Community and Society

The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) announced on Monday, May 9th, that it is seeking to hire temporary beach cleaners to keep these areas free of sargassum. Any person interested can visit the Human Resources department at the SPTC during regular working hours, Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM. SPTC will also be holding a Sargassum Community Meeting on Wednesday, May 11th, at 5PM in the SPTC Conference Room. Business owners, boat owners, property owners, and residents of San Pedro are invited.

Tour operators who did not have the time or opportunity to apply for the fuel subsidy program have until Friday, May 13th, after the deadline was extended. The fuel subsidy program for eligible tour and tender operators is funded by the Government of Belize (GOB) and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB).

History serves as an opportunity to travel back in time and explore past events about a settlement, a region, or a country. Belizean history is rich and diverse, highlighting different past events across the country. However, there are many questions about specific chapters of the Belizean society. Have you ever wondered how San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye transformed from a quaint fishing village to the prime tourism destination it is today? The answer to clear such curiosity is by visiting the recently opened San Pedro Tourism Information Center on Angel Coral Street across from the Saca Chispas field, where you can find the book ‘San Pedro History of Tourism.’ This unique and well-documented history of the island was penned by well-known islander Guillermo ‘Mito’ Paz, and it can be yours for just BZ$30.

San Pedro Town is known for being the prime tourism destination in the country and one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The island is also the base for many talented Belizeans in different fields. One of these areas is law, from which skillful attorneys have emerged to represent the island and country. The recent addition to such an important profession saw proud San Pedrano Javier Williams officially called to the Bar Association of Belize. This has been Williams’ life goal, and now he is licensed to practice in the country.

Following a soft opening in March, the San Pedro Belize Tourism Industry Association Chapter (SPBTIA) inaugurated its Tourism Information Center (TIC) on Friday, April 29th. The opening hosted a group of invited guests, including Belize Tourism Industry Association board members and management, and representatives from the Belize Tourism Board in a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiating the operations of the TIC.

On Sunday, May 1st, the San Pedro Lions Club swore in nine new members during their fundraiser event, “Follow the BINGO,” at Corona del Mar Hotel.  

Although the Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Control and Licensing Bill of 2022 to legalize the recreational use, commercial production, and sale of cannabis (marijuana) in Belize was passed in the National Assembly, the council of churches is fighting for a referendum on the topic. Close to 20,000 signatures have been collected countrywide to meet the 10% threshold and force the government to hold a referendum legally. On Thursday, April 28th, Pastor Louis Wade of the National Evangelical Association of Belize said that on Tuesday, the documents containing the signatures would be presented to Governor General H.E. Froyla Tzalam in hopes for a referendum to be called.

It will be almost a month since the government lifted COVID-19 restrictions within Belize. Despite the move, the vaccination campaign to immunize as many people as possible continues. With the virus still a public health concern worldwide, on Thursday, April 28th, the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) sent out a message encouraging people to obtain their second COVID-19 booster against the disease that remains a threat to the most vulnerable. The ministry also announced that doses of the Pfizer vaccines will no longer be available at the vaccination sites after May.