:09:49 and you're going to someone you wear a mask,
01:09:51 but they can't tell you take it off,
01:09:52 it's about your health and safety.
01:09:55 So you get a full picture of an individual.
01:09:58 You also get a small biography,
01:10:00 you know a middle-aged plumber
01:10:03 and he does plumbing in the residential field alone.
01:10:07 He's a family oriented gentleman.
01:10:09 You get actual paragraphs of reports from the neighbors
01:10:13 as they give the report.
01:10:16 >> Reviews, recommendations.
01:10:17 >> And the neighbors would give permission.
01:10:18 Yes, you could put my name up there
01:10:20 as the part of the review.
01:10:22 And that goes as well for the endorsements
01:10:26 of the previous employers, right?
01:10:29 When we go to them, we speak to them,
01:10:30 we get their permission to put their name
01:10:32 as the employer that this person used to work for
01:10:35 or did a job for or how they performed.
01:10:40 If they performed well, they performed within budget,
01:10:42 they performed good ethical behavior.
01:10:46 They didn't just do something
01:10:48 and they come back next two weeks
01:10:49 and you had to run them down and this type of behavior
01:10:52 that we seem prominently to have.
01:10:55 It's about guiding and highlighting the individuals
01:11:00 who are doing good because very much so
01:11:03 we hear about the bad most of the time.
01:11:05 >> Right.
01:11:05 How much categories are you offering?
01:11:08 >> We are starting with about six or seven categories, right?
01:11:11 Painters, electricians, plumbers, AC technicians,
01:11:15 landscaping, babysitters, caregivers.
01:11:18 But we will be adding categories as we go along
01:11:22 as many as we go along,
01:11:24 but we will only add categories to the platform
01:11:27 when we have service providers to fill it.
01:11:29 I've been asked many times over the years
01:11:34 to add certain categories, makeup artists, nail technicians,
01:11:37 even drivers that is investigated
01:11:42 to come and pick up my daughter from home,
01:11:45 drop her to school or turn event and bring her back.
01:11:48 So as you can imagine, anything could be a category
01:11:51 because fraud doesn't, it is a broad spectrum of fraud
01:11:56 and criminal behavior as well as unethical practice.
01:11:59 It's not just zoned into one thing, it's across the board.
01:12:02 >> Just have a few minutes again.
01:12:03 >> Sure.
01:12:04 >> But I know that the platform
01:12:05 is going to be launched on Wednesday.
01:12:07 >> Wednesday, the 22nd of November at the Signature Hall.
01:12:12 We have the invited guests who will be there
01:12:15 as well as some members of the media.
01:12:17 So we do not soft launch.
01:12:18 >> Yes.
01:12:19 >> Soft launch will basically give us the opportunity now
01:12:23 when the platform is launched to see how the citizens,
01:12:27 the consumers relate to the platform.
01:12:31 >> So when that platform is launched on Wednesday,
01:12:34 is it how soon after can a consumer go to,
01:12:39 I suspect a website is going to be--
01:12:40 >> Website, yeah.
01:12:42 Quite immediately.
01:12:43 >> Immediately.
01:12:44 >> Yeah, yeah, so when we launch
01:12:45 is because the platform is there.
01:12:46 >> Yes.
01:12:47 >> It's on the basic, you know,
01:12:50 the soft launch is to notify the public,
01:12:52 sort of drum up the awareness that this platform is there.
01:12:55 We are asking everyone in the public
01:12:57 because this is going to benefit the entire citizenry.
01:13:00 >> Yes.
01:13:00 >> And reduce the fraud and heinous crimes
01:13:03 against the citizens.
01:13:04 So we advise and we will market as much as possible
01:13:08 to get citizens to know of it and to utilize it.
01:13:11 The platform, when it's launched on Wednesday,
01:13:14 it is going to have those limited categories.
01:13:18 You may say limited, but it's maybe six or seven or eight.
01:13:20 >> But there's room for expansion.
01:13:22 >> But we will be adding, we have been actually,
01:13:25 have on our table about 150 service providers.
01:13:28 >> Already?
01:13:29 >> In various fields, no, to vet.
01:13:30 >> Yes.
01:13:31 >> That we're vetting, because you remember
01:13:32 our investigative process, it's timely and it's consuming.
01:13:35 >> Yes.
01:13:36 >> And we're trying to narrow that gap down
01:13:37 because everything is boots on the ground.
01:13:39 It's not just making phone calls or taking information
01:13:41 the service provider gives to us.
01:13:44 >> Yes, a lot more than that.
01:13:45 >> What will be the name of the website?
01:13:46 What should people look for?
01:13:48 >> It's betterbusiness-tt.com, right?
01:13:51 But the website is not publicized, I mean, now,
01:13:54 at this point, when we launch,
01:13:55 then we go public with the platform.
01:13:58 >> All right, and the launch takes place at nine o'clock.
01:14:01 >> At seven o'clock.
01:14:02 >> At seven o'clock on Wednesday at Signature Hall
01:14:05 in Londonville, Shogwanas.
01:14:09 When can people, and when I say people,
01:14:12 can service providers register in the interim?
01:14:17 >> Of course.
01:14:18 >> Or you have to wait until it is launched?
01:14:19 >> No, no, no, they can apply now,
01:14:21 because we have been posting certain segments
01:14:23 on social media sites, inviting social service providers
01:14:27 to come on board, apply for us, so we could do the vetting
01:14:31 and we could start to put you up on the different categories.
