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00:00:00Good morning, Trinidad and Tobago, I'm Urvashi Tiwari Rubnarine, welcome to the Morning Edition.
00:00:22It's of course July 12th, thank you so much for joining us, thank you so much for choosing
00:00:26us to take you through your morning, it's of course Friday, it's my last Friday here
00:00:31with you guys, Marlon will be back on Monday.
00:00:34So some, I could sleep a little later on from Monday going forward, which I really, really
00:00:41would enjoy.
00:00:42Who's celebrating their birthday today, well we just want to wish you all a happy birthday.
00:00:48We've got a couple birthdays in our newsroom, we've got Renessa, back to back, that's right,
00:00:54so Renessa celebrates her birthday on Sunday, so happy birthday in advance to you, I think
00:00:59Alicia celebrated her birthday past, this past Monday, so happy belated to you Alicia,
00:01:06and Sharla, our production assistant, she celebrates her birthday on the 19th, so happy
00:01:11birthday in advance to you, and of course anyone else, our viewers, who would be celebrating
00:01:18this month.
00:01:20Well of course it's now time to tell you what's happening in Trinidad and Tobago, and for
00:01:24that we go straight to the front pages of the Express newspaper.
00:01:29Shareholders vote against government nominees to the OCM board rejected.
00:01:33Shaka Suberu had, let's see, about 28, I'm seeing 28 million here, just over 28 million
00:01:42votes against him, 18 million for Dale McLeod, 23,997,642 against, and for, 23,229,443,
00:01:59that story there by Joelle Julian.
00:02:02Of course that feature picture there, Beryl's Disaster, PM's Plead for Help, Rebuilding
00:02:07After the Storm, I was fortunate enough to look at that media briefing just yesterday
00:02:14and we see PM of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, he of course described
00:02:21the sites of those islands most affected, Union Island, Myroo, and of course across
00:02:30in the dependencies of Grenada, we had Karuku, he described the site as Armageddon, you know,
00:02:37they said we need your help, yes, of course, they're getting food supplies, they're getting
00:02:42water, they're getting that initial assistance, but it's going to take so much more to rebuild
00:02:48these countries, to get these, I think there are over 43,000 persons who would be homeless
00:02:56or at least, you know, their structures may still be in place, but the roofs are blown
00:03:00off, you know, the structural integrity would be in question, so it's not just, you know,
00:03:05food and water, they need so much to get back to their livelihoods, when will these
00:03:09islands look like paradise again?
00:03:13So Flood Worries as Remnants of Bridge Lodged in River, that's of course that story there
00:03:20where the bridge collapsed after years of complaints, residents are stranded, we'll
00:03:25be talking to Dr. Lakram Budu, the MP for Faisabad, a little later on in our show.
00:03:32The officers threatened to abandon the Princess Town Station and that's due to a rat infestation.
00:03:39So we will be joined by the Health Minister in a short bit, so we could probably just
00:03:44pose that question to him, although he'll be talking about dengue and its spread, we'll
00:03:49still see if he could offer some advice in the case of the rat infestation.
00:03:54So the future story there, OCM shareholders reject government nominee, shareholders of
00:03:59One Caribbean Media yesterday rejected the two individuals nominated by the government
00:04:03to join the organization's board, so I already read out the votes for you guys.
00:04:08Of course, minority shareholder Peter Pumel, his response is, the little mouse has roared,
00:04:14the shareholders spoke loud and clear, that was of course his comment after that vote
00:04:20was taken.
00:04:22Opposition Senator Wade Mark, he has been advocating against these two nominees joining
00:04:28the OCM board and he calls it a thumbs up for press freedom.
00:04:34So to find out about all these stories and so much more, head down to your newsstands
00:04:39and grab your copy of the Express newspaper now, or why not log on to www.trinidadexpress.com.
00:04:45What's happening in sport, Wendy's on the brink, batting collapses again, defeat looming
00:04:51on day three.
00:04:52Soon to retire, James Anderson dismissed West Indies captain Craig Braffett for the very
00:04:58last time as England took total control of the first test at Lourdes, though the visitors
00:05:04managed to avoid a two-day defeat.
00:05:07Well, it's now time to remind you of our Trinbago Unite feature.
00:05:11To participate, it's very, very easy.
00:05:13You email your videos and your images to nicole.rumany at tv6tnt.com, that's of course the producer
00:05:20of our show this morning.
00:05:22Okay, so you all listened yesterday.
00:05:24We got a video this morning, very rare, but we have a video and this is of an iguana taking
00:05:29a stroll sent in to us by a viewer.
00:05:33So that's not ready for the pot just yet.
00:05:36So guys, you know, leave them alone.
00:05:39And we're going to go to a short break in a short while.
00:05:42After the break, we'll be joined by Health Minister Terence D. Elsing and of course Dr.
00:05:47Osafo-Fraser.
00:05:48He is the Medical Officer of Health of Insect Factor Control and we'll be getting a dengue
00:05:52update.
00:05:53We'll be right back.
00:05:54Everywhere I look is blessing, people all over me.
00:05:55All because I put my Jesus in front of everything.
00:05:56Drink it up.
00:05:57Drink it up.
00:05:58From the river of living water.
00:05:59Drink it up.
00:06:00Drink it up.
00:06:01Drink it up.
00:06:02Drink it up.
00:06:03Drink it up.
00:06:04Drink it up.
00:06:05Drink it up.
00:06:06Drink it up.
00:06:07Drink it up.
00:06:08Drink it up.
00:06:09Drink it up.
00:06:10Drink it up.
00:06:11Drink it up.
00:06:12Drink it up.
00:06:13Drink it up.
00:06:14Drink it up.
00:06:15Drink it up.
00:06:16Drink it up.
00:06:17Drink it up.
00:06:18Drink it up.
00:06:27Hey love, are you excited for date night tonight?
00:06:30Hello, are you excited for date night tonight?
00:06:33I'm seeing you at five, right?
00:06:34Of course, babe, I'll see you at five.
00:07:07Celebrate this year's CSEC graduates with the Trinidad Express Newspaper School's Yearbook Class of 2024.
00:07:14This special publication features achievers and valedictorians as they mark the starting point in their lives.
00:07:21Enjoy the moments in photographs from this year's graduation ceremonies.
00:07:25Look out for this commemorative keepsake.
00:07:28It's the Trinidad Express Newspaper School's Yearbook Class of 2024.
00:07:33Free with your Sunday Express.
00:08:03The Yearbook Class of 2024
00:08:33Maybe you could afford to pay up to $22,500 in fines and lose your license permanently.
00:08:41No? Then don't drink and drive.
00:08:45A message from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
00:08:49Morning.
00:08:50Listen, I just noticed something out.
00:08:54There are new people in the bubble road.
00:08:56What is that?
00:08:57The man is passing up and down in front of here with a set of women.
00:09:01I really know there's some women living there, you know.
00:09:03And they can't even say as much as good morning.
00:09:05But listen, I wonder if this human trafficking you think is that?
00:09:10So, how can you spot and identify perpetrators and victims of trafficking?
00:09:15Many victims are found living and working together in the same place and sleep in shared and inappropriate spaces.
00:09:22Victims work excessively long hours.
00:09:24They often sleep in the daytime and work long nights.
00:09:28They are often escorted everywhere they go and may appear to be malnourished.
00:09:32They may show signs of physical abuse, drug and alcohol use and may also appear withdrawn, fearful or intimidated.
00:09:40Victims who are migrants are often not in possession of their identity or immigration documents and have irregular immigration status.
00:09:47Perpetrators can be male or female and may appear to be managing or controlling the victims.
00:09:54And they may even at times appear to be the victim's best friend, boyfriend or employer.
00:10:00We are the Counter Trafficking Unit of the Ministry of National Security, Trinidad and Tobago, safeguarding human life.
00:10:24No!
00:10:30Please, no!
00:10:54And them barristers.
00:10:57All them doctors and lawyers.
00:11:01And these ministers.
00:11:03So this honourable this and this honourable that.
00:11:07And this lady so and so.
00:11:09It's a part all these people played.
00:11:12I want you to know.
00:11:16So don't blame them.
00:11:18Well, welcome back Trinidad and Tobago.
00:11:20So Minister of Health, Terence Yeltsin and Medical Office of Health, Insect Bacteria Control Division, Dr. Safo Fraser.
00:11:26They are live on set with us this morning to offer an update on dengue infections in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:11:32And to, of course, emphasize that need to eliminate breeding sites to prevent the spread.
00:11:37Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us.
00:11:39A very good morning to you both.
00:11:40Thank you for having us, Urvashi.
00:11:41And of course, being here in person.
00:11:43You know, Zoom is nice, but in person is nicer.
00:11:46So, Minister, I think a nice place to start may be the number of infections.
00:11:52If you are able to offer that statistic, the number of critical cases and, of course, the number of deaths.
00:11:58There have been many numbers being bandied around, but from.
00:12:02So in communicating with Dr. Avery Hines yesterday, who heads the epidemiological division,
00:12:09the number of confirmed laboratory confirmed cases still stand at 229.
00:12:16That's the latest information he has from CARFA.
00:12:19But that's as of yesterday.
00:12:21When I go into the office this morning, it may change.
00:12:25I'm having a press conference this morning at 10, by the way.
00:12:29And the number of deaths and condolences to those two families still stay at two for this time.
00:12:39OK, so where are these numbers coming from?
00:12:42I think I read somewhere in the paper someone was saying 600.
00:12:46Is it just suspected cases?
00:12:48Are these persons not being tested as they should?
00:12:51Right. So these are what we call laboratory confirmed cases.
00:12:55These are cases, samples that we sent to CARFA, and they confirm.
00:13:00So it's 229 laboratory confirmed as opposed to suspect cases.
00:13:06And maybe Dr. Osafo-Fraser could probably go into the difference between a suspect case and a laboratory confirmed case.
00:13:13Hi, good morning.
00:13:14Morning.
00:13:15Yeah, so a suspect case would be anyone who presents with some of the classic symptoms of dengue
00:13:21and the history surrounding that suggests it might have been an environment where it is possible to have contracted dengue,
00:13:28which is very different from someone who presents with those same symptoms.
00:13:32We take a blood sample and we send that sample to the lab, and the lab actually confirms, yes, dengue is actually here.
00:13:38That's a big difference.
00:13:39The data that you all receive, is it from private labs and public labs?
00:13:44Where does it really come from?
00:13:46The data that we receive comes from all over private physicians who would send information to the public as well
00:13:52because our surveillance teams interface very well with the public,
00:13:56and so we would collect information not just from our public institutions,
00:13:59but we have private institutions also report to us.
00:14:01And so we get from across the country.
00:14:03Of course, Minister, there has been, we have heard a lot from local government bodies.
00:14:09We did have the chairman of the PNLDB Regional Corporation on our show earlier today.
00:14:14He is attempting this week to spray a thousand homes plus each day,
00:14:20but he also called on insect vector control to up their ante,
00:14:25to liaise more with the regional corporations to offer advice as necessary.
00:14:30What is the role of local government bodies as opposed to insect vector control?
00:14:36Right. So, Urvashi, unfortunately, this issue, as usual, has been politicized.
00:14:43And what you have, and I really hate to go down this road, but you raised it,
00:14:48is that the UNC-controlled corporations are politicizing the issue.
00:14:53The CMOHs and Dr. Fraser, maybe you can tell them how you liaise with local government
00:14:59instead of me as a politician saying it.
00:15:03So, in reality, in actuality, the local government and the county medical offices of health
00:15:10and insect vector control generally tend to have a very active collaborative process.
00:15:16And, in fact, a lot of the advice about what chemicals to use, what to spray, what kinds of things,
00:15:23that will come from the insect vector control division in collaboration with the local government.
00:15:29In fact, there is a monthly meeting that takes place among the agencies,
00:15:35the county medical offices, and the local government every month.
