Parents were informed by the International School System, ISS, that the ISA, the International School of Aruba will be closing in June due to low enrollment.

I don’t think people have any understanding of how significant of a loss this is to the island. If we have no international school with English as the language of instruction NO high-level executive who has school age children will even consider coming here to work.

Foreign investment will also suffer without this school.

It really is a massive, massive hit to the island.

The head of the school met with Prime Minister Mike Eman about this a couple days ago to tell him that the school was closing and to ask for help. As reported, the premier thanked him for letting him know, then he asked him to meet with the minister of finance and the minister of education.

That was the extent of the response.

Which further shows that there is little understanding about the role the school plays in our community.

The minister of education has not responded to a request for a meeting.

The minister’s assistant met with school representatives, asked for a list of student names who might be able to transition to local schools, and a list of teachers and their specialties so they could see if they might be able to help them find jobs in another school!!!

This is a truly unbelievably ignorant response from the government, who doesn’t understand that saving the International School from going under, is an economic priority.

There are many great contributors to our economic stability, upon which we dependent, who depend on the ISA. Think about the General Managers of hotels, expats, all the Immigration and Customs people from the U.S., and the heart of our business community. If left resolved this will become a serious challenge in attracting any talent or investment to the island.

Our Prime Minister set up an investment fund last September.

The ISA is a worthy investment. Invest there and make sure it does not go under.

The ISA has around 122 students, 102 tuition-paying, 20 are children of parents who work at the school. The head of the school broke the news to parents and reported on the meetings with the ministers, during a general meeting — school management was distraught and extremely frustrated with the response from the officials.

The school was under threat 30 or more years ago, it was closing, but it had the outgoing refinery’s support, in the form of the building donation, and more government cooperation.

The international school was founded by LAGO in 1929 and helped educate generations or locals and expats. It has never received any financial support from the government, though parents of students are taxpayers, and the students are eligible by law to at least some subsidy — the government finances the national education system, except private institutions.

Greetings, I wrote something about Texel again. Texel is a unique Dutch island in the North of the country.

Housing on Aruba is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the people who live and work here. More residents are finding it harder each year to buy a home. This problem is not unique. On the Dutch island of Texel, roughly comparable in size and layout to Aruba, where I lived before moving here more than 30 years ago, the island was faced with the same challenge.

Texel introduced a practical solution. For homes below approximately €600,000 (about US $650,000), a housing permit was needed. Buyers could only buy and live in these homes if they had a genuine connection to the island, such as working or having lived there for a significant period of time. Non-locals could still buy a property, but only after homes were first offered to local residents for a set period of time. Higher-priced homes stay freely available on the open market. There was a risk that sellers could inflate prices slightly above the threshold to bypass restrictions, so careful enforcement and valuation rules were important.

Vacation homes were also regulated. The municipality limited where and how many second homes are allowed through zoning rules, preventing entire neighborhoods from turning into tourist areas instead of communities. Non-residents who owned second homes also paid an added municipal tax (forensenbelasting), discouraging speculative ownership.

However, it is important to note that on Texel, non-locals could still buy lower-priced homes and rent them out.

For Aruba, with its high tourism demand, this could limit the effectiveness of a similar system unless added measures are added, such as caps on vacation rentals, higher taxes for non-resident owners, or priority purchase rights for locals on the most affordable homes.

The result is simple: Investment and tourism remain welcome, while local residents retain access to homes meant for permanent living.

After more than 30 years of living on Aruba, I believe this approach could also work here, but only if it is adapted to our context. Aruba does not need to ban foreign buyers, but it can choose to protect affordable housing for the people who keep the island running and ensure the island does not disappear under mass tourism.   I was just reading through more of the constant stream of comments on FB about the various problems on the island and of course everyone’s solutions to them….

Above is my suggested solution.

Greetings, I wrote something about UTV / ATV

I have never seen any specific statistics about them, only complaints…. Do you happen to know how many of them there are on the island in the total rental pool? Owned by how many companies?  How many tour operators are there? And, most importantly, how much revenue do they actually generate on the island?  Both total revenue and tax revenue

Maybe ATA knows these figures?