01:14:34 I should just mention, too, that BBTT
01:14:37 is not only for service providers.
01:14:39 In terms of offering, we are going to disseminate
01:14:42 a lot of information that equates to intelligence.
01:14:45 So we're going to have a segment of the platform
01:14:47 called Fraud Notices, that the public can go on
01:14:50 and see articles that are going to be put there
01:14:52 probably twice, three times a week at least,
01:14:55 on individuals that are conducting fraud in the country,
01:14:58 'cause it's a massive educational exercise
01:15:00 that we think is needed, so people can go on,
01:15:03 look at the articles, and realize that,
01:15:05 look, I need to stay away from these individuals
01:15:07 and not become a victim.
01:15:09 That's the whole concept, to have the victims
01:15:13 in our country become less and less and less.
01:15:16 And if we can educate them in that regard,
01:15:19 that is one of the biggest aims.
01:15:20 >> Mr. Salabat, we just have about 30 seconds again.
01:15:23 Any closing remarks, and I know you want to also say
01:15:25 a special good morning to a particular individual,
01:15:28 so I'll give you the opportunity to do that.
01:15:29 >> Well, the closing remarks is that this platform
01:15:32 will benefit the entire country,
01:15:34 and it will protect the most vulnerable,
01:15:37 because we have targeted the most vulnerable.
01:15:39 We have on board the Blind Welfare Association,
01:15:42 the Association for People with Disabilities,
01:15:44 and the elderly associations, we're meeting with them
01:15:47 constantly to try and bond that partnership.
01:15:50 And our advice is to get to know the platform,
01:15:53 utilize the platform, and pick individuals
01:15:55 from the platform that you can get
01:15:57 come into your home to do a service.
01:15:59 >> Is there a phone number by which people can contact you?
01:16:01 >> Sure, the phone number that you can get us at
01:16:03 is 270-4514 and 219-6905.
01:16:08 >> Yeah, you have a message.
01:16:11 >> Yes, I wanted to just say a special hello
01:16:13 to my little baby, Adam Salamat, he's there watching,
01:16:16 and he told me, "Daddy, make sure and," yeah, Adam.
01:16:19 (laughing)
01:16:20 Make sure and say hello to Adam.
01:16:23 So yes, I'll come back home shortly, and we will, yes.
01:16:27 >> All right, Mr. Salamat, it was a pleasure
01:16:29 speaking with you.
01:16:30 Thank you very much for the information and education.
01:16:32 We thank you very much.
01:16:33 >> I appreciate your time, and thanks to your viewers
01:16:35 and to your team.
01:16:36 >> All right, we wish you all the best.
01:16:37 All right, so it's time for a quick break.
01:16:38 We are coming back.
01:16:39 We have this image for you.
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01:19:06 So, you're not setting rules home,
01:19:10 but telling your daughter don't let no teacher
01:19:12 have to call you because she's not following rules in school?
01:19:16 You ever hear the old people say butt in your crease?
01:19:22 Better believe you could use that to set boundaries
01:19:25 with your children.
01:19:26 You are more than a friend to your children.
01:19:30 Set clear, healthy boundaries for both you and your child.
01:19:34 Make sure they are age appropriate
01:19:36 and most importantly, consistent.
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01:20:07 (upbeat music)
01:20:12 - All right, so welcome back everyone.
01:20:22 So we have an upcoming charity event for you.
01:20:25 Live on set this morning is Andrzej Sili,
01:20:27 founder of the Make It Happen Network,
01:20:29 and Daniela Walcott, former Miss Trinidad and Tobago World.
01:20:33 Good morning, thank you very much for coming.
01:20:34 - Good morning, glad to be here.
01:20:36 - Good morning. - Excited.
01:20:37 - Well, let's get right into it.
01:20:38 Tell us about the charity event.
01:20:40 - Okay, first of all, I'll tell you
01:20:41 about the Make It Happen Network.
01:20:42 - All right, go ahead.
01:20:43 - So Make It Happen Network is essentially
01:20:44 a private events, media, and community organization.
01:20:47 But at its core, it's really a community
01:20:49 of like-minded people and individuals
01:20:51 who have literally came together
01:20:53 to make it happen for one another.
01:20:55 Right, and that charity event is our first annual charity
01:20:59 Christmas party is being held at VIP,
01:21:01 private lounge and club in Long Circular Mall.
01:21:04 Are you familiar with the location?
01:21:06 - Long Circular Mall.
01:21:07 - Long Circular Mall.
01:21:09 Great, and what's really amazing,
01:21:11 and the concept behind this event
01:21:12 is actually a celebration of entrepreneurship.
01:21:14 And we're doing that by having a, actually,
01:21:17 charity poker tournament, of which Daniela
01:21:20 is one of the players of that tournament.
01:21:21 So a lot of people are like, hey,
01:21:22 what's the connection between poker
01:21:24 and charity and entrepreneurship?
01:21:26 And in that vein, a lot of the times as an entrepreneur,
01:21:30 we go all in in our dreams.
01:21:33 And sometimes in poker, you know,
01:21:34 with poker you go all in, so that's the connection
01:21:37 with the poker and the event.
01:21:39 - Yeah, so Daniela, you're a mean poker player?
01:21:43 - Actually, poker's not really my thing.
01:21:45 So I'm really there to support charity
01:21:47 and give back to the community,
01:21:49 be part of this organization,
01:21:50 and just help it grow and develop further.
01:21:53 - Yeah, and let's talk a little bit more
01:21:55 about your organization.
01:22:00 When you speak about the charity event,
01:22:02 what is in aid of?