00:15:39And there's that collaboration process there.
00:15:41And underground the operations is a lot smoother than it may appear.
00:15:46And this is why it is so sad that the UNC is again politicizing, as they did with COVID,
00:15:55a public health issue. It does not help.
00:15:58And may I go on to say that move he has taken to spray 1,000 homes is not advisable.
00:16:05Because we keep telling the population over-spraying results in two dangerous outcomes.
00:16:13One, the mosquitoes build up resistance to the chemicals.
00:16:18And two, it is dangerous to human health, animal health, and insect health.
00:16:25And you destroy the ecosystem that we need.
00:16:29It kills other insects.
00:16:31So I really urge that gentleman to heed the advice which we give them freely and frequently
00:16:40about the risks of over-spraying.
00:16:43What we keep emphasizing, and which I wish they will do, is source reduction.
00:16:49Just as an example, Urvashi, I don't know if your camera can pick up this.
00:16:53Yes.
00:16:54Do you know how many eggs can fit in this?
00:16:58A few hundred thousand.
00:17:00No. And this one is just under 1,000.
00:17:02Okay.
00:17:03This is the saucer.
00:17:06If this is 1,000, this is probably about a million.
00:17:12And this is what we are asking people to do.
00:17:15Examine your yards and get rid of these breeding sites.
00:17:19Think about how many people have flower pots arrayed on their steps, on their porches,
00:17:2520 feet away from your bedroom, your dining room, your kitchen.
00:17:30No amount of spraying can get rid of these.
00:17:34And also, the public must understand, and again, those politicians who are misleading the public
00:17:42as they did with COVID and sunshine and all of these things.
00:17:47The lifespan, the life cycle of a mosquito, from laying the egg to hatching to the pupal stage to the adult stage,
00:17:57three quarters of that life cycle is underwater.
00:18:01When you spray, you don't reach that.
00:18:04You only kill the adult population.
00:18:08And every seven to ten days, you have millions more adults coming up.
00:18:14Is it that we are going to spray the country every ten days?
00:18:17That is, one, physically impossible and scientifically not advisable.
00:18:24So that is why we keep focusing on what we call source reduction.
00:18:29Your gutterings, your yards, your containers, your barrels, your stagnant drains.
00:18:36This is where the population can help us.
00:18:40And I urge all corporations to go on a source eradication drive with their purchases,
00:18:48not necessarily depending on chemical spraying, which does not have the impact that you want,
00:18:57but may have negative outcomes.
00:18:59So, Dr. Fraser, what essentially should regional corporations be doing?
00:19:04They also have asked for insect vector control to assist with the granules dispersion.
00:19:10Is that a role that you all do?
00:19:13Do you all have authority to enter premises to inspect and so on, as opposed to the regional corporation?
00:19:20And what should they essentially be doing?
00:19:22Yeah, so I would say the best approach to the fight against dengue is one that is collaborated and coordinated among agencies.
00:19:31And we have actually started doing that with some of the corporations.
00:19:35We've worked out a plan.
00:19:38We would go out.
00:19:39We would do some of that same source reduction work.
00:19:42But then the corporation will come in and help with some of the more heavy lifting,
00:19:46and that's actually happening in some of the corporations.
00:19:49And essentially, our role is to help provide them with a lot of the reference for how to do what needs to be done.
00:19:56Yes, we do have a role in going into premises and identifying sources of breeding and treating those sources of breeding.
00:20:04We do use a very different chemical from what some of the corporations are actually using at this point in time,
00:20:11and there is a reason for that.
00:20:13So we tend to advise in that area as well.
00:20:16So source reduction is what the granules are actually used for.
00:20:20So if we go and we find a source of breeding, instead, some of those places might not be able to throw away or get rid of.
00:20:29You want to treat that particular source, so like a barrel of water, for example.
00:20:33You still need that water, but that water source could be a place where mosquitoes can breed.
00:20:39So it's still potable when you apply those granules?
00:20:41Yeah, when you apply your treatment, whether it's granules.
00:20:44In our case, we use a substance called aquataine, which is kind of a silicon-based product that covers the entire top of the container
00:20:54so that the mosquitoes can't breed because they need to breed in order to hatch and become an adult.
00:21:00So that's the process we use.
00:21:01So sometimes you can't destroy the actual source.
00:21:04You have to treat it, and so that's where the granules or the aquataine come in.
00:21:08We don't use the granules anymore.
00:21:09There is some discussion around the actual effect of those granules anymore.
00:21:15They've been shown to be some resistance to the granules by the mosquitoes, so we have moved away from that.
00:21:22And can persons purchase these treatments themselves and do it themselves, or is it recommended that we leave it up to public health?
00:21:31Yeah, just because of how those, if they're used wrongly, can be toxic, both to the animals or some humans.
00:21:39You know, you don't want to get those in the hands of little children.
00:21:42We tend to use the, to be the reference point for it, and we're the ones who would go out and do the actual work.
00:21:47All righty.
00:21:48If we could backtrack just a bit as it refers to those confirmed cases and deaths,
00:21:53if I'm not mistaken, we understand those two deaths were in Faisabad?
00:21:58I think they were in South Trinidad, yes.
00:22:00I don't know the exact location.
00:22:01I think one was in, I saw a TV6 report saying Barakpur, but I tend not to, as a minister, give out specifics.
00:22:12If families come forward, fine.
00:22:14Okay.
00:22:15But my question was related to, are those confirmed cases, is there any geographical trend with it, and if there's a reason for that?
00:22:25Yeah, so the cases, the confirmed cases, most of them are in the Karani, Victoria, and St. Patrick area.
00:22:32Of course, you know, that is central to South, and there may be reasons for that.
00:22:37Some of them include lots of actual reporting of cases, and so people are coming forward.
00:22:43Also, the fact that there's a trend, it's usually not, it's not an unusual trend to have lots of mosquito population down in the Southland,
00:22:52just because of the way the geography.
00:22:53The plains and so on.
00:22:54Exactly.
00:22:55So that's not a very unusual thing for the dengue trend in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:22:59And so those will be the places where you have a lot of the cases trending at this point in time.
00:23:06So, it's interesting.
00:23:08When I first became Minister of Health in 2015, and dengue was an issue, most of the cases back in those days were St. George, West.
00:23:18West.
00:23:19Strange.
00:23:21But now it's in St. Patrick, Victoria, and Karani.
00:23:24They account for about 85% of the cases now.
00:23:27And we are not seeing that much in St. George, West, as we used to see.
00:23:33There was this huge exercise undertaken, I think, by Ministry of Health.
00:23:37You yourself went house to house and encouraged people to over-tune their tires.
00:23:42But that was during, was it Chikungunya or Zika?
00:23:45That was during Zika.
00:23:46Zika.
00:23:47Zika.
00:23:49Slightly different, but still a viral.
00:23:51It's spread by mosquitoes.
00:23:53The principle remains the same.
00:23:55Source reduction.
00:23:57Source reduction.
00:23:59What is the range of these mosquitoes and why is it important that we all be our brother's keeper?
00:24:06So, these mosquitoes, the ones that cause dengue, this is the Aedes aegypti, they fly between 100 to 200 meters.
00:24:14So, generally, let's say we have a case of dengue.
00:24:19When our team goes into that area to treat with that particular case, we're not just treating the house.
00:24:24But we're treating a 200-meter radius around that house because we know that infected mosquito can go 200 meters east, west, north, or south of that particular location.
00:24:34Practically, that works out to something like four houses on either side and back and front.
00:24:40So, sometimes the team comes out, you'll see them in the street with the cases, but sometimes in the other street as well because it's behind where the house is.
00:24:47So, that's the range and that's important.
00:24:49That's exactly why it's important to make sure not just you are doing what you have to do, but the person next to you and the person next to you.
00:24:56Because you might be fine, but your neighbors is the problem and it will affect you.
00:25:01And we do that to what we call break the chain of transmission.
00:25:05So, you have a confirmed case here, you spray around so that other people...
00:25:10Because a mosquito could bite the infected person and then go bite a healthy person and therefore spread.
00:25:15And why source reduction is so important.
00:25:18If I clean my house, the neighbor has to clean to my left, to my right, front, and back.
00:25:27So, it's a community effort.
00:25:29So, as I say, the same way we have neighborhood watch groups, we need to know the communities.
00:25:36And I wish the corporations would come together and advise their purchases to do that instead of indiscriminate spraying.
00:25:46Indiscriminate spraying is dangerous to human health, animal health, the ecosystem.
00:25:54And if the humans who are doing the spraying and if the individuals take up spraying on their own with malathion or whatever,
00:26:03and don't have the proper breathing apparatus, you are putting yourselves in mortal danger.
00:26:11So, I really wish we would stop the politics again about a public health matter and stick to the science.
00:26:22Because I think in the express, I did see a photo of an individual spraying himself.
00:26:27He did not, from my recollection, have on a mask.
00:26:30And that concerns me.
00:26:31Right?
00:26:32Spraying is not the be-all and end-all.
00:26:36It is dangerous for a human to be exposed to these chemicals without the correct breathing apparatus.
00:26:45And I just wish again we would stop politicizing this issue as we did with COVID.
00:26:51Minister, I tried to pull it up from the Ministry's website, but I could not get it in time.
00:26:56But speaking about fines, you may be fined, but not your neighbor.
00:27:00Let's talk about fines.
00:27:01Because I hear that there is a $3,500 fine if you are found to have breeding grounds for mosquitoes and that sort of thing.
00:27:08So, let me explain how that works.
00:27:10Under the Ministry of Health, we have the public health inspectors.
00:27:14So, they would go out and if they see premises that are breeding sites, they will give you a citation.
00:27:21That citation will give you seven days to clean up your premises and get your act together.
00:27:27If you don't comply within seven days, then you can be fined $3,500.
00:27:32We just don't fine indiscriminately.
00:27:34We give you an opportunity.
00:27:36And to date, I think we have served 31 notices.
00:27:41Could you say where?
00:27:43Most of it would have been in South Trinidad.
00:27:45I will have that data and I will share it with the public at 10 o'clock at the press conference.
00:27:49And this is not a new measure?
00:27:51No, no, no.
00:27:52This came in during Zika when we upped the fines from $500 because people were just ignoring $500.
00:28:00And under the Yellow Fever regulations, we changed it from $500 to $3,500 during Zika.
00:28:08People are saying it is because of dengue.
00:28:10Now, I am reacting.
00:28:12We did this back in 2016 because of Zika.
00:28:16And of course, when that notice went public, persons took to social media.
00:28:21They went to public places and they say, well, you know, this stream, this retention pond, it's green, it's murky.
00:28:28Will public institutions also be fined?
00:28:31Okay.
00:28:32So, let us, and again, I'm glad for the opportunity.
00:28:36I don't know if Dr. Fraser wants to come in, but the Aedes aegypti mosquito, their favorite breeding spots are places where you have clear, clean, stagnant water.
00:28:52Not necessarily murky, mossy drains.
00:28:57So, are we clear on that, right?
00:29:00So, it tends to be more in your household setting rather than in a swamp, rather than in a river.
00:29:08The Aedes aegypti prefers clear, stagnant water.
00:29:13Dr. Fraser, you want to come in?
00:29:14No, that's very correct.
00:29:16And because of that, your in-house plants are very prone to getting your mosquitoes.
00:29:26We refer to the Aedes aegypti as a domesticated mosquito.
00:29:29It's like a pet.
00:29:30That's right.
00:29:31They live around humans.
00:29:33So, you have a murky drain quarter mile away, that is not necessarily Aedes aegypti.
00:29:39That may be another type of mosquito.
00:29:42And again, this is where people who have a responsibility to guide the public discussion are playing politics again with this.
00:29:52Pointing to a mossy drain.