Someone MUST have those figures. The government should be interested in tracking those numbers specifically just to make sure they are collecting the correct amount of taxes.

Taxes for import duty when they come in.

BBO at the border.

Gross rentals of all UTVs/ATVs every day.

BBO and other tourist taxes charged on each rental.

Packages sold to the cruise ships.

Taxes on kickbacks paid to the various concierge services who refer bookings to them.

Income tax to the owners of the companies that rent them.

Payroll taxes collected on the employees of the tour companies — Tour guides, the people on the street hawking the rentals, the order takers on the phones, the guys who wash them every day.

The fuel taxes that the government collects on the fuel that they burn each trip.

The taxes they collect on the repairs, maintenance, new parts.

Insurance policies charged to clients.

So many levels of income that the government “should” specifically be tracking very closely.

The UTVs/ATVs are a huge industry on the island and if the government isn’t tracking every aspect of that business closely, then it’s its own fault for losing millions in taxes each year.

Aruba Office (VNO) Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations hosted Dutch diplomat Gerbert Kunst, and the entire VNACS team from Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, recently. Besides meetings and discussing topics of joint interest, the different island teams were also invited a well-attended reception, at Quinta del Carmen, with a super VIP list of invitees in attendance.

Politicians from both sides of the aisle, the present and former Prime Minister, and many notable guests from Aruba’s private and public sector, made the pilgrimage to Bubali to be introduced to Kunst, and to listen to his address, before focusing on networking, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Kunst has been the Representative of the Netherlands in the three Caribbean countries, since May 15th, 2025. He leads the Representation of the Netherlands offices in the three capitals, Oranjestad, Willemstad, and Philipsburg.

Tall, trim, elegant, and extremely courteous, he shook hands at the reception line, being available for a mini conversation with each of his guests.

With a new government in The Netherlands, it was interesting to hear what he had to say, since the old government which appointed him, collapsed in June 2025, one month into his just-assumed role! The new coalition government led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten, has it as a goal to maintaining strong cooperation within the European Union. Apparently, the islands will also be beneficiaries of this renewed spirit of collaboration.

In his address Kunst welcomed members of Aruba’s community, civil society, and business sector to a reception aimed at strengthening relationships within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He emphasized the importance of meeting not only in official settings but also personally to better understand one another. The gathering also came a short time before the celebration of Aruba’s 40th anniversary of Status Aparte with the Dutch King, Willem Alexander, this month.

Kunst addressed a common question about what the Netherlands and the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom expect from each other. He stressed that the relationship should not focus on differences or mistrust but on shared history, mutual ties, and common opportunities and challenges. While each of the four countries in the Kingdom has its own culture, language, and circumstances, their relationship, he explained, is based on equality and reciprocity.

He noted that the priorities of the Dutch government traditionally include good governance, a strong rule of law, sound public finances, and economic resilience. However, these pillars must be supported by deeper values such as trust, respect, and partnership, which make meaningful cooperation possible.

Kunst highlighted several examples of successful collaboration within the Kingdom. One was the Kingdom’s Startup Program, developed with universities in Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, which encouraged students and innovators to develop entrepreneurial skills tailored to their local environments. Another initiative was the CariFoodFund, an €18 million revolving fund that offered low-interest loans to farmers in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, along with additional funding to support local food production policies. He also mentioned the Special Olympics Dutch Caribbean Kingdom Games, which promote inclusion and unity through sports for athletes with disabilities.

Beyond government cooperation, Kunst emphasized the vital role of civil society organizations such as sports clubs, youth programs, churches, and cultural institutions. He highlighted the Lago Heights Project in San Nicolas, where collaboration between Aruba’s government, CEDE Aruba, and partners helped create a community playground and gathering space for children. The VNO, he said, also supports community initiatives through its Small Projects Fund, which provides modest financial support for local projects.

