Daisy Howe wins Magnum's 2011 Outstanding Service Award

Magnum Belize Tours established its annual Outstanding Service Award in 2006 as a way of acknowledging individuals from all aspects of the Belize Tourism Industry who go the extra mile in helping Magnum agents to provide clients with the ultimate vacation experience.

The 2011 recipient of this prestigious award is SunBreeze Hotel's Daisy Howe. Daisy was naturally very surprised to find out that she had won, and as such was at a loss for words. However, she was very happy, and simply stated that "hard work pays off...I cannot put into words how I feel!!"

Magnum Belize is a network of professional travel planners who make it a point to inspect every resort and hotel showcased in their catalog. All together, their staff has 60 years of experience in customizing travel packages to Belize.

BTB hosts 11th Annual National Tourism Awards

San Pedro shone once again at the BTB Awards. Tourism stakeholders and special invited guests were at the Old Belize venue on Wednesday night (June 8) to honor outstanding businesses and individuals in the tourism industry.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is one of the premier tourism destinations in the country, and as such, there were several nominees from La Isla Bonita. Following are the San Pedro recipients, as well as the remaining winners of the night.

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice: San Pedro, Top 25 Destinations in Central/South America

Enes Ramirez (Anderson), Tour Guide of the Year

Minister's Choice: Romel Gomez Sr (Rubies' Hotel)

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice - The Phoenix:

Best Service in Central/South America

Relaxation & Spa in Central/South America

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice - Xanadu: Best Service

Umalali

Special Recognition Awards went to Fort Street Tourism Zone's Giddyup Horse & Carriage Tours, and the Hair Braiding Association (Ruth Smith & Carol Jones).

Lifetime Achievement: Placida Leonora Requena nee Guerrero of Requena Charter Service in Punta Gorda.

Hotel of the Year: Chaa Creek, Cayo District

Frontline Person of the Year: Althea Scheble, Chabil Mar Villas

Restaurant of the Year: Maya Beach Hotel Bistro, Placencia

Small Hotel of the Year: Table Rock Jungle Lodge, Cayo District

Tour Operator of the Year: Avadon Divers, Placencia

SPRCS dominates Zone Competition in the Zone B Primary School competition

Four teams from two schools on Ambergris Caye travelled to Caye Caulker on Tuesday June 7^th. The teams travelled to compete against schools from Caye Caulker, for the Zone B elimination of the Primary Schools Football Tournament.

SPRCS Girls Team

While this leg of the competition is usually held in San Pedro, this year the four teams travelled to our sister island. With only two teams in the female division, SPRCS girls went up against NHAS girls. At the end of that game, the SPRCS girls were successful with a score of one to zero.

SPRCS’ boys first game was against the team from Caye Caulker which was a very tight game, ending in a penalty shot with San Pedro leading by one with a score of eight to seven. Game two for the SP boys saw them victorious over New Horizon boys’ team with a score of one to zero.

SPRCS versus New Horizaon's Male Football Team

Both New Horizon’s Adventist School (NHAS) and San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS) sent two teams; one male and one female team.

At the end of the elimination rounds for Zone B – the area encompassing San Pedro and Caye Caulker, it appears both teams representing the Zone are from SPRCS. The teams now prepare to travel to Belize City to the MCC grounds, where they go up against winners from the other zones in the Belize District for the District eliminations. This is scheduled for Wednesday June 15^th.

Morataya / Cabral leading in Beach Volleyball Competition

Beach volleyball has been a mainstay in San Pedro for decades. Now, Gustavo Morataya and Jason Cabral, both residents of San Pedro have quickly become two of Belize’s finest beach volleyball players. The two gentlemen are presently registered players of the Bulldog Team in the City of Belmopan Volleyball Association Open Competition.
The City of Belmopan Volleyball Association (CBVA) is an organized body with the mission statement: “The promotion and development of volleyball in Belmopan through various sporting activities, events, and programs”. The association is affiliated with the Belize Volleyball Association which is the organization responsible for hosting volleyball activities at the national level.

The CBVA is currently running an Open Volleyball Competition which includes a double round robin. The competition commenced on May 14th in Belmopan with an opening ceremony and guest speaker Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of Sports and will conclude on July 30th. Gustavo and Jason are playing in this competition.

The CBVA hosted its National Annual Beach Volleyball Tournament tour from March – May 2011. During this tournament, Jason and Gustavo traveled from San Pedro to Belize City to participate every weekend. The duo represented San Pedro proudly, and quickly moved up the ranks from new comers to ranking third. This tournament produced representatives for the International Beach Volleyball Competition.

In the International Beach Volleyball Competition the team moved from fourth place, to third place, to second place, and during the last stop they placed first. This they accomplished without support from San Pedro business or San Pedro fans. It is due to ONE point in the ranking that hindered these talented athletes from representing Belize internationally in the upcoming 2011 Central American Beach Volleyball Games.

Both Gustavo and Jason migrated to San Pedro over four years ago. On the island they both acquired jobs and quickly made San Pedro their home. As they travel and showcase their talents, they take with them the name of San Pedro proudly.

Through personal determination and their love for the sport, Gustavo and Jason have come a long way, and are in need of recognition for their skill of playing professional beach volleyball in Belize. With their skills San Pedro can be placed back on the map as it relates to beach volleyball.
In this competition the young men have had to travel to the capital city to compete during the weekends. With no financial assistance, this continues to be a very costly venture. For the remainder of the tournament, Gustavo and Jason will have to travel to the capital approximately ten times at an approximate total cost of $1440. This amount does not include accommodations or subsistence. The team will travel to Belmopan