00:29:55That is not the preferred breeding site of the Aedes aegypti which causes dengue.
00:30:01Let me say it again.
00:30:02Aedes aegypti loves clear, clean, stagnant water around your homes within a radius of 100 to 300 feet.
00:30:15Because that's their flight path.
00:30:19They need people, they need to bite you to get that blood meal to reproduce.
00:30:26And as I said, three quarters of the lifespan of a mosquito is in water.
00:30:32So, indiscriminate spraying does not help.
00:30:36It may just get rid of the adult population.
00:30:40And you can't spray every 10 days.
00:30:43That is why source reduction, which we have been preaching for the past nine years, is the way to go.
00:30:51Let's talk about climate change and how this has affected the mosquito population, one.
00:30:57And of course, the patterns, trends, biting patterns.
00:31:00Has that changed?
00:31:02Yeah.
00:31:03So, I think that climate change has become a big issue.
00:31:08This particular mosquito, the warmer the climate, the more it reproduces.
00:31:13It prefers warmer than the colder climates.
00:31:16There's another version of it that survives better in the cold.
00:31:19But this one likes the warm.
00:31:21And so, because of the increasing temperatures occurring during climate change, we've had that condition.
00:31:28In addition to climate change, I just want to say one of the things that happened that affected the global distribution is the fact that COVID really messed up a lot of our health systems.
00:31:37And so, worldwide, coping with the outbreaks became a little bit more of a challenge than it would have before.
00:31:43So, we did have a resurgence of dengue in those kinds of situations as well.
00:31:47But climate change is a big one.
00:31:49What you are saying, too, there is a powerful report which talks about the effect of El Niño and La Niña.
00:31:57And where now you are seeing, let's take the United States.
00:32:01The southern states of the United States, which tend to be tropical like Florida and so on.
00:32:06As these countries get warmer and warmer, you are now starting to see dengue starting to appear in some of those southern states, going up as they get warmer and warmer.
00:32:18So, the territory spread of the Aedes aegypti is increasing because of climate change.
00:32:24And territory spread means the Aedes aegypti mosquito population is also increasing.
00:32:28Yeah, and all the scientific literature from CDC, WHO, PAHO, speaks to this explosion of dengue across the world.
00:32:39And the area that is contributing the most to that increased spread is Latin America, of which we are a part.
00:32:47And what we are going through now is what Barbados and Jamaica went through, 2023 into 2024, Belize.
00:32:55All these countries had the same problem.
00:32:58This is our turn now.
00:33:00And I am appealing to the population again, I say it again, source reduction, inspect your yards, your gutter-ins.
00:33:07Let me give you a simple example.
00:33:09All of us have tanks home.
00:33:11How many of us close off or put a piece of duct tape?
00:33:16You know there is a little half-inch hole at the top of a tank where the pipe to go in.
00:33:22How many of us have that open?
00:33:26So think about a 400-gallon tank where the mosquito gets in there out of sight and lays millions and millions of eggs, larvae, in your tank.
00:33:42And spraying would not reach there.
00:33:45No amount of spraying is going to reach there.
00:33:49But we are breeding millions of mosquitoes in a water tank because we left that little hole at the top open.
00:33:57Put duct tape on it.
00:33:59So we keep stressing all these plant pots we have on our porches, our steps, the vases inside our homes with water.
00:34:09We need to get rid of those things.
00:34:11And not only get rid of it, we need to scrub the vase.
00:34:15Why?
00:34:16Because pouring out the water from your vase is not good enough.
00:34:20The eggs in a dry state or what we call a desiccated state can stay viable for one year.
00:34:27You pour back water into that vase, one year later those eggs spring to life again.
00:34:36So let's talk about the biting part.
00:34:38I just wanted to add here.
00:34:39A big part of why that's an issue is because the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the eggs are sticking to the sides of the containers like glue.
00:34:47That is how they operate.
00:34:48So when the eggs stick to the side of the container, when the water rises, that's when they hatch.
00:34:53So when you pour out all the water, those eggs are still hanging on very, very strongly.
00:34:59So that's why you have to take a sponge and scrub it out to dislodge the eggs.
00:35:05Right?
00:35:06So it's not just good to take your saucer, pour the water and then water your plant again.
00:35:13You need to get rid of the saucer.
00:35:15Get rid of the saucer.
00:35:18Okay.
00:35:19So let's talk about biting patterns.
00:35:22We were once told early morning, late evening, but now we're hearing you can be bitten at any point in time during the day.
00:35:29And additionally, are some persons more susceptible to being bitten than others?
00:35:34Yeah.
00:35:35So the biting patterns for the Aedes aegypti mosquito is still generally true that it is mostly in the morning, early morning and in the evening.
00:35:44But the truth is the mosquito can indeed bite you at any time during the day.
00:35:49And a big reason for that is what I just said early on.
00:35:52The mosquito is a domesticated mosquito.
00:35:54It lives in your home.
00:35:56And the opportunities to have a blood meal is always available because it's always inside.
00:36:01So the general rule about morning, early morning and dusk, that still exists.
00:36:06But pattern has changed and there's lots of evidence to suggest that the mosquito bites throughout the day as well.
00:36:13So Manasai did promise our viewers that we would get some advice from you as it relates to the spread of lactospirosis.
00:36:19We're seeing, you know, there are a lot of rats, rodents out there.
00:36:23And of course, whose role is it to take care of that?
00:36:27Yeah.
00:36:28So lactospirosis, which is a rat-borne viral illness, is it?
00:36:33Yeah.
00:36:34Or bacterial.
00:36:35Spirochete.
00:36:36Yeah.
00:36:37Spirochete.
00:36:38When rats urinate and then humans come into contact with that or domesticated animals, it can be fatal.
00:36:50So we always advise people, especially during the flood season, if you have to dispose of dead animals, you have to use gloves, double bag your hands.
00:37:04But the control of rodents is primarily a function of local government.
00:37:10They have the bait and they will go out and bait areas where there's a rat issue.
00:37:16Okay.
00:37:17Because we see, we heard a lot of complaints of callers as well, you know, call and complain that their population appears to be growing.
00:37:23Yeah.
00:37:24So you need to contact your local government counsellor, your local government corporation, and they have the wherewithal to do that rat baiting.
00:37:33And we just have like about 20 seconds.
00:37:34So your final piece of advice for our viewers out there as it relates to the spread of dengue.
00:37:39Yeah.
00:37:40So again, let me just encapsulate briefly.
00:37:43There is a rule for spraying.
00:37:45We go in and spray where there's a confirmed case to break the chain of transmission.
00:37:49But I want to urge the population to work with us on source reduction within your home, within your yard, and get your neighbours to come on board.
00:37:57Of course.
00:37:58Minister of Health, Terence Yelsing, thank you so much for joining us and bringing along, of course, Dr. Osafo Fraser, Medical Office of Health, Insect Vector Control Division.
00:38:06Thank you, gentlemen, so much.
00:38:08Minister, you've got our press conference at 10, so we will be there and I'm sure the public will be viewing.
00:38:13Thank you so much.
00:38:14You're welcome.
00:38:15Thank you.
00:38:16Well, to our viewers, it's now time for a quick break.
00:38:17We'll be right back.
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00:39:42Now we dedicate our platform to the well-being of Earth as Team Miss and Mrs. Representatives compete for three crowns and raise awareness on climate change.
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00:40:07Welcome back, Trinidad and Tobago.
00:40:10Well, several Faisabad residents are trapped in their homes after a bridge collapsed on Wednesday around 3 a.m.
00:40:17If they do have to leave their homes, they have to use unusual means to do so.
00:40:23Among those marooned are a group of women who are trapped in their homes after a bridge collapsed on Wednesday around 3 a.m.
00:40:31If they do have to leave their homes, they have to use unusual means to do so.
00:40:36Among those marooned are senior citizens and children.
00:40:39Joining us on the line to offer an update on what is happening this morning, we've got MP for Faisabad, Dr. Lakram Bodo.
00:40:46Dr. Bodo, good morning to you and thank you so much for joining us.
00:40:50Hi, good morning, Urvashi, and good morning to your viewers on TV6 Morning Edition.
00:40:55Thank you for having me.
00:40:57Let us know the situation as it stands now.
00:41:00There was a report in the Express yesterday which would have reflected what happened on Wednesday.
00:41:07What has transpired between Wednesday and now?
00:41:11So essentially, as you would have recollected, this bridge collapsed around in the early hours of Wednesday morning and remains impossible.
00:41:23It's collapsed into the river.
00:41:24So the only means of transport for the 40 marooned residents, including 7 children, 11 people who are employed, and of course some of the elderly,
00:41:34remains a makeshift means of transport which is donated by one of the residents and operated by one of the residents of the village.
00:41:43So that remains the situation as we speak.
00:41:45We're going to share that video now, well, in a short bit.
00:41:51Of course, you would see, Dr. Bodo, I'm not sure if you'd be able to glance it, but we're seeing a boat, we're seeing a line,
00:41:58it looks like a rope across from one side to the other, short steps.
00:42:03I'm seeing what looks like two children or some children and their parent.
00:42:10Yes, so that's a situation that occurred yesterday while I was on the site to check on the residents.
00:42:17And in fact, one of the children in that boat is a child who was ill and had to be taken to the doctor.
00:42:25So you'll see in that video that you have two children.
00:42:29The younger child is the one who was ill and had to be taken to the doctor.
00:42:33So, you know, I have to I have to commend the residents for their innovation, because on the first day we were able to use a dinghy.
00:42:42In fact, I myself would have used that dinghy to go across and visit a sick person.
00:42:47And now they've strung a rope across to transport in what hopefully would be a safer way.
00:42:57And of course, you did mention wee hours of Wednesday between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
00:43:03Residents say they heard a crashing sound their work hours later to find the structure,
00:43:08which is the village's only access to the main road, had cracked down the middle, falling into a nearby watercourse.
00:43:16How long have you been advocating? Have the residents been advocating for this bridge to be replaced?
00:43:24How long ago did you all see signs that the structural integrity had been affected and it was due to collapse?
00:43:31It was only a matter of time.
00:43:33I want to I want to point out that this this accident incident crisis was not unexpected.
00:43:40In fact, I'm just if I may refer to an express report on May 14, 2024, a mere two months ago.
00:43:49And it hit the nail on the head. It says a nearly 100 year old bridge in St.
00:43:54John's ran trace by Isabad is at risk of falling down.
00:43:57According to residents who see the fear being cut off from society.
00:44:01So their fears, unfortunately, have come to pass just a mere two months later.
00:44:06I want to emphasize that unlike other situations where bridges sometimes collapse and they are alternate routes for residencies.
00:44:15In this case, because of the location of these homes, it is surrounded.
00:44:20It is fronted by the river and at the back of the area.
00:44:23There's also the South River. So this remains the only route accessible for these residents to come out.
00:44:30Nevertheless, this matter has been raised with the Ministry of Works and Transport since 2017.
00:44:38The minister had done a tour of the area. It was pointed out to him at that time.
00:44:43The railings had fallen off and it had become dangerous for pedestrians.
00:44:47There was a fear of falling off the bridge initially.
00:44:51I have one record here where I've written to the Minister of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Works and Transport 2017, 2019.
00:45:00There was a break during the COVID time and then 2023, 2024.
00:45:04The matter was raised again. So it is not for lack of bringing to attention this issue.
00:45:10In fact, in May, just two months ago, the residents again became fearful when there was a further crack in the supporting middle pillar of the bridge.
00:45:19And the residents feared that exactly what happened on Wednesday morning would have happened.
00:45:25I mean, we are thankful that no one was on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
00:45:28No vehicle, no persons, you know, and we are grateful for, you know, no loss of life.
00:45:33But of course, it remains a great inconvenience for these residents.
00:45:38And I want to use the opportunity to call upon the authorities to act in a very, very expeditious manner.