As Representative, Kunst sees his role as a bridge between the Caribbean countries and The Hague—bringing the perspectives of the islands to Dutch policymakers while also sharing developments from the Netherlands with local communities. Listening to people’s concerns, such as rising living costs, youth opportunities, and business challenges, is a key part of that role.

He concluded his address by stressing that in a world facing geopolitical tensions, climate change, and economic uncertainty, cooperation and stability within the Kingdom are essential. Ultimately, the future of the Kingdom depends on trust, openness, and collaboration, as well as combining the energy of young people with the experience of established leaders to build a strong, diverse, and resilient Kingdom.

The address was well received by partygoers, who listened intently. Our present government, strikes more of a positive stance towards The Netherlands. We have a dedicated minister, Gerlien Croes, Vice-Premier, Minister of Education, Youth, Innovation, Sport, and Kingdom Affairs, and a freshly appointed Plenipotentiary Minister in the Netherlands, Milly Schwengle. I personally did not feel much of the trust, respect, and partnership value vibes during the previous MEP administration, on the contrary, there was a lot of mistrust, division and resistance, and I am looking forward to some positive vibes now that work has begun in the Netherlands with a just seated minority coalition government, and our own government shows signs of being more agreeable to the ideas expressed by Kunst.

I said it during the pandemic, and I can repeat it now, we are lucky to go through life under a large umbrella.

Proposal to Rename ImSan: The Dr. Joel Rajnherc Institute

There are moments in the life of a nation when institutions transcend bricks, budgets, and bureaucracy. They become the embodiment of vision, perseverance, and the courage of individuals who dared to believe that something greater was possible.

For Aruba, Instituto Medico San Nicolas (ImSan) is such an institution. And at the heart of its transformation stands one man: Dr. Joel Rajnherc.

For that reason, it is both fitting and historically accurate that ImSan be renamed: The Dr. Joel Rajnherc Institute

This proposal is not merely about honoring a respected physician. It is about recognizing the architect of a transformation that fundamentally reshaped Aruba’s healthcare landscape.

A Personal Beginning

My journey with Joel began long before either of us could have imagined the path ahead.

As young men in Aruba, we shared a common passion: windsurfing. In those days, the windsurfing community was small — a tight tribe of individuals who lived for the wind and the sea. Joel was one of them.

Years later, our paths crossed again in a quite different setting. I had just opened the Aruba Chiropractic Clinic, and I referred a pediatric patient to Joel. The encounter that followed was memorable. Joel did not hesitate to challenge me, launching into an intense discussion about genetics and pediatric medicine.

At that moment, one thing became clear: Joel Rajnherc was fiercely dedicated to science, to medicine, and to doing things the right way.

He was passionate. Serious. Uncompromising in his commitment to his patients.

Those qualities would later become essential.

The Turning Point: Aruba’s Healthcare Vision

In 2009, the AVP won the national election, and I was appointed Minister of Public Health and Sport. From the first day in office, we began executing the National Health Plan 2009–2018, a comprehensive strategy to modernize Aruba’s healthcare system.

One of the most pressing challenges was a half-finished medical facility in San Nicolas. The previous administration had envisioned it as a cardiology hospital.

However, from both a medical and economic perspective, this concept was deeply problematic for a small island nation.

A highly specialized cardiology center requires:

Large patient volumes

Multiple subspecialty departments

Extensive backup systems for complications

Large financial commitments to sustain operations

For Aruba, the numbers simply did not support such a model. High-risk cases were often safer and more efficient to send to specialized centers abroad, particularly in Colombia, where costs were significantly lower.

This position was not popular. Many stakeholders — including parts of the medical community and political opposition — resisted the idea of rethinking the project.

But leadership sometimes requires challenging assumptions.

The Oncology Vision

Together with my chief advisor Dick Souge, we began rethinking the role of ImSan entirely.

After extensive analysis, we reached a clear conclusion:

Oncology care was the strategic opportunity.