01:22:05 - Great, so as an aid of one,
01:22:08 a lot of the, most proceeds are going
01:22:10 towards different charities,
01:22:12 some of them being Living Waters,
01:22:15 we are looking at the Autistic Society,
01:22:17 because I myself am on the spectrum of autism spectrum.
01:22:22 So, and a lot of the players,
01:22:23 they have very specific charities
01:22:26 that they would like to support,
01:22:27 so they get to choose that.
01:22:29 And more importantly, it's going towards
01:22:32 the Make It Happen Community Development Fund.
01:22:35 So what we said, you know what,
01:22:36 we need to reallocate capital.
01:22:38 And I believe that I've identified,
01:22:41 I could identify talent like Daniela Walker,
01:22:44 who's actually an entrepreneur and a set designer as well.
01:22:47 I wanna create essentially a fund
01:22:49 to help support the dreams and aspirations
01:22:51 of people in the community.
01:22:53 - Yeah, so you said that the poker players,
01:22:58 - Yeah.
01:22:59 - They can decide in some way
01:23:03 where some of these funds should be going towards?
01:23:07 - Correct. - Charity?
01:23:08 - So what we're doing is that we have a list
01:23:10 that they could choose from,
01:23:11 and also they could say,
01:23:12 okay, I feel very strongly about this,
01:23:14 so I want to make it authentic as well.
01:23:16 Because you see, Marlon, the real problem,
01:23:18 I'm not a promoter, I would say I'm a problem solver.
01:23:21 One of the problems is that,
01:23:22 well for me personally, is that I could not find
01:23:25 a community that I could have fit into,
01:23:28 so I decided to create my own.
01:23:29 And another big problem in Trinidad and Tobago
01:23:31 is that, in my opinion, I feel that it's more fragmented
01:23:35 than it is diverse.
01:23:37 And our goal, our mission, though idealistic,
01:23:40 is by every event we do,
01:23:42 we're trying to bring the country together,
01:23:44 bring people together.
01:23:45 So we came off the soft launch of our
01:23:48 On the Make It Happen podcast,
01:23:49 which was on October 20th.
01:23:52 And one of the key things about that event
01:23:54 that people, that the feedback was that
01:23:56 how diverse and eclectic the crowd was.
01:23:59 You know, so the reach was from 18 years old
01:24:03 to people who were 55, across different industries.
01:24:05 We had entrepreneurs, business owners, celebrities,
01:24:09 socialites, sports persons, media personalities,
01:24:11 and just brought all of them together in one place
01:24:14 and they had a really good time.
01:24:15 But in summary, the event represented
01:24:19 not only who's who, but who's coming.
01:24:21 - Yeah. - Yeah.
01:24:22 - Daniela, what cause is of concern
01:24:26 to you in Trinidad and Tobago
01:24:27 that you think that the funds raised
01:24:30 should go in that direction?
01:24:32 - To me, well, I've been part of the
01:24:34 Live and Want community for a while.
01:24:36 And I think, you know, just giving back
01:24:39 to any of the causes, I think mostly their community
01:24:43 has been something that I think is of importance to me.
01:24:46 And just generally at large, I support charity on a whole.
01:24:51 Different charities, generally speaking, yes.
01:24:54 - When is the charity event being held?
01:24:57 - Oh, the event is on Friday, December 15th.
01:25:01 It's $100 for females, $200 for males.
01:25:03 You can expect complimentary food and drinks,
01:25:06 live performances, we're gonna have a featured speaker
01:25:09 who's gonna give his or her, we haven't decided as yet,
01:25:12 his or her experience about going all in
01:25:14 in terms of their dreams.
01:25:16 We also wanna have an after party as well.
01:25:20 We like to say, Daniela and I were speaking about it
01:25:22 this morning, that we are pimping.
01:25:24 But it's actually an acronym for partying in my purpose.
01:25:28 So the whole idea is that business is social
01:25:30 and once you get the right people in the room,
01:25:34 people tend to spend more time curating the talent.
01:25:36 You know, you have to look this way,
01:25:37 you have to dress this way.
01:25:39 But we're saying, you know, let's create the room
01:25:41 and if you get the right people in the room,
01:25:42 the talent can just show up for who they are
01:25:44 and represent themselves in the most authentic fashion.
01:25:47 And just let the magic happen.
01:25:49 - Yeah, I'm sure this is not the first time
01:25:51 that you're hosting such an event, right?
01:25:53 - Well, this is the first charity event.
01:25:55 So essentially we're in startup mode.
01:25:56 And like I said, the first event was a combination
01:25:59 of my birthday and the soft launch of the podcast.
01:26:03 'Cause I said, Make It Happen Network,
01:26:05 we do different expressions of that in events and media.
01:26:09 So the podcast falls into the media part
01:26:12 where we interview people who are successful
01:26:15 and share their stories.
01:26:16 Because again, there's a gap between a lot of people
01:26:19 that have made it in society
01:26:20 and the people who are trying to get there.
01:26:22 And we're looking at different ways to merge that gap.
01:26:25 One through events and another way through telling stories.
01:26:29 So for example, like yourself, you always interview.
01:26:32 It'd be great to interview a person like you
01:26:34 and hear your story about how you came to be.
01:26:37 - Shut my face.
01:26:37 (laughing)
01:26:39 - How you became to be the host
01:26:41 of the most popular morning segment in the country.
01:26:44 And I saw somebody right now is sitting in a seat
01:26:46 and wants to be there.