00:45:46We're even seeing the little doggies, the pets, even they want to get across to their village, possibly their homes.
00:45:56Well, you're quite right. I mean, I think that video captures two doggies who would have been accustomed to crossing the bridge.
00:46:03It's a small village, and they would have been accustomed to coming across the bridge.
00:46:07And I think the video reflects one of the doggies having to swim across the river in that video yesterday.
00:46:15But I just want to make the point, I think it's important to emphasize that this is really the only route for these residents.
00:46:23And that crossing remains, you know, a little bit risky.
00:46:27The rains have started to fall.
00:46:29My update this morning from one of the residents is that in that video, you will see a few steps that have been improvised, have been cut by the residents.
00:46:39And I'm told that even that walkway down to the river is now, you know, a bit slippery.
00:46:46I spoke with the mayor of the Siparia Borough Corporation yesterday, who gave the undertaking that the corporation would endeavor to create some little temporary walkway.
00:46:57But I want to emphasize that this is not the solution.
00:47:01And I just want to say that I've spoken with the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
00:47:08How did I get there?
00:47:09After numerous letters from the Minister and the Ministry of Works and Transport from 2017, just a few weeks ago, when I was about to raise the matter in Parliament as a matter of urgent importance,
00:47:29the Minister of Works and Transport wrote to me indicating that it falls under the Ministry of Local Government, although he said his ministry is willing to work with us.
00:47:43So, if you will permit me, just to give you an update of what has transpired so far, on the day of the collapse, I did reach out to three ministers, Local Government, Works and Transport, and the Minister of Agriculture.
00:47:56And I'll come back to why agriculture is important.
00:47:59In fact, I can say now that some of the residents there do have agricultural produce.
00:48:04And of course, they depend on the transport to get it out over the bridge.
00:48:09So, some of their produce now stands to be, you know, rotten, so they'll not be able to use it.
00:48:15And there are also some itinerant farmers who use the lands there for their produce.
00:48:21The Minister of Local Government agreed with my suggestion that a bailey bridge would be the choice as a short-term solution.
00:48:32But I am yet to hear from the Minister in terms of where that solution is going.
00:48:40I just want to propose two other solutions, which I will raise with the Minister.
00:48:46One is the possibility of a temporary walkway by way of a special...
00:48:54Okay, we seem to have lost Dr. Bodo there.
00:48:58But, of course, he was advocating for some relief to be brought to residents of St. John's Branch Trace in Faisabad, where a bridge collapsed, marooning some 30 citizens.
00:49:15We did show you a video a short while ago.
00:49:18Maybe Dr. Bodo could try to rejoin our link connection.
00:49:23But we just really wanted to find out the situation in St. John's Branch Trace.
00:49:31Of course, we were sent this video where even the puppy is trying to get across, and he took a dip in that river.
00:49:37And, of course, with these pursuant rains, you would expect the water to be a little bit higher and a little bit more dangerous to traverse, especially if it is gushing and moving a lot more.
00:49:50Dr. Bodo did tell us that of those persons on that makeshift boat shuttling persons across the river, one was an ill child who went out of the village to seek medical attention.
00:50:06Among those affected, there are elderly persons, 62 and up, persons who need medical care.
00:50:15You know, you really wonder how this village is making out, as we see, because, of course, you know, getting your groceries across, your gas tank across, you know.
00:50:28If there is an emergency, middle of the night, will someone be able to leave to access transportation?
00:50:38You know, it is a very unfortunate situation in St. John's Branch Trace in Faizabad.
00:50:48I think we have made a reconnection with Dr. Bodo.
00:50:52Dr. Bodo, you're joining us once again. Are you there?
00:50:55Yes, I'm back here in audio. I do apologize for that.
00:50:58I think it may have been an issue on our end, but we just really want to find out from you.
00:51:05You were mentioning some efforts that you would have undertaken to get some relief to the residents.
00:51:12You did speak about a Bailey Bridge being the best solution and, of course, a temporary walkway.
00:51:19You said that there was another solution?
00:51:22Yes.
00:51:30Yes, you're there. We're hearing you, Dr. Bodo.
00:51:33Yeah, so I think there would be a temporary solution.
00:51:38The first would be a walkway, which can be constructed by way of scaffolding.
00:51:42I'm just showing this out to the authorities.
00:51:44Of course, that would depend on engineers from the Ministry coming and assessing the site.
00:51:50The other possibility is if there's a resident who has a barge.
00:51:59Are you hearing me?
00:52:00Yes, we're hearing you.
00:52:02So there's a resident who has a barge that can float in the river, and that would require that.
00:52:12And, of course, the Bailey Bridge would be the more long-term solution.
00:52:20And, of course...
00:52:21Short-term solutions, but again...
00:52:24Sorry, go ahead.
00:52:25Yes, we're hearing you.
00:52:26But we just wanted to know...
00:52:27Yeah, I was...
00:52:28We are talking about inconvenience to these 30-plus residents.
00:52:33But, you know, if we could be a little more specific, so the rest of the nation, the powers,
00:52:41that we can understand the type of inconvenience being suffered by these residents.
00:52:47I mean, I was just, you know, hazarding that getting your groceries across,
00:52:51getting your gas tank across, for instance.
00:52:54What sort of literal day-to-day inconveniences are these residents suffering from?
00:53:01Well, let me put it this way.
00:53:04If one of those residents experiences a medical emergency and calls the ambulance,
00:53:10or if a house, one of those houses is on fire, and they call the fire service,
00:53:14the irony is that the ambulance or the fire truck will reach and be able to look across the river,
00:53:20but not be able to get the residents out.
00:53:23And that is really the kind of inconvenience we are suffering.
00:53:26That, of course, is an extreme example.
00:53:28But just on a daily basis, just to get the groceries, to get the supplies, and so on,
00:53:32it requires a trek across the river.
00:53:36Luckily, fortunately, at this time, the schools are closed, and therefore the children.
00:53:41But nevertheless, there are some children who have to go for lessons and so on,
00:53:47as you know, sometimes in the summer of the month of July.
00:53:49And those children have been inconvenienced.
00:53:52One particular resident who is a cardiac patient had to be moved out of the area
00:54:00and is now staying with her relatives.
00:54:02So it is really, you know, a great inconvenience.
00:54:05And, you know, I just want to say on behalf of these residents, you know,
00:54:09who are bona fide, typical taxpaying, you know, citizens and deserve treatment
00:54:15just like any other area, you know, that something needs to be done.
00:54:20Dr. Bodo, we're heading up to 7 o'clock, but I just really want to find out from you,
00:54:24has any commitment been made, any concrete commitment?
00:54:28And when can we see some resolve?
00:54:32Well, the Minister of Local Government on the phone on Wednesday
00:54:36did give a commitment to have the matter dealt with.
00:54:39I don't want to misquote the Minister, but I am yet to receive an update
00:54:45in terms of a firm commitment.
00:54:47We did see on Wednesday officials at the drainage division of the Ministry of Works and Transport
00:54:52following a commitment by the Minister.
00:54:54I want to be fair to him, that's the Minister of Works and Transport.
00:54:57The drainage division did send some staff on site to clear.
00:55:01What you see there on that video yesterday was not the situation on Wednesday when it happened.
00:55:07The riverbanks were overgrown with brushes and so on.
00:55:10And on that point, I just want to make another point, because just upstream,
00:55:14the river is filled with lilies.
00:55:17I had written to the Ministry earlier to have those lilies cleared,
00:55:21because we are fearful now that with the onset of the rainy season,
00:55:25that when the rains come down, the waters can make it dangerous to cross,
00:55:30but also you can have a backup and flooding in the village and so on,
00:55:34because the collapsed structure is now sitting and obstructing the main watercourse.
00:55:40So those are concerns, but to say in terms of a firm commitment,
00:55:44yesterday there were no officials on site with regards to addressing the issue.
00:55:50The other problem that the residents are experiencing there is that there was a water line
00:55:54that carried the water, which was attached and hitched to the bridge.
00:55:58The line is broken down.
00:56:00The CEO for us did give the assurance that they would attempt to get that repaired.
00:56:05So in addition to not being able to access services outside of the area,
00:56:11there's also the issue of the water, which is yet to be restored, as I speak.
00:56:16Dr. Bodo, MP for Faizabad, thank you so much for joining us this morning
00:56:19and, of course, advocating on behalf of your constituents who are suffering,
00:56:24who are stranded, who are marooned due to a collapsed bridge on the St. John branch trees.
00:56:30Thank you so much for joining us, and we do hope and pray for a speedy resolve.
00:56:35Thank you.
00:56:36Well, to our viewers, we're going to take a quick break.
00:56:38We head straight to the—I'm not sure if we have news this morning,
00:56:42but we're heading straight to the news.
00:56:43We'll be right back with much more.
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01:01:48This thing is about to break for you.
01:01:51When I was in Gethsemane, he dragged that tire called Salvation for Man.
01:01:59Lift my eyes unto the hills.
01:02:02We only have one place to go for help.
01:02:05Hallelujah.
01:02:07So I celebrate in Jesus.
01:02:17Walk into your new season.
01:02:48I'm a believer.
01:02:50I'm a believer.
01:02:53I'm a believer.
01:02:56I'm a believer.
01:02:59I'm a believer.
01:03:02I'm a believer.
01:03:05I'm a believer.
01:03:08I'm a believer.
01:03:11I'm a believer.
01:03:14I'm a believer.
01:03:17I'm a believer.
01:03:24I'm a believer.
01:03:32God never gives up on salvation
01:03:34but comes through tears in life.
01:03:42Prize Texas is a beautiful place.
01:03:44I've had enough of all of you.
01:03:46You ungrateful...
01:03:47I've had enough of you!
01:03:48You took us from our countries,
01:03:50and now false pretence,
01:03:51have us working day and night like slaves,
01:03:53and expect us to be grateful?
01:04:06Just allow us to leave.
01:04:08Please.
01:04:09Give us our passports,
01:04:10and allow us to leave.
01:04:12You confirm our things are free to leave?
01:04:15If you step one foot out of here,
01:04:19I will cede that immigration
01:04:22sends you back to whatever hell you came from.
01:04:27If you know of or suspect human trafficking activity,
01:04:30call the Counter-Trafficking Hotline at 800-4CTU or 800-4288.
01:04:37Human trafficking is a crime.
01:04:39Identify it.
01:04:40Report it.
01:04:41Stop it.
01:04:42A message from the Counter-Trafficking Unit
01:04:44of the Ministry of National Security.
01:04:47Welcome back, Trinidad and Tobago.
01:05:11Well, the vacation has just started,
01:05:13and as it continues,
01:05:15we have great news for the children,
01:05:17especially the pan-enthusiasts.
01:05:19And that's because President Christine Kangaloo,
01:05:21she's having a President's Pan Camp this year.
01:05:25To tell us more about the project,
01:05:27we have with us Mr. Michael Dinchong.
01:05:30He's Chairman and Managing Director
01:05:32of the Shell Invaders Steel Orchestra.
01:05:35We expect to be joined a little later
01:05:38by Riddell Phillips-Simmons,
01:05:41who is the Communications Advisor to Her Excellency.
01:05:46So we expect to be joined a little bit later.
01:05:48So, Mr. Dinchong, good morning to you,
01:05:50and thank you so much for joining us.
01:05:53Good morning.
01:05:54Good morning.
01:05:55All righty.
01:05:56So can you tell us a little bit more about this project,
01:05:59this partnership between President's House
01:06:02and, of course, Shell Invaders?
01:06:06Oh, no.
01:06:07Sorry.
01:06:08Let me make that correction.
01:06:09It's not Shell Invaders.
01:06:11Well, you know, the President, in her inaugural speech,
01:06:14would have made mention of the steelpan models
01:06:20and its importance to society.