There were several reasons:

Medical necessity

Aruba was sending cancer patients abroad for extended periods of treatment.

Economic burden

The government was financing extended stays overseas for both patients and accompanying family members.

Patient hardship

Being treated far from home during cancer therapy placed enormous emotional strain on families.

Regional opportunity

Many patients across Latin America and the Caribbean struggled to obtain U.S. visas for specialized treatment.

If Aruba could provide high-quality oncology care locally, it could serve both our population and the wider region.

The concept was bold, but it made sense.

The Baptist Health Partnership

To execute this vision, we sought collaboration with a major U.S. hospital system.

After evaluating several options, we approached Baptist Health South Florida. Their physicians were bilingual, and their patient population already included many individuals from Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2010, discussions began in earnest.

The proposal was ambitious: create an oncology center in Aruba that could connect directly with Baptist’s specialists, bringing world-class expertise to the island.

We also presented a unique idea: Aruba could become a regional oncology destination for patients who wanted access to U.S.-level care but could not obtain visas.

Baptist Health believed in the vision.

But the success of the project would ultimately depend on one critical decision:

Who would lead it?

The Right Leader

We needed someone extraordinary.

Someone who could:

Communicate with American medical leadership at the highest level

Understand both clinical medicine and institutional management

Withstand political pressure, insurance disputes, and institutional resistance

Carry the project forward even after my ministerial term ended in 2013

Most importantly, we needed someone courageous enough to defend the vision against the inevitable headwinds.

That person was Dr. Joel Rajnherc.

After retiring as a pediatrician and department head, Joel accepted the challenge.

And he embraced it completely.

The Legacy He Built

What followed was nothing short of remarkable.

Under Joel Rajnherc’s leadership, ImSan evolved from a controversial unfinished project into a world-class medical institution.

His achievements include:

Transforming ImSan into a Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospital, the first in the Dutch Caribbean.

Establishing a state-of-the-art oncology center in partnership with Baptist Health.

Implementing an advanced digital telemedicine platform, connecting Aruba with leading specialists in the United States.

Protecting the institution’s independence through years of political, administrative, and institutional challenges.

These were not easy battles.

Insurance systems questioned funding.

Government administrations changed.

Other healthcare institutions attempted to reshape the facility for their own purposes.

Yet Joel navigated these waters with resilience and determination.

Perhaps it should not surprise us.

After all, he was a windsurfer.

A Name That Reflects History

Today, ImSan stands as a symbol of innovation and perseverance in Caribbean healthcare.

But institutions are also stories.

And the story of ImSan cannot be told without the name Dr. Joel Rajnherc.

He did not merely manage the hospital.

He built its identity.

He defended its independence.

He carried the vision forward long after others had moved on.

For these reasons, renaming the institution the Dr. Joel Rajnherc Institute would be more than a tribute.

It would be an acknowledgment of historical truth.

Conclusion

Healthcare institutions often bear the names of those who changed their course and secured their future.

In Aruba’s case, few individuals have left such a profound mark on a national medical institution as Dr. Joel Rajnherc.

Naming ImSan in his honor would ensure that future generations remember the vision, determination, and leadership that transformed a half-finished project into one of the most advanced healthcare facilities in the Dutch Caribbean.

And it would ensure that the legacy of a remarkable physician — and windsurfer at heart — continues to inspire those who follow.

Dr. Richard W. M. Visser

Former Minister of Public Health and Sport, Aruba Architect of the National Health Plan 2009–2018

In conversation with an Architecture and Development company

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/in-conversation-with-an-architecture-and-development-company/

Culture is still well and alive in Oranjestad

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/culture-is-still-well-and-alive-in-oranjestad/

Culture is still well and alive in Oranjestad, II

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/culture-is-still-well-and-alive-in-oranjestad-ii/

Daycare, no inspection, no follow up.

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/daycare-no-inspection-no-follow-up/

Restaurant Child Policy

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/restaurant-child-policy/

Boldly Empowered Women’s Day Event

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/boldly-empowered-womens-day-event/