01:26:47 Not necessarily take your seat, but be next to you.
01:26:50 - No, they won't take my seat.
01:26:51 (laughing)
01:26:52 But I'm here for now, baby.
01:26:54 - You're here for now.
01:26:55 How do people get tickets?
01:26:58 - So tickets are online right now.
01:27:01 And I don't need tickets.
01:27:02 Or you could get a ticket from any of our community members.
01:27:05 And that's a great point too,
01:27:06 because a lot of times with events,
01:27:08 people, they're committee members.
01:27:11 And we didn't wanna use the word committee.
01:27:13 We wanted to use the word community
01:27:14 for a deeper connection with our followers.
01:27:18 Because I think that as a committee member,
01:27:22 they tend to just be a part of something for a free ticket.
01:27:26 But if you're a community member,
01:27:28 you're here to support the dreams and aspirations
01:27:30 of the people that you surround yourself with.
01:27:32 - And tell us a little bit about your social media platform.
01:27:36 - Oh, so you can find us on IG at the Make It Happen Network.
01:27:40 And Daniela, what's your?
01:27:41 - My Instagram is just Daniela Wolcott.
01:27:43 - Yeah. - Yes.
01:27:44 - There's nothing just about Daniela Wolcott.
01:27:46 (laughing)
01:27:47 Daniela, anything else you'd like to add?
01:27:49 - Well, I really feel like this Make It Happen Network
01:27:53 is contributing to society in a very positive way.
01:27:57 And I support it.
01:27:58 I support its developments in helping entrepreneurs
01:28:01 and helping society.
01:28:02 So I greatly endorse it.
01:28:04 And I truly do look forward to the Charity Gala
01:28:07 upcoming very soon.
01:28:08 - Yeah. - Yeah.
01:28:09 - You all, thank you very much for coming this morning.
01:28:11 Thank you very much for the information.
01:28:13 And thank you very much for the contribution
01:28:14 that you all are making.
01:28:16 All right? - Thank you.
01:28:17 - So we are going to a very short break.
01:28:18 We are coming back.
01:28:19 ♪ Everywhere ♪
01:28:21 ♪ Friendliness was not hard to tell ♪
01:28:25 ♪ They asked me to celebrate my way ♪
01:28:28 ♪ And I was surprised to hear ♪
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01:31:02 ♪ When we come together we's one family ♪
01:31:05 ♪ Yes we gonna jump together, get up, get up ♪
01:31:07 ♪ Jump together, get up, get up ♪
01:31:08 ♪ Oink together, get up, get up ♪
01:31:10 ♪ Oink together, get up ♪
01:31:11 ♪ If you come from near or you come from far ♪
01:31:14 ♪ Put your flags in the air ♪
01:31:16 ♪ Wave them together, put your flags in the air ♪
01:31:20 - All right, so welcome back everyone.
01:31:21 So let's touch a bit on Carnival 2024,
01:31:24 now live with us in studio is Tamisha,
01:31:27 a Soka artist from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
01:31:30 Tamisha, thank you very much for coming this morning.
01:31:32 Yeah, Tamisha has a lot of energy.
01:31:35 You should see Tamisha during the break, right?
01:31:38 So Tamisha, we need to take up that energy a little bit.
01:31:41 But Tamisha, for persons who may not be familiar with you
01:31:45 or your music, for how long have you been involved in Soka?
01:31:49 - Well, honestly, I haven't been involved in Soka that long,
01:31:51 but I can say that I've been entertaining
01:31:53 and in the music industry for a little bit.
01:31:55 Matter of fact, I'm a seven time Calypso Queen
01:31:57 out of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
01:31:59 - Take that.
01:32:00 (Tamisha laughs)
01:32:01 - So my love for music has actually started
01:32:03 from a very young age, at the age of four,
01:32:04 where I started singing gospel music
01:32:06 and then winning talent competitions,
01:32:08 even Virgin Islands Idol,
01:32:10 which is comparison to American Idol in the U.S.
01:32:12 And then after doing pageants
01:32:14 as a previous Miss Virgin Islands,
01:32:15 I went into Calypso/Kaiso,
01:32:18 and then now I'm merging into Soka.
01:32:20 - Wow, Tamisha, is there anything
01:32:22 that you don't do, Tamisha?
01:32:23 (Tamisha laughs)
01:32:24 You heard Tamisha's resume.
01:32:26 So you're in Trinidad and to be, you're early, you know?
01:32:31 - Well, that's a great thing.
01:32:32 - You've come to, how many songs do you have this year?
01:32:35 - I have two.
01:32:36 Right now, I'm pushing "Flags in the Air,"
01:32:38 which was produced by Laron Lake
01:32:41 out of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
01:32:42 And I'm pushing that for Sinkhore Festival,
01:32:44 which is happening in 2024,
01:32:45 December into January of this year.
01:32:47 - Yeah, and let's hear, if we can, studio,
01:32:49 let's hear a little bit of that song.
01:32:52 Tamisha is wearing Taguoyan, you know?
01:32:54 - Yes.
01:32:55 - Yeah?
01:32:56 So, and then you have,
01:32:59 what's the other song that you have?
01:33:01 - I have "Lost and Carried Away,"
01:33:02 which was written by Trinidad's own Shaf
01:33:05 and produced by Smitty.
01:33:06 And stay tuned because probably about next week,
01:33:09 I'll be able to release "Jammers,"
01:33:10 which was also written by Shaf
01:33:12 and produced by Trinidad's own Mill Beats.