01:06:23And she's, you know, walking the talk
01:06:25where she's promoting that belief.
01:06:28So she actually approached Ainswood Muhammad
01:06:30of Republic Bank Exodus,
01:06:33and, you know, to collaborate,
01:06:36to bring about something to that effect.
01:06:38And Ainswood reached out to us in the fraternity,
01:06:42nine other representatives from other bands,
01:06:45actually leaders and arrangers of the band,
01:06:48and we formed a team, 10 bands,
01:06:50no particular criteria for coming together
01:06:53to assist the President in this cause.
01:06:56So it's not Invaders alone.
01:06:57It's not just you.
01:06:59There are other persons,
01:07:01other pan-enthusiast members of the fraternity
01:07:03joining in this venture.
01:07:06Nine others, yeah.
01:07:07Ten of us in all at this moment.
01:07:09All experts in their fields, right?
01:07:13Well, more than experts.
01:07:15I mean, for me personally,
01:07:16certain amongst the other guys,
01:07:18these are leaders, these are icons,
01:07:21you know, in terms of steel bands, you know.
01:07:23You're talking about people like Junior Regrello,
01:07:25Amrit Samaru, you know,
01:07:27Clarence Morris from Tropical Angels.
01:07:29These are all, what do you call,
01:07:31leaders in their own right.
01:07:33They have established themselves
01:07:34in, you know, in the steel band movement.
01:07:36So it is indeed for me a pleasure
01:07:39to be working amongst these guys
01:07:40and to be supporting the President in this cause.
01:07:43Actually, Her Excellencies, you know.
01:07:46What is the eligible age group for this Pan Camp?
01:07:52Well, we focused on like the adolescent age
01:07:56from 12 to 19 years old.
01:07:59We have 22 campers who have been invited,
01:08:03specifically invited by the,
01:08:05yeah, the Office of the President.
01:08:07And they will be fully engaged in the camp
01:08:11for the whole day from 9 in the morning
01:08:13to 3 in the afternoon.
01:08:14But in the afternoon, we have a special segment
01:08:17where we invite youth players
01:08:20from other youth steel orchestras.
01:08:22And they will be coming in from 1 o'clock
01:08:24to 3 o'clock in the afternoon
01:08:26where they will be engaging with icons,
01:08:28not only in the steel band industry
01:08:30but also in music.
01:08:32You know, in general,
01:08:34basically icons who would, you know,
01:08:37who are mentors to our youth in the community.
01:08:40And the objective of that is to inspire them,
01:08:44for them to share their stories with the youth,
01:08:46to try and inspire them to, you know,
01:08:49be the best that they could be and so on.
01:08:51So we actually, in the afternoon,
01:08:53will have guest speakers like Marshall Montano,
01:08:56Darren Sammy, and from the Pan Fraternity,
01:09:00Dr. Len Booksy-Sharp, Dr. Ray Holman,
01:09:03Junior Agrello, and many more.
01:09:05So, 22 young persons have been invited.
01:09:10Are there still openings?
01:09:11Can persons still apply to be part of this camp?
01:09:17Oh, no.
01:09:18This camp really is a demonstration
01:09:21by the excellencies and, I would say,
01:09:25the Pan Fraternity, a demonstration
01:09:28of the value, the social value of the Pan.
01:09:32What happens in the Pan?
01:09:33We refer to it loosely as the Pan Yard model,
01:09:36where children come, well, I should say,
01:09:39not only children, we have children,
01:09:41we have teenagers, we have adults
01:09:43who would come into the Pan Yard to learn music,
01:09:47to learn to play the instrument.
01:09:49But we are postulating that there are more benefits
01:09:53to being in the Pan Yard, because if you spend
01:09:56so many hours in the Pan Yard learning music,
01:09:58there's a social interaction taking place.
01:10:00And we are postulating that if we invite teenagers
01:10:05in particular to participate in this activity,
01:10:08that there are many more benefits
01:10:10that could be derived, not only to them personally,
01:10:13but to society at large.
01:10:15So, for example, they are not only learning
01:10:18an instrument individually, they are learning it
01:10:20as a group, as a band.
01:10:22So, there are social benefits to be derived.
01:10:24Obviously, there will be some kind of enjoyment,
01:10:28satisfaction taking place.
01:10:30So, there will be emotional benefits
01:10:32that will be derived as well.
01:10:34Of course, intellectual, mental, in the sense
01:10:36that they are learning music.
01:10:38And finally, physical, because playing the instrument
01:10:41is, you know, you just don't stand up,
01:10:43you're stoic, you know, you need to move around
01:10:45and that sort of thing.
01:10:46You need to feel that music, yeah.
01:10:48Yeah, so basically, we are postulating
01:10:51that being in the Pan Yard, having that experience,
01:10:56has that ability to develop the child holistically.
01:10:59And by extension, particularly with adolescents,
01:11:03we have that opportunity.
01:11:05We have them in a common space where we can develop,
01:11:09or we can empower them, where we can develop
01:11:11their confidence and so on, and their citizenship.
01:11:14So, Mr. Dinchong, just to be clear,
01:11:18because there are so many youngsters
01:11:20who are looking onto our show this morning
01:11:22and they want to know if they can be a part of it.
01:11:24Is it still open?
01:11:26Can persons still apply, attempt to be a part
01:11:29of the President's Pan Camp?
01:11:31Or is it just for now, just relegated
01:11:34to these 22 invited individuals?
01:11:39Well, unfortunately, or fortunately,
01:11:42depends on how you look at it,
01:11:44there's limited space, right?
01:11:46So we could have only worked with about 20 to 22 youths,
01:11:50and yet they were specifically invited
01:11:52by the President of Trinidad and Tobago, right?
01:11:55So it's not open to the public as such.
01:11:57But as I said, this is a demonstration,
01:11:59I think, by the excellencies and the Pan fraternity
01:12:04that there is value to being a member of a band,
01:12:09to have that experience in the Panhead.
01:12:11And I think this is important.
01:12:13And more than coming to the President's Pan Camp,
01:12:18it is really advertising the value
01:12:21of joining steel bands.
01:12:23So these 22 persons,
01:12:25they would have had some experience.
01:12:28Are they junior Panheads?
01:12:30Do they have that sort of background?
01:12:35Well, I have not met them as yet, to be honest,
01:12:37but we specifically requested that they don't, right?
01:12:41Because we want to demonstrate
01:12:43that we could work with people who are, you know,
01:12:46new to the instrument,
01:12:48and that in a week's time, or even less,
01:12:50that there could be some success derived.
01:12:53You know, in terms of empowerment
01:12:56and that sort of thing and building your confidence,
01:12:58it's important that when you endeavor to do something,
01:13:01that you derive some form of success.
01:13:03If you don't, if you try something for the first time
01:13:06and you are not being successful,
01:13:08you tend to be demotivated, right?
01:13:10So we want to use the Pan as a medium
01:13:13to motivate our youths, to get them engaged,
01:13:16to show them something positive,
01:13:18and if we have that opportunity
01:13:22to make a change in their life for the better.
01:13:25So, you know, this program is really towards the empower...
01:13:31Well, to demonstrate, as I said before,
01:13:34the ability of the Panhead model to empower our youths
01:13:37and to be an agent of social change, you know,
01:13:41not just the same way how they go to schools
01:13:43and we expect them to develop skills in citizenship
01:13:46and socialization and so on.
01:13:48We are also saying that the Panhead model
01:13:50could also do the same.
01:13:52Could do the same.
01:13:53So, Mr. Dinchong...
01:13:54And probably...
01:13:56Mr. Dinchong, I'm going...
01:13:57And probably...
01:13:58Yeah, go ahead.
01:14:00I was going to say,
01:14:02but maybe compared to the schools,
01:14:06probably our environment would be more enjoyable.
01:14:09More enjoyable.
01:14:10More enjoyable.
01:14:11So, Mr. Dinchong, I'll allow you to catch your breath
01:14:13a little bit there.
01:14:14I understand we're joined on the telephone line
01:14:17by Rodelle Phillips-Simmons,
01:14:19who is the communication advisor to Her Excellency.
01:14:22A very good morning to you.
01:14:24Hi, good morning, good morning.
01:14:26I do apologize.
01:14:28I'm not quite sure what the technical issues are this morning.
01:14:31All righty.
01:14:32So, Ms. Phillips-Simmons,
01:14:34could you tell us a little bit about
01:14:36what the President's House intends to gain from this project?
01:14:41What do you idealize will happen to these 22 selected individuals?
01:14:48I think it's a life-changing moment for these young people.
01:14:53I always reference Her Excellency's inauguration speech
01:14:57where she talks about the discipline and structure
01:15:00that the Panhead brings to the lives of young people.
01:15:03Now, these young people are chosen from organizations
01:15:06for which Her Excellency is patron.
01:15:09And they have never been exposed to the steel pan.
01:15:13So this is going to be completely new for them.
01:15:16It's an environment, of course,
01:15:18at the office of the President,
01:15:20on the President's throne.
01:15:21And that in itself is a life-changing moment
01:15:24because you now become part of history.
01:15:26This has never been done.
01:15:28And it is an opportunity for these young people
01:15:31to not only learn the national instrument,
01:15:34and the timing is absolutely perfect,
01:15:36but also be exposed to the legend.
01:15:39We have Brookley, and we have Ray Holman,
01:15:42and then Brookley Sharp and Ray Holman,
01:15:44to be exposed to this legend of the steel pan movement
01:15:47as well as understand that there are young people
01:15:49who are doing magnificent good
01:15:51and building their brand around the national instrument.
01:15:55Can we expect this program to continue?
01:15:58Is this just this first five-day iteration?
01:16:01Or will there be more during this vacation?
01:16:04Or what happens next year?
01:16:07Okay, so this is the first one that we are doing
01:16:10at the office of the President, on the President's throne.
01:16:13It is not going to be the first one.
01:16:15This one was born out of a desire to see what is possible.
01:16:20To see, given all the normal restrictions
01:16:23that exist around the office of the President,
01:16:26how can we integrate and open the field
01:16:29to the national population?
01:16:31So it is definitely not the first one,
01:16:33and it links to several of the other initiatives
01:16:36by Her Excellency in identifying the office
01:16:39and opening the office up to the national population.
01:16:44Can members of the public also be a part of this?
01:16:47I know you would like it to continue.
01:16:49Is it that you hope that pan yards themselves
01:16:52will adopt this model?
01:16:55Well, I think the pan yards are already doing it.
01:16:58I mean, Mr. Dimchong and I,
01:17:00Dimchong and I were at the launch of Maria Lee's film last night.
01:17:06And it's not new to Trinidad and Tobago.
01:17:10The pan yard model is existing in the community.
01:17:14What Her Excellency hopes to do,
01:17:17and in partnership with persons from the,
01:17:20these ambassadors of the field plan movement,
01:17:23is raise the awareness.
01:17:24She's an advocate.
01:17:25She's an advocate for the work
01:17:27that is already happening in the community.
01:17:29She's ready to raise the profile.
01:17:31So the next iteration has to be determined.
01:17:34It is always going to focus on young people.
01:17:37And the question becomes,
01:17:38where do these young people come from?
01:17:40So it's not necessarily something
01:17:42that's open to the general public,
01:17:43and you will understand why.
01:17:45But it has to be done in collaboration
01:17:47with the field plan movement
01:17:48and understanding where the leaders,
01:17:50that is, where the community,
01:17:51are able to reach.
01:17:52Her Excellency will look to support that.
01:17:56All righty.
01:17:57So as we close,
01:17:58is there anything that either of you,
01:18:00either Mr. Dimchong or you,
01:18:02Ms. Philip Simmons,
01:18:03would like to tell members of the public?
01:18:06I would let Mr. Dimchong go first.
01:18:13Mr. Dimchong, are you there?
01:18:16Oh, yeah.