01:33:14 - All right, so this song that we're listening to.
01:33:17 - That's "Lost and Carried Away."
01:33:18 - Yeah.
01:33:19 - I also have a music video that I dropped as well
01:33:21 on Friday right here in Trinidad.
01:33:23 - So you had a hand in writing this song?
01:33:25 - No, no, no, I'm just a singer.
01:33:26 - Oh, okay.
01:33:27 You're not writing as yet?
01:33:29 - No, I can't take all the credit for that,
01:33:30 but it's an awesome song.
01:33:32 - All right, so how did this song happen?
01:33:35 Is it that you would have approached the writer,
01:33:37 did the writer approach you?
01:33:39 - No, I approached the writer.
01:33:41 I was very determined about wanting to sing "Soca" this year
01:33:45 so I was able to tap into several Trinidadians
01:33:48 and they were like, "I love your voice.
01:33:50 "I love your energy and your vibe.
01:33:52 "I think I wanna work with you.
01:33:53 "Let's get you to the right people."
01:33:55 And that's exactly what happened.
01:33:55 We make it magic.
01:33:57 - Do you think that it is something, "Soca" music,
01:34:00 do you think that it is something
01:34:01 that you are going to be permanently involved in?
01:34:06 - I think so.
01:34:07 So world, get ready for me.
01:34:09 (both laughing)
01:34:11 - All right, so you're here for this period
01:34:14 promoting the songs.
01:34:17 Are they on local radio as yet?
01:34:19 - Yes, I've been doing a media platform
01:34:22 since I've been here since last week.
01:34:24 So I've been to different radio stations.
01:34:26 This is my second TV show
01:34:28 and then I've also done newspapers as well.
01:34:30 So I'm literally making waves throughout Trinidad
01:34:32 so my name will be noticed.
01:34:33 - All right, what has the response been to the music?
01:34:36 - It has been so welcoming.
01:34:38 I'm like really, really elated by all the love
01:34:40 that I've been receiving so far.
01:34:41 - Yeah, so is it that after this period here,
01:34:44 you return to the US Virgin Islands
01:34:46 and then you return for Carnival?
01:34:47 - Yes, that is totally the plan.
01:34:49 - Yeah?
01:34:50 In the meantime, are you trying to, how do I say?
01:34:55 You're promoting the music.
01:34:56 So are we going to see performances by you?
01:34:59 - Oh, most definitely.
01:35:00 Most definitely.
01:35:01 So you can definitely go on my social media,
01:35:02 Tamisha_VIQueen.
01:35:05 You can be able to book me,
01:35:07 you can be able to see all my music
01:35:08 even on all streaming platforms.
01:35:11 - Yeah? - Yes.
01:35:12 - So are you raring to go as it relates to Trinidad
01:35:15 and Tobago, Carnival and the audience?
01:35:17 It's a different audience than-
01:35:18 - I know, but I'm here and I'm ready to embrace the culture.
01:35:22 I'm loving the vibes.
01:35:23 I mean, I've been able to try bacon shark more than once.
01:35:26 You know, I've even on my first day,
01:35:28 I've been able to have rabbit with duck with provision
01:35:31 and callaloo, you know, so-
01:35:34 - You've had rabbit yet?
01:35:35 - And I've even had punching.
01:35:37 - Punching?
01:35:38 - So I'm getting into the culture here of Trinidad
01:35:42 and I'm enjoying it.
01:35:44 Yeah.
01:35:45 - When compared, let's speak a little bit
01:35:46 about the US Virgin Islands Carnival.
01:35:49 - Yes.
01:35:49 - And let's speak about,
01:35:50 have you ever experienced Trinidad and Tobago Carnival?
01:35:52 - This is my first time in Trinidad, period.
01:35:54 - Yeah, yeah.
01:35:55 What's the US Virgin Islands Carnival like?
01:35:58 - Well, see the beautiful thing about the Virgin Islands
01:36:00 is that we have three carnivals in one year.
01:36:03 We have four islands, but only three islands have carnival,
01:36:06 but we call it St. Croix Festival, St. Thomas Carnival
01:36:08 and St. John's Celebration.
01:36:10 So St. Croix is December into January,
01:36:12 St. Thomas is April into May and St. John is July 4th.
01:36:16 Weekend.
01:36:17 - Right.
01:36:17 - So when I look at all each carnival,
01:36:20 they all have something to represent on their own
01:36:22 because St. Croix is filled with a lot of culture
01:36:25 and it's in the Christmas season.
01:36:26 So you're able to have your fests
01:36:28 and the Christmas carols all in one.
01:36:30 And then in St. Thomas, which is more of a tourist island
01:36:33 and you're getting all the vibe, all the energy,
01:36:35 all the glamorous.
01:36:37 And then St. John is also around art with it,
01:36:39 which is the US celebration for July 4th weekend.
01:36:42 And it has a lot of energy and a lot of vibe,
01:36:45 but it's also tamed as well,
01:36:46 but it's a good vibe all around.
01:36:48 - Some of us may be tempted to move over there.
01:36:52 - Oh, I don't know about the moving.
01:36:52 - We love carnival.
01:36:54 We love carnival.
01:36:55 - I agree.
01:36:56 - Yeah.
01:36:57 - And I've been able to see over the years,
01:36:59 what carnival is like here in Trinidad.
01:37:00 And I was like, okay, this is the perfect time for me
01:37:02 to come to Trinidad, come early,
01:37:04 tap into different avenues
01:37:06 and then be able to make my way back.