01:18:17I would just like to say that,
01:18:21to your question earlier on,
01:18:23it's not that we expect the steel bands
01:18:25to follow this model
01:18:26because actually this model comes from the steel band.
01:18:29So what we are actually doing
01:18:30is taking it to the President's House
01:18:32where we are basically getting an endorsement
01:18:35from the highest office in the country.
01:18:37So to the people out there,
01:18:39I'm saying steel bands have gone a long way,
01:18:41come a long way.
01:18:42It's our social venue
01:18:46where children could be nurtured
01:18:48as well as they are nurtured in the church
01:18:51and at home and so on.
01:18:52We also compliment that.
01:18:54So you choose your partner, right,
01:18:55which I'm sure we have a lot in the community
01:18:58and a lot of bands doing a great job.
01:19:01So just go there.
01:19:02Of course, as any responsible parent,
01:19:05you do your due diligence
01:19:08and ensure that the environment is the environment
01:19:10you want to be associated with
01:19:11or you want your child to be associated with.
01:19:13And there are a lot of positive things.
01:19:15I'm sure there are a lot of bands in your areas
01:19:17that are having band camps.
01:19:18So if you missed out,
01:19:19you know there's an opportunity now
01:19:21in a band around in your area,
01:19:23your community,
01:19:24to join them for this August vacation.
01:19:27And thank you for having me today.
01:19:30Thank you so much, Ms. Phillips-Simmons.
01:19:32We have 20 seconds.
01:19:33You have the final word.
01:19:34I want to echo something that I said last.
01:19:37The Pan Yard is a community.
01:19:40It is a place of friendship, entrepreneurship,
01:19:43leadership, partnership,
01:19:45and Her Excellency and the Office of the President
01:19:48want to partner with the Trans-Canada Community
01:19:52in building what the Pan Yard does,
01:19:55that is, on multiple social teams
01:19:57and improving Trinidad and Tobago and the young people
01:20:00and where they are to follow.
01:20:02Thank you so much for joining us this morning
01:20:05and, of course, sharing that with us,
01:20:07the President's Pan Camp.
01:20:10So once again, thank you both for joining us.
01:20:12We've got to take a quick break.
01:20:13We'll be right back.
01:20:14Farmers want the top cop to act.
01:20:16Shiraz Khan joins us on the other side of the break.
01:20:43As a former Miss World,
01:20:45I have spent many hours walking in high heels
01:20:48and constantly on the move,
01:20:49so I understand the importance of joint health.
01:20:52That's why I trust Omega XL.
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01:21:13Do you remember?
01:21:15I can feel it coming, yeah,
01:21:18coming, yeah,
01:21:21coming, yeah, tonight.
01:21:27Do you remember?
01:21:29Who don't?
01:21:30Don't we remember?
01:21:32Do you remember?
01:21:33It's time to remember.
01:21:36Do you remember?
01:21:38Who don't?
01:21:39Don't we remember?
01:21:41Do you remember?
01:21:42It's time to remember.
01:21:45Do you remember?
01:21:46It's time to remember.
01:21:49Morning.
01:21:50Morning.
01:21:51Listen, I've noticed something.
01:21:54What?
01:21:55There are new people at the barbeque all day.
01:21:56What is that?
01:21:57Girl, the man is passing up and down in front of here
01:22:00with a set of women.
01:22:02I really noticed some women living there, you know,
01:22:04and they can't even say as much as good morning.
01:22:06Well, listen, I wonder if it's human trafficking.
01:22:09Human trafficking?
01:22:10You think it's that?
01:22:11So, how can you spot and identify perpetrators
01:22:14and victims of trafficking?
01:22:16Many victims are found living and working together
01:22:19in the same place
01:22:20and sleep in shared and inappropriate spaces.
01:22:23Victims work excessively long hours.
01:22:25They often sleep in the daytime and work long nights.
01:22:28They are often escorted everywhere they go
01:22:31and may appear to be malnourished.
01:22:33They may show signs of physical abuse,
01:22:35drug and alcohol use
01:22:37and may also appear withdrawn, fearful or intimidated.
01:22:41Victims who are migrants are often not in possession
01:22:44of their identity or immigration documents
01:22:46and have irregular immigration status.
01:22:49Perpetrators can be male or female
01:22:51and may appear to be managing or controlling the victims.
01:22:55And they may even at times appear to be the victim's
01:22:58best friend, boyfriend or employer.
01:23:01We are the counter-trafficking unit
01:23:03of the Ministry of National Security Trinidad and Tobago
01:23:07safeguarding human life.
01:23:34Welcome back Trinidad and Tobago.
01:23:36Well, in the early hours of Monday morning
01:23:39there was a brutal attack on a Carlson Field farmer
01:23:42that left him hospitalized in critical condition
01:23:45and of course took the life of his 27-year-old son,
01:23:48Christopher Christian.
01:23:50And it is of course still causing tension and fear in the area.
01:23:55Earlier this week we spoke with a resident
01:23:57who said he still can't sleep at night.
01:23:59Today, Shiraz Khan, president of the Carlson Field Village Council
01:24:03and executive member of the TNT Farmers Union
01:24:06is calling on the police commissioner to act.
01:24:09He's demanding firearms for farmers to protect themselves.
01:24:12Mr. Khan, a very good morning to you.
01:24:14Thank you so much for joining us.
01:24:16Good morning. Good morning to you.
01:24:18Good morning to you, Sushant and to people.
01:24:21Thank you for having me.
01:24:23So that happened at the beginning of the week on Monday.
01:24:26We are now on Friday.
01:24:28What is the situation in Carlson Field?
01:24:31Well, actually we had somebody had a break-in on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
01:24:37Where two young girls were at home and two guys break-in the place.
01:24:43They didn't record a sound.
01:24:45They raised alarms for the guys and then run.
01:24:47They didn't get anything much, I think.
01:24:49But it will continue because, I mean, you see,
01:24:52it's so blatant disrespect for the police authority
01:24:55and the patrol that was in the area
01:24:57because if you have something that's so hideous that took place in the area
01:25:02and still people wanted to go and break into a home,
01:25:06it's just so torture for the authorities that are having law and order.
01:25:12But what is most frightening is that we cover more than 20 home invasions
01:25:18in the last, what, year and a half,
01:25:21where it started off with a family of the Moore family
01:25:25under peril for two hours of robberies and that kind of thing.
01:25:32And it continued, but we haven't had no apprehension of the bandits.
01:25:37We haven't had regular patrols.
01:25:39Because if you have regular patrols,
01:25:41you would have somebody wanting not to commit any crime
01:25:45and eventually should apprehend it.
01:25:48If you could remember on the 8th of March, I had a home invasion.
01:25:52And the description that we gave for the four guys,
01:25:55it seemed like everybody having a similar description of the guys.
01:25:59So you believe it's the same group of persons tormenting Carlson Field?
01:26:04Well, I want to believe they are involved.
01:26:08It was the same group. It may change people from time to time.
01:26:11But the thing about it is that it is happening at all different hours.
01:26:17Imagine at 7.30 they invaded our home on the other road.
01:26:22And on the beat of the guy, they went to this car.
01:26:25The man ended up cutting out all his fruit trees close to his tree
01:26:29that he planted 20-something years ago.
01:26:31This is what we are facing here in Carlson Field.
01:26:34This is what we have, and the authorities keep saying,
01:26:37they're patrolling, they're doing this.
01:26:39They are saying, all right, fine.
01:26:41The Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security
01:26:44and the Commissioner of Police said
01:26:46that they cannot be at every home and every corner.
01:26:49So what we are saying is that, look here, what's happening?
01:26:52Give us our lights and firearms, because that guy who got killed,
01:26:56he rushed them with a cutlass, and he chopped one of them,
01:27:00and one shot, and he was killed.
01:27:03And the father is fighting for his life in the hospital.
01:27:06I was going to ask the state of the father.
01:27:12How is he doing?
01:27:14Well, he's still critical.
01:27:16The son told me yesterday, and there was a foolish rumor
01:27:20that people went around the place saying that he was dying.
01:27:23I don't know why people like that, you know,
01:27:25but he is fighting for his life.
01:27:27He is in the IIC intensive care unit.
01:27:32We did not allow the son to see him yesterday
01:27:35because only the son could see anyone alive, right?
01:27:39We keep praying.
01:27:40We ask people to keep praying for him,
01:27:42and hopefully he will pull through.
01:27:45What has the effect been on farming in Carlson Field?
01:27:49Well, I don't know.
01:27:51To me, I feel like it's a sinister plot
01:27:54to get rid of farmers from Carlson Field.
01:27:56Somebody has a plan for here.
01:27:58Because why are you attacking Carlson Field's family?
01:28:01So why are you beating up the people
01:28:03that they can't continue to work, they're scared to work?
01:28:06Many people are selling out.
01:28:07A big businessman in the area who helps farmers,
01:28:10he just came out his gate last Tuesday morning
01:28:14and he was beaten badly, all his shoulders, head and so on,
01:28:18and his whole house.
01:28:21Let me tell you something, Overshee.
01:28:23If the authorities don't know,
01:28:25when these criminals and them enter your home,
01:28:28sometimes it takes months.
01:28:30I am still taking months to fix my house
01:28:33because everything they bring down is like a tornado
01:28:36passed through your house.
01:28:37Same thing those families going through, Overshee.
01:28:40And the authorities seem like they don't want to do anything.
01:28:44So I am saying, and my call is that
01:28:46I don't want regular patrol again.
01:28:48We are demanding, and I hope that the people
01:28:50who are faced with an invasion,
01:28:52let us organize ourselves
01:28:54and go and demand that we get a firearm license.
01:28:57But Shiraz, Mr. Khan, just let me know and clarify,
01:29:02I was under the impression that farmers
01:29:05or some farmers could access firearms
01:29:08or at least a shotgun.
01:29:10Is it owners of agricultural land?
01:29:13Well, the thing about it is that,
01:29:15so first to begin, if you want to get a FUL,
01:29:18you have to have land tenure.
01:29:21And you know how long we have been crying out for that.
01:29:26Right?
01:29:27So that is one of the things that we are saying.
01:29:29We need to relook that,
01:29:30because they change everything convenient
01:29:32to their friends and financiers and so on.
01:29:35We are saying we want things to change for us.
01:29:37I am begging people, let us get together
01:29:40and go and demand that,
01:29:42either somehow or the other,
01:29:43by some action that is necessary.
01:29:46Overshee, it is hard rendering
01:29:48that when a 70-year-old man
01:29:50who has farmed all his life
01:29:52and working on farms
01:29:53has to be beaten
01:29:55and cannot continue to work conveniently
01:29:58because nobody wants to come to work by you after that.
01:30:01Workers don't want to come by you to work
01:30:04because they are afraid they will get invasion.
01:30:06The other farmers who are striving to do better
01:30:09are scared for their lives.
01:30:11And then, Overshee,
01:30:12the other problem we have is that
01:30:14we have a Minister of Agriculture
01:30:16who is not seeking the interest of the farmers
01:30:19because we have a PD,
01:30:20a last knee unit,
01:30:21with our old van run down without spare tyres,
01:30:24sometimes without fuel,
01:30:25in Castlefield.
01:30:26Now they're going to move them back out of Castlefield.
01:30:28They weren't here for four months.
01:30:30They're going to move them back out of Castlefield
01:30:32because they have to open the unit headquarters
01:30:35with a fanfare.
01:30:36And that is what we are facing.
01:30:38So if the PD or last knee unit is well equipped
01:30:41with all the resources,
01:30:42they will help in dealing with the crime
01:30:46in the community
01:30:47because while they will be patrolling
01:30:49for last knee and PD or last knee,
01:30:51they would not see somebody
01:30:53robbing somebody and say,
01:30:54I know my business.
01:30:55As you speak about...