01:37:07 - You plan to play mass too?
01:37:09 - I keep hearing everybody telling me that.
01:37:12 I just don't know who to play with.
01:37:13 - Tamisha, you can't go back home
01:37:14 without playing mass in Trinidad.
01:37:16 - But who am I gonna play with?
01:37:17 - Well, I can't tell you that.
01:37:18 I can't advertise for them.
01:37:20 I mean, if, yeah, I'm not advertising for them.
01:37:22 - Hit me up.
01:37:23 I'll play with every and anybody.
01:37:24 - Yeah.
01:37:25 Again, how do people get in touch with you?
01:37:28 - You can go on my social media,
01:37:29 which is T.Misha, T-E-M-I-S-H-A underscore V-I-Q-U-E-E
01:37:34 on all streaming platforms and also download my music.
01:37:37 You'll also be able to see it on YouTube as well.
01:37:38 - Yeah, studio.
01:37:39 Could we hear one of Tamisha's songs again?
01:37:44 The one with a lot of energy.
01:37:46 Let's see if Tamisha can take us out to a break.
01:37:49 ♪ 'Cause I'm wordy, wordy ♪
01:37:55 ♪ You could depend on me ♪
01:37:56 ♪ To roll it down, worky, worky ♪
01:37:58 ♪ Now, I don't want you feel my type ♪
01:38:00 ♪ Oh, it's how I jam in you ♪
01:38:03 ♪ It might seem kinda crazy ♪
01:38:05 ♪ You're treating me like a lady ♪
01:38:08 ♪ But this don't happen to me every day ♪
01:38:11 ♪ No, baby ♪
01:38:12 ♪ So, love, we get lost and carried away ♪
01:38:14 ♪ I wanna get lost and carried away with Trinidad ♪
01:38:18 - Ah, boy, ah, boy, Tamisha.
01:38:20 It was good speaking to you this morning.
01:38:21 Thank you very much for the energy.
01:38:23 We wish you all the best for the upcoming season here.
01:38:26 - Thank you, thank you so much.
01:38:27 - Okay, then, bye for now.
01:38:28 So, it's time for a quick break.
01:38:29 We do have this image for you.
01:38:30 We are coming back.
01:38:31 ♪ Yeah, two strangers on the island ♪
01:38:36 ♪ Funkin' up ♪
01:38:38 ♪ I got plenty of, plenty of love like thunder ♪
01:38:41 ♪ This is just a one night, yeah ♪
01:38:43 ♪ Two strangers on the island ♪
01:38:48 - Things don't always go as expected.
01:38:50 Be ready with TrinRi for auto, home, business,
01:38:54 and group life.
01:38:55 Call us at 800-TRIN or visit trinri.com today.
01:38:58 Huge insurance premium.
01:39:00 Pay your premiums bit by bit with FlexiPay from TrinRi.
01:39:04 For more manageable auto, home,
01:39:06 and commercial insurance payments,
01:39:07 call us at 800-TRIN or visit trinri.com today.
01:39:11 TrinRi, premier insurance coverage for less.
01:39:15 - Green Dot continues to deliver internet connectivity
01:39:18 to a wide range of communities in Trinidad.
01:39:20 With our combination fiber and wireless network,
01:39:22 you get the service you need wherever you live.
01:39:25 Stream your favorite shows, enjoy online tuition,
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01:39:37 Call 224-GDOT or visit gd.tt today.
01:39:40 Green Dot, improving and simplifying lives.
01:39:43 - Anytime you leave your keys in the ignition
01:39:54 when you pull up to your driveway,
01:39:56 you make yourself an easy target for theft and robbery.
01:40:00 Make it tough for criminals.
01:40:03 Don't give them a chance.
01:40:04 Switch off your engine, remove your keys, and stay aloot.
01:40:09 - A message from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
01:40:13 (upbeat music)
01:40:18 (singing in foreign language)
01:40:22 (upbeat music)
01:40:24 (singing in foreign language)
01:40:28 (upbeat music)
01:40:31 (singing in foreign language)
01:40:58 (upbeat music)
01:41:01 - Ah, boy, studio, look how things change.
01:41:08 I wonder if you once ago if you could have played that,
01:41:10 bring out the ham.
01:41:12 All right, just something to think about.
01:41:14 So welcome back.
01:41:14 We are officially in the season of giving.
01:41:17 Joining us now in studio is LaShawn Elegant,
01:41:21 founder of the great Big Give Foundation,
01:41:24 and Cameron Waite,
01:41:25 marketing and social media rep for Christmas Corner.
01:41:28 They're here to tell us about Christmas Corner's
01:41:30 upcoming fundraising event.
01:41:32 Ladies, thank you very much for coming this morning.
01:41:34 - Thank you for having us.
01:41:36 - All right.
01:41:37 Well, earlier, LaShawn was assigned
01:41:40 to start off the discussion this morning.
01:41:41 So tell us about the event, LaShawn.
01:41:43 - Okay, so the Great Big Christmas Give
01:41:46 is the name of our Christmas market.
01:41:48 It's a fundraiser event that aids to raise funds
01:41:52 for our mass hamper drive.
01:41:54 So in 2022, we partnered with the Shears Foundation
01:41:58 and we raised funds to provide families in need
01:42:01 with 100 hampers.
01:42:03 We end up having 125 hampers.
01:42:05 So we're doing this again this year, but different.
01:42:09 So we're having this event so that we can invite
01:42:11 the community to see who we are as the Great Big Give
01:42:14 and what we do, in hopes that we would raise
01:42:17 even more funds to surpass 100 hampers this year.
01:42:21 - Yeah.
01:42:21 All right, so Cameron, come in here.
01:42:24 Let's speak a little bit about,
01:42:26 a little more about the Christmas Corner
01:42:29 upcoming fundraising event.
01:42:31 What is the event?
01:42:32 - The event is carded for December 9th.
01:42:35 It's a Saturday.
01:42:36 It's coming up soon.
01:42:37 It'll be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
01:42:39 And it's going to be at the Oasis Garden Terrace
01:42:42 in San Fernando.
01:42:43 - Yeah.
01:42:44 - The entrance fee is $10,
01:42:45 but if you come with a tin of canned food, it's $5.
01:42:49 - Cameron, you say $10, you know.
01:42:51 (laughing)
01:42:52 You sure you didn't mean $40 or $50, $10?
01:42:54 - No, just $10.
01:42:56 - Yeah.
01:42:57 So you all are really building hampers to distribute
01:43:02 for the carnivals, for the Christmas season.
01:43:04 Sorry, we had someone speak about carnival before.
01:43:06 - No, you're good, you're good, you're good.
01:43:07 - So what sort of items do you want?
01:43:11 Only canned items?
01:43:13 - No, so the necessities.
01:43:15 Flour, cornflakes, peanut butter, jam, milk.
01:43:20 So basic necessities that family would need
01:43:23 around Christmas time.
01:43:24 - Yeah.
01:43:25 Is there a demand for these sorts of items
01:43:27 during this time?
01:43:28 - Absolutely, you'd be surprised.
01:43:30 I think a lot of us kind of don't recognize
01:43:33 how much privilege we have, especially around this time.
01:43:36 And what we found last season as well
01:43:39 was that people were almost asking,
01:43:42 kind of like begging for items.
01:43:43 Like the basic things that we take for granted,
01:43:46 I think are almost like gifts to people at this time.
01:43:51 So definitely a need.
01:43:53 - So is it that people come to you all for these hampers?
01:43:58 Or is it that you choose who gets the hampers?
01:44:01 - Right, so last year what we did,
01:44:04 we connected with schools in and around Trinidad.
01:44:08 So schools like Pleasantville Secondary,
01:44:10 La Porta Government, and we asked principals.
01:44:14 So I bought some students who they know are in need.
01:44:17 And we distributed 50 hampers
01:44:19 throughout the schools in our community.
01:44:22 And then we allowed the general public
01:44:24 to nominate persons who they know
01:44:27 that are in need to receive hampers.
01:44:29 - Right.
01:44:30 How can people contribute these items?
01:44:33 And where do they go to contribute these items?
01:44:36 - So you could, firstly,
01:44:37 you could check out our Instagram page.
01:44:39 It's the greatbiggiefoundation_tt.
01:44:43 You can, so we have drop-off locations in San Fernando.
01:44:46 We have C3 and Salt Park.
01:44:49 We have a drop-off location at Starbucks in Cuba.
01:44:52 And then a drop-off location in Porta, Spain.
01:44:55 So to contribute to the hamper drive,
01:44:56 you can either donate items, you can donate cash,
01:44:59 and you can come down to our Christmas market
01:45:01 on December 9th.
01:45:02 - Right.
01:45:03 But Cameron, you would need a variety of items, right?
01:45:07 Everybody can't come down there with a tin of salt.
01:45:09 - Yes.
01:45:10 - You're not asking for that, right?
01:45:11 So it has to be a variety of items that you all need.
01:45:15 - Yes.
01:45:16 It's like LaShawn would have listed,
01:45:18 powdered milk, rice, flour.
01:45:21 We will also-- - Sugar.
01:45:22 - Yeah, sugar.
01:45:23 We will also be posting a list of items
01:45:26 that you can donate and that you can bring down to the drive
01:45:29 and you can DM us for further information as well.
01:45:32 - Yeah.
01:45:33 And I suspect, is it that people can get that,
01:45:39 the information, read the list
01:45:42 on your social media platform, right?
01:45:44 - Yes.
01:45:45 - But what about people,
01:45:47 I don't wanna say old people, but like Nina, like me, right?
01:45:52 Who are not maybe too au courant
01:45:55 with the social media platform and so on.
01:45:57 Is there any other way that people can get in touch with you
01:46:01 to donate these items and have a discussion
01:46:03 with read the fundraising event?
01:46:07 How do they do that?
01:46:09 How do we do that?
01:46:10 - You guys can contact us at--
01:46:14 - 792-8796.
01:46:17 And you can also email us at tgbgfoundation@gmail.com.
01:46:21 - Yeah.
01:46:22 And could you give us the number again?
01:46:24 - Sure, 792-8796.
01:46:28 Or our email is tgbgfoundation@gmail.com.
01:46:33 - Yeah.
01:46:34 And please, only relevant information there.
01:46:38 - Please don't call the ladies asking any strange thing.
01:46:42 Could you please put up the graphic again?
01:46:46 So is it that the event begins at 3 p.m.?
01:46:51 - Yes.
01:46:52 - Yeah.
01:46:53 - It is a Christmas market.
01:46:55 So there will be vendors, small businesses
01:46:57 that will have their items on sale.
01:46:59 We'll also be having games for the young ones
01:47:02 and not so young ones.
01:47:03 We'll have things like Giant Jenga, Ludo.
01:47:07 - Bingo.
01:47:08 - Bingo.
01:47:08 And we will also be having live musical entertainment.