01:30:56And the Minister of Agriculture
01:30:57has plenty of fools with the issue
01:30:59of arming in this country.
01:31:00As you speak about the vehicles
01:31:04for the PD or last knee squad,
01:31:05someone, well, my good friend Donnie Rogers,
01:31:09he pointed out to me
01:31:10that there are four new Hilux vehicles
01:31:12parked up at the Ministry of Agriculture's office
01:31:18since April.
01:31:20Since March.
01:31:21Since March.
01:31:22Since March.
01:31:23Since March.
01:31:24So they are parked.
01:31:25I mean, I have a photo here.
01:31:27One, two, three, four.
01:31:28There are four Hilux vehicles
01:31:29at the Ministry's compound.
01:31:31And yet still,
01:31:32the PD or last knee squad complains
01:31:34of not having access to vehicles.
01:31:37Well, the thing about it, Oveshee,
01:31:39if it is that you have the vehicles
01:31:41parked up there,
01:31:42the TTPs don't want to survive
01:31:45because...
01:31:49Why not so long?
01:31:50Why can't you change the vehicles
01:31:53and give it to the people to do the job?
01:31:55You have it parked down since March and July.
01:31:58People are suffering.
01:31:59Is it not your concern?
01:32:01How, how, what,
01:32:02which rocket scientist
01:32:03gave us the time to...
01:32:06You have advisors.
01:32:07You have the ex-president,
01:32:09ex-police officer,
01:32:11a police officer.
01:32:12Why it can't be done?
01:32:14Why it can't be given the resources
01:32:16of the guys?
01:32:17But, Oveshee, it seems like...
01:32:19I don't know.
01:32:20I don't know.
01:32:21Because what happened
01:32:22is that some of the officers,
01:32:2418 of them were sent home
01:32:26because they were employed
01:32:27under the last government, right?
01:32:29And because they had three subjects
01:32:31or something like that.
01:32:32But they were effective.
01:32:34The thing about it,
01:32:35if they are given full resource,
01:32:37full resource to do their job,
01:32:39they will be able to get it done.
01:32:41Then what you have also happening
01:32:43is that the guys are given
01:32:45short-term contracts.
01:32:47So who is getting
01:32:48a three-month contract?
01:32:49How would it motivate them
01:32:51to do their job?
01:32:53You understand?
01:32:54If you have...
01:32:55And then the other thing about it
01:32:57is that there's a big disparity
01:32:59between TTPS wages
01:33:02and the Pedialyst Unit
01:33:05from the Ministry of Agriculture.
01:33:07Who is putting their life at risk
01:33:09and doing the same work?
01:33:10But there's a big disparity of that.
01:33:12And hence the reason why
01:33:14when there's an opportunity
01:33:15with this men for people
01:33:17in the police service,
01:33:18with their training,
01:33:19they just go over to that service
01:33:22and leave your Pedialyst Unit
01:33:25starving for resources.
01:33:27So it's a whole culture of thinking
01:33:30by the Ministry of Agriculture
01:33:32that we don't need a rocket scientist
01:33:34or a big security consultant
01:33:37to tell them to do that.
01:33:39I mean, even HR see that problem
01:33:41that exists within the Pedialyst Unit
01:33:45in Trinidad and Tobago
01:33:47that has been starving for resources.
01:33:49And I think it is an intention.
01:33:51Starve for resources.
01:33:52Because why come across as being so much?
01:33:54Why come across as being so much?
01:33:56I would have sent you a photo.
01:33:58Well, send Dominic a photo.
01:33:59Can we just get that photo up?
01:34:01Because I would just like to share
01:34:02with our viewers that photo
01:34:04of those vehicles just outside
01:34:06the Ministry of Agriculture's offices.
01:34:11Now, of course, Mr. Khan,
01:34:13we just have a few more minutes.
01:34:14Could you just tell us...
01:34:16I mean, having firearms is one thing,
01:34:18but do you think that farmers
01:34:21would be capable and in a position
01:34:23to use those firearms
01:34:25in the event of a robbery,
01:34:28home invasion?
01:34:30If the criminals and them could get to do it,
01:34:33we have to learn to do it.
01:34:35Once it is licensed,
01:34:36once it is an SUL,
01:34:38we can go to the range and practice.
01:34:40Because the thing about it is
01:34:41that it's not that we're going to kill
01:34:43another race or kill this race
01:34:45or kill that race,
01:34:46as the Prime Minister said.
01:34:47We want it for our protection.
01:34:49Because let me tell you something.
01:34:51If farmers want their attack,
01:34:55they leave here.
01:34:56Because if that family lost his son there,
01:34:59you think people want to come back
01:35:01and see that it's a murder now?
01:35:03It took over 22 robberies,
01:35:06somebody get killed.
01:35:07You think people want to go back there?
01:35:09You think they want to come out and farm?
01:35:11We have a situation where,
01:35:13people normally will come out
01:35:14four o'clock and five o'clock
01:35:16to see their animals.
01:35:17People now are waiting in their homes
01:35:19until six o'clock passing,
01:35:21then to come out.
01:35:22So you're putting the farmer
01:35:23under tremendous stress.
01:35:25Because when you start to break the sun
01:35:29or the rain or whatever,
01:35:30basically sun,
01:35:31rain will affect farmers.
01:35:33So you have a situation
01:35:34where the farmer under tremendous stress
01:35:37now to produce.
01:35:39You understand?
01:35:40Because of,
01:35:41you don't know whether,
01:35:42we have farmers in,
01:35:44farmers who are normally in the street.
01:35:47Daytime, they went and hold up the guys.
01:35:50Daytime, 12 o'clock in the day.
01:35:51Take their vehicle and take their,
01:35:53and then,
01:35:54and are we not having any rejection?
01:35:57Is it not?
01:35:58We are also hearing,
01:35:59and we did read in the Express,
01:36:01one resident of Cotswoldsville
01:36:02speaking about rapes in the area
01:36:05and women while they were harvesting
01:36:08their crops and so on
01:36:09in the afternoon being attacked,
01:36:11attempted kidnapping,
01:36:12and so on.
01:36:13Yes, it has that happening.
01:36:15But the thing about it is that
01:36:16when we do it,
01:36:17you'll be surprised to see
01:36:19just how they will call me and say,
01:36:20so we are doing this,
01:36:21that, and the other.
01:36:22We have community meetings
01:36:24every day, you know,
01:36:25through the PCPS.
01:36:27We are seeing is that
01:36:28if it is that,
01:36:29and the demand is now
01:36:31from the Ministry of Agriculture
01:36:33that the Ministry of Agriculture
01:36:35leave their last niche spot there
01:36:38and not give necessary resources.
01:36:41We have to do this.
01:36:45Shiraz Khan,
01:36:46I'm sorry to cut you off,
01:36:47but just to let our viewers know,
01:36:48this is the photo of the four
01:36:50brand new Hilux vehicles
01:36:51parked just outside
01:36:53the Ministry of Agriculture.
01:36:55Since March.
01:36:56It is since March,
01:36:57according to Shiraz Khan,
01:36:59who is president of the
01:37:00Carlson Field Village Council.
01:37:02He's also an executive member
01:37:03of the TNT Farmers Union.
01:37:05They are asking the Minister of Agriculture
01:37:07to forget that whole ceremony
01:37:09to introduce the vehicles
01:37:11and just have them out
01:37:12to assist residents
01:37:13to do their rounds,
01:37:14not just residents,
01:37:15assist farmers
01:37:16to ensure that, you know,
01:37:17food gets on our table.
01:37:19Shiraz Khan,
01:37:20thank you so much for joining us.
01:37:22Thank you very much for having me
01:37:23and we hope,
01:37:25we just hope and pray
01:37:26that this farmer
01:37:27can come out of the ICU
01:37:30and survive
01:37:31and we continue to live in peace
01:37:33to do our production overseas.
01:37:34Thank you again.
01:37:35Thank you so much.
01:37:36Well, it's now time for a quick break
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01:40:09What?
01:40:10♪
01:40:24Hi, Trinidad and Tobago.
01:40:26Well, it's time to get wet.
01:40:28Joining us this morning,
01:40:29Lindsay Gillette,
01:40:30President of the Aquatic Sports Association
01:40:32of Trinidad and Tobago
01:40:34and Gordon Boardmaster Swimmer.
01:40:36They are on the line now
01:40:37to chat with us
01:40:38about the upcoming
01:40:39Pan Am Masters Championship.
01:40:41It's a premier event
01:40:43for competitors aged 18 and over,
01:40:46and it's on from July 17th
01:40:48to the 26th.
01:40:49Good morning, gentlemen.
01:40:50Thank you so much for joining us.
01:40:53Morning.
01:40:55Good morning, Nicole.
01:40:56How are you?
01:40:59We are good here.
01:41:00So tell us about what's going on.
01:41:04I know the Aquatic Center
01:41:05was closed for a little while
01:41:07because they had to do some cleaning
01:41:08ahead of the Pan Am Games.
01:41:10So tell us,
01:41:11what can persons expect?
01:41:13Are they open to members of the public?
01:41:15Can we come check out the games?
01:41:16Everything we need to know.
01:41:19Okay, first of all,
01:41:20I want to say thank you also
01:41:21for having this interview.
01:41:24And I really want to thank the government
01:41:26and the Minister of Sport
01:41:27and especially Sport Company,
01:41:28Douglas Camacho and Tyron Serret
01:41:31and Justin Latterpie
01:41:32because they have enabled sport
01:41:34and they have done it
01:41:35through the international cricket.
01:41:37And now we have what they call
01:41:38a Pan American Championship Masters program.
01:41:42It's exactly what you said
01:41:43from the ages of 18 to maybe 100 years old.
01:41:47People have been swimming
01:41:48at 100 years old.
01:41:50So it enables it.
01:41:51Twenty-three countries
01:41:52will be coming to Trinidad
01:41:53including the likes of
01:41:54Peru, Panama, the United States,
01:41:56Dominican Republic,
01:41:57the whole Caribbean territory.
01:41:59And athletes have already started
01:42:01to pour into the country.
01:42:04Full compliment by next week.
01:42:06Yes, you're correct, Nicole.
01:42:08Members of the public
01:42:09can in fact come to the event
01:42:13depending on what event
01:42:14they would like to come
01:42:15or who they would like to support.
01:42:17And it will also be great
01:42:18in terms of the public
01:42:21coming and really seeing
01:42:22what can be done really
01:42:25in swimming
01:42:28and as a wellness sport
01:42:31from the ages of 18 years old
01:42:33or really five years old
01:42:35right up to the age of 100 years old.
01:42:39You will see people
01:42:40from all parts of the world
01:42:41swimming in the championship
01:42:42at our Aquatic Center
01:42:44during the week of that time.
01:42:45So let me get Mr. Board in.
01:42:47Now, Mr. Board,
01:42:48you're not anywhere close to 100
01:42:50but you are a master swimmer.
01:42:52Tell us, what is the competition schedule?
01:42:57What is the competition schedule?
01:42:59Well, it starts on the 18th
01:43:03at the facility
01:43:05and they have two 50-meter pools
01:43:08right down there
01:43:09and a warm-up pool of 25 meters, right?
01:43:13So certain races are scheduled
01:43:17on certain days during the period
01:43:19and the last day of the competition
01:43:22the open water will take place
01:43:24down at the Five Islands
01:43:26in front of the Five Islands Amusement Park, right?
01:43:30That's where they're going to have
01:43:32the 3K open water swimming.
01:43:38Right, so I'm reading here
01:43:39there's artistic swimming,
01:43:41there's diving,
01:43:43where's the rest?
01:43:44There is swimming and open water swimming
01:43:47and you know,
01:43:48until I went to the Aquatic Center
01:43:50I never even realized that we had a dive pool.