01:47:12 We have a powering band coming through.
01:47:14 We have Mark Isaacs, Jarren Nurse.
01:47:15 So it's gonna be a great time.
01:47:17 It's not just the fundraiser.
01:47:20 It is an event, but it mainly is for the purpose
01:47:23 of raising funds to contribute to our Hamper Drive.
01:47:26 - Yeah.
01:47:27 And I suspect, ladies, that the more people contribute,
01:47:31 it means that more people are going to benefit from it.
01:47:36 - Yes, definitely.
01:47:37 - You said you gave out 125 hampers.
01:47:40 - And it was our first year.
01:47:41 - Yeah, that's the first year.
01:47:43 So I suspect you all are looking for more contributions.
01:47:45 - Yes, for sure.
01:47:47 - This year.
01:47:48 - For sure.
01:47:49 - She's dancing.
01:47:50 All right, ladies, anything else you'd like to tell us
01:47:52 this morning?
01:47:53 - No thoughts about it.
01:47:54 - Come down to our Christmas market.
01:47:56 - We have no break, so we're talking still.
01:47:59 But ladies, as you go out into the community,
01:48:06 and read these items, and people having certain demands,
01:48:11 and the reason for events such as yours,
01:48:16 what are some of the challenges you think
01:48:21 that some people in the community are being faced with
01:48:25 at this time of the year?
01:48:28 What do you think that they need?
01:48:31 - I think that post-pandemic definitely took a toll
01:48:36 on families in the community, I think more than we realized,
01:48:42 which is again, why we wanted to do something like this.
01:48:46 And the Great Big Give was founded out of the desire
01:48:51 to give back to our community.
01:48:54 And this is one of the ways that we've found
01:48:56 that we were able to give back.
01:48:59 So again, simplicity, there's so much in the simple
01:49:04 that we might take for granted.
01:49:06 And especially around Christmas time,
01:49:10 being a season where it's meant to give things
01:49:14 or give presents to your kids.
01:49:16 And for a lot of families who don't have the resources,
01:49:21 it means a lot to be able to just have a meal,
01:49:25 or to be able to sustain them for the season.
01:49:29 So I think that that's one of the main drivers of our cause.
01:49:34 - And you know, ladies, as I look at you all,
01:49:38 you are young people.
01:49:40 And you know, sometimes we have a perception
01:49:43 in this society, well, young people
01:49:47 are not contributing enough.
01:49:50 Yeah?
01:49:53 And I think the question that I'm asking is that,
01:49:58 because there's also the perception
01:50:00 that some people feel that young people are selfish.
01:50:02 But what you are doing here this morning,
01:50:05 it is selfless, right?
01:50:09 Not selfish at all.
01:50:10 What do you think that we can do as a society
01:50:16 to get more and more young people involved
01:50:19 in exercises such as these?
01:50:21 - So what we did this year actually,
01:50:23 'cause usually our events are private,
01:50:25 it's usually us and a group of youths that we know.
01:50:30 So this year we actually opened up the foundation
01:50:32 to invite young people to come and volunteer with us.
01:50:36 So I think getting involved in initiatives like this
01:50:41 is a great way for young people to give back and to serve.
01:50:44 So that's why we decided to welcome new volunteers
01:50:47 to come serve with us this year,
01:50:48 to give back to the kids that are in need,
01:50:50 to give back to kids who feel like
01:50:51 they may be rejected or unloved.
01:50:54 - Yeah, so there's still room within your organizations,
01:50:59 respective organizations,
01:51:01 for persons to come and volunteer?
01:51:03 - Yes, yes.
01:51:04 - Yeah, and how do people do that?
01:51:05 Again, contact your social media platform and so on?
01:51:07 - Yeah, so you can definitely contact us on Instagram.
01:51:10 - Yeah, all right.
01:51:11 - And the young people should be able to find us there.
01:51:12 (laughing)
01:51:15 - All right, ladies.
01:51:16 All right, ladies, anything else you'd like to tell us?
01:51:19 Let's return to the charity event again on Saturday.
01:51:24 Anything else you'd like to tell us about the event again,
01:51:29 9th of December?
01:51:31 - Saturday, 9th of December, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.,
01:51:34 Oasis Garden Terrace.
01:51:36 Bring your tin and your friends and come check us out.
01:51:39 - And your entire family.
01:51:40 (laughing)
01:51:41 - And I think that's a good point too,
01:51:43 because it's going to be clean fun.
01:51:46 - Yes.
01:51:47 - And in an environment where you are contributing,
01:51:50 so I suspect it's a great day to spend your Saturday.
01:51:53 - Yes, for sure.
01:51:54 - Yeah, Saturday 9th.
01:51:55 Ladies, thank you very much for coming this morning.
01:51:57 - Thank you so much.
01:51:58 - Thank you very much for your contribution.
01:52:00 All right, so that's going to do it
01:52:02 for the morning edition for today.
01:52:04 I know it has been a long morning, but a fruitful morning.
01:52:08 And remember that Emmy Prime comes up this evening.
01:52:12 We leave you with some Parang music.
01:52:14 See you tomorrow, everybody.
01:52:16 Bye for now.
01:52:16 (upbeat music)
01:52:19 (singing in foreign language)
01:52:23 (upbeat music)
01:52:26 (singing in foreign language)
01:52:30 (upbeat music)
01:52:33 (singing in foreign language)
01:52:37 (upbeat music)
01:52:39 (singing in foreign language)
01:52:43 ♪ I got the whole country dancing to it ♪
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