01:43:55Yeah, we do have a dive pool
01:43:58and you should be proud of that Aquatic Center
01:44:00because it's two 50-meter pools side-by-side
01:44:03which actually conforms
01:44:05to a lot of the World Championship pools
01:44:07where you have what we call a warm-up pool
01:44:08and an inside pool.
01:44:09So what you have seen there
01:44:11is really a world-class facility
01:44:13and then right next to it, as you have said,
01:44:15we do have a diving facility,
01:44:17a world-class diving facility to expect out
01:44:20for world-class diving.
01:44:21And you will see divers come in and compete
01:44:24over the next week.
01:44:26And the pool also can accommodate
01:44:28because of its depth and everything
01:44:30the artistic swimming
01:44:31which is a beautiful thing to see also.
01:44:33Will it be on television?
01:44:35Will it be shown on television
01:44:37or streamed anywhere?
01:44:39It will be streamed.
01:44:41We will be streaming it
01:44:43and I know that some of the television stations
01:44:45will be coming down to the center,
01:44:47you know, the usual events.
01:44:50It's a time final,
01:44:51so it means whatever you spend, that's your time.
01:44:53And then you will be put into whatever position
01:44:57you come according to that time.
01:44:59So it's a great time for Trinidad and Tobago, I think,
01:45:03to hold another championship
01:45:05just on the heels of the ICC.
01:45:08And, I mean, we could showcase our country
01:45:12with the people who are visiting.
01:45:13I mean, that's where they come from.
01:45:14And we just have...
01:45:15Sorry to cut you across.
01:45:16We're running a really tight ship today.
01:45:18We just have a couple of seconds remaining.
01:45:20Can you tell us where tickets are available?
01:45:23How can persons access tickets?
01:45:25And, you know, why they really need to make it
01:45:28to the National Aquatic Center at Cuva
01:45:30and, of course, the Five Islands Water and Amusement Park?
01:45:34You just can come straight to the Aquatic Center
01:45:36depending on the times which will be...
01:45:38which we'll have a schedule, a public schedule.
01:45:40And you just come down there.
01:45:41You'll see the events posted.
01:45:43And you just pay.
01:45:45I think it's $35 or something like that.
01:45:47I can't remember.
01:45:48And there's also a package tickets, for example,
01:45:51if you want to come for the whole week.
01:45:52And I want to say something.
01:45:53I would like you all to come and really support Gordon Board
01:45:55because he has been our oldest swimmer.
01:45:57I want to say...
01:45:58At his age, swimming over 50 years.
01:46:01At the open water.
01:46:03Well, actually...
01:46:05Actually, I've started...
01:46:08I represented Trinidad 64 years ago
01:46:11with Joey Coffman and so on at the World Championships.
01:46:14Right?
01:46:15Yeah.
01:46:16Since then, I haven't stopped swimming.
01:46:18And I take part in all the open water swims
01:46:22and the competitive swims in the pool.
01:46:25You know?
01:46:26Yeah.
01:46:27And I've gone to many, many meets like this.
01:46:30But this is one of the biggest ever stays in the West Indies.
01:46:36I'd like everybody to come and support it
01:46:38because Trinidad is putting it on for the first time.
01:46:42And we'd like it to be a success.
01:46:45We have over 400 swimmers.
01:46:47And after this, we're going to have at least 400 supporters.
01:46:52So you're looking at 800,000 people.
01:46:55You know?
01:46:56All righty, gentlemen.
01:46:57Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
01:46:59Over 400 swimmers for the Pan Am Championships.
01:47:02Of course, we've got our local favorites.
01:47:04You can purchase tickets, get tickets at the actual sites.
01:47:08And you can, of course, check out the TNT...
01:47:12Well, the Aquatic Sports Association of TNT
01:47:15to find out more details about this.
01:47:17Thank you so much for joining us.
01:47:18And all the best with the Pan Am Games.
01:47:20Mr. Board, a special good luck to you as you compete.
01:47:23Thank you very much.
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01:48:58While we're talking beauty now, and joining us,
01:49:01we've got Anisa Ali, who is the reigning
01:49:04Mrs. India Worldwide 2023,
01:49:07and she's joined by Varsha Ramharak,
01:49:09an environmental specialist, and they are telling us
01:49:12about the upcoming Mrs. India Worldwide pageant.
01:49:15Of course, the tagline is pageantry for the planet,
01:49:18and it also speaks about the awareness thrust
01:49:21of the production.
01:49:23Well, the show takes place on Sunday, July 14th
01:49:26at the Hilton Ballroom.
01:49:28Ladies, a very good morning to you.
01:49:30Thank you so much for joining us.
01:49:33Good morning to you, and thank you so much for having us.
01:49:36So, Anisa, let's start with you.
01:49:38How has, you know, your year in...
01:49:40Well, it's not quite a year just yet,
01:49:42but how has your reign been thus far?
01:49:45Oh, my reign has been nothing short of amazing.
01:49:48It has been a transformative one, and, you know,
01:49:51you mentioned that tagline, pageantry for the planet,
01:49:54and I think that is something we need to emphasize
01:49:57on a little bit more in this pageant world
01:49:59because climate change is something that we cannot neglect.
01:50:02That is something that we need to address
01:50:04as soon as possible, and I think that is what I love
01:50:07about this pageant, and it has allowed me
01:50:09to become an environmental advocate.
01:50:11It has allowed me to change my life
01:50:14in terms of focusing on the environment
01:50:16and make simple lifestyle changes,
01:50:18and it has been such a privilege
01:50:20to join this new team, this new cohort of girls
01:50:23because now we've taken the pageant a step further,
01:50:25and we've now involved our environmental specialist
01:50:28who is coaching the girls,
01:50:30and I have been privileged to be a part
01:50:33of that experience with them as well.
01:50:36So, Ms. Ramharak, you have a very important
01:50:40and interesting task during this pageant.
01:50:43Care to tell us about it?
01:50:44Of course, Varsha Ramharak is an environmental specialist.
01:50:49Okay, thank you for having me this morning.
01:50:52When Mr. Shamji Ali approached me,
01:50:55you know, he mentioned that, okay,
01:50:57this element of promoting environmentalism
01:51:00is, you know, something that he's keen
01:51:02and it's dear to him for the pageant,
01:51:05and, you know, immediately I endorsed that.
01:51:08You know, he asked me to be part of that team
01:51:10to join and coach and guide the girls.
01:51:13So we started off thinking about, you know,
01:51:16simple steps about, you know, climate change,
01:51:19plastic pollution, you know, recycling.
01:51:24So I said, okay, you know what,
01:51:25why don't we introduce that aspect
01:51:28of promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
01:51:32so that each one of the delegates
01:51:33can be an ambassador representing one of those goals.
01:51:36And immediately, you know, they felt,
01:51:39okay, this is something that's also daring to them
01:51:42because a lot of them have different, let's say, passions.
01:51:46So for example, there was one who was passionate
01:51:48about, you know, quality education.
01:51:51There was another who thought, okay, you know,
01:51:54quality health, you know, promoting clean water
01:51:57and sanitation, et cetera.
01:52:00What do you hope that these contestants,
01:52:03I mean, there will be one winner to run us up,
01:52:06but what do you hope that each of these contestants
01:52:09will take away from the pageant?
01:52:15Is that for Anissa or me?
01:52:17That's for you, Ms. Ramarak.
01:52:19Oh, okay.
01:52:22Based on what I've been seeing
01:52:24with their interaction on social media,
01:52:26they have been highly promoting every aspect
01:52:29of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,
01:52:33which also includes climate change.
01:52:35And what I wish is that they continue to promote this
01:52:40in their personal spaces, among their communities,
01:52:44you know, among their peers,
01:52:45because the more you spread the awareness,
01:52:48you have more incentives to take action.
01:52:51Every action is required, not just at the top levels,
01:52:55but at our grassroots levels as well,
01:52:57at the individual level,
01:52:58because, you know, it's just one Earth we have,
01:53:01so every action is needed to help protect our planet Earth
01:53:04and end the race to zero.
01:53:06That is the tagline for, you know, zero emissions
01:53:10to help reduce warming below 1.5 degrees.
01:53:13Now, Anissa, you have been interacting.
01:53:16I saw you at the launch.
01:53:17You have been interacting with the contestants from day one.
01:53:21How have you seen them develop and change thus far?
01:53:28Right, so, you know,
01:53:30it has been so amazing to interact with them.
01:53:33I think these girls are all capable
01:53:36of bringing that title home.
01:53:38And, you know, something that was mentioned earlier
01:53:42was it's going to have, we're going to have one winner.
01:53:45Well, you know, it's three winners
01:53:46because we have three categories on that day.
01:53:48So we have the team, the Miss and the Misses, right?
01:53:50And then we have the runners-up.
01:53:53And they have all come such a long way
01:53:56that I think each and every one of them,
01:53:59and I told them at the launch,
01:54:00I want you to look at yourself, because this is what I did.
01:54:03Look at yourself from the first day
01:54:05that you entered into this pageant
01:54:07and compare it to who you are now,
01:54:09and you will see such a transformation.
01:54:11And I've seen that in those girls.
01:54:13Their confidence levels are so much more higher,
01:54:16and I always preach a confident woman
01:54:18is an unstoppable woman,
01:54:19because once you are confident,
01:54:21you can achieve so, so much more.
01:54:23You know, I also tell them at the end of the day,
01:54:27when you win that crown,
01:54:28it's not, you're not winning that crown for yourself.
01:54:30You're winning that crown for Trinidad and Tobago.
01:54:33So, you know, support the girls,
01:54:35and I've seen them come such a long way.
01:54:37The sisterhood is something I want them to continue,
01:54:39and I see that in them.
01:54:41As we close, could you give all viewers
01:54:43an idea of the finals, what they can expect,
01:54:46date, time, everything they need to know?
01:54:49Okay, so definitely the finals will be held
01:54:52at the Hilton Ballroom on Sunday, July 14th at 6 p.m.
01:54:56It's going to be an amazing, spectacular show.
01:55:00I was chatting with one of my friends yesterday,
01:55:03and I said, I feel like I should have entered this year.
01:55:05It's so much bigger than last year.
01:55:07They have stepped it up.
01:55:09The stage is going to be huge.
01:55:10We have a lot of guest performances.
01:55:12We have playback artists from the UK,
01:55:14Junaid Malik, dance performances.
01:55:16You're going to see these girls.
01:55:17They've been prepping for months, for weeks,
01:55:20time and time again,
01:55:21and it's going to be an amazing show.
01:55:23And you may see a performance from myself
01:55:26on that night in the opening act.
01:55:28So, you know, tickets are on sale.
01:55:30You can get them at Hilton.
01:55:31You can follow the Padrons worldwide page.
01:55:33Of course, we're covered by the media houses,
01:55:35TV6, Hot 93, Saj and the Express.
01:55:39So be sure to come out and support our girls.
01:55:41They're representing our country later on this year.
01:55:44So I want to thank you both so much for joining us.
01:55:47Of course, Anisa Ali,
01:55:48thank you for representing TNT, Mrs. India,
01:55:51which is, of course, also the reigning Mrs. India worldwide,
01:55:542023, and Varsha Ramharak for, you know,
01:55:57championing the environment.
01:55:58She's, of course, an environmental specialist,
01:56:00imparting these seeds onto all of the contestants.
01:56:04The competition is on.
01:56:06The finals is on, on July 14th at the Hilton Trinidad.
01:56:10And as Anisa mentioned, tickets are available there.
01:56:13Or you can check out the Facebook social media pages
01:56:16of the Mrs. India worldwide competition
01:56:20where you can get much more information.
01:56:22Well, thank you again so much for joining us.
01:56:24That brings us to the end of our show.
01:56:27Before we leave you, our viewers,
01:56:28we share with you this image.
01:56:30Top of the morning to you, TNT.
01:56:32Have a great day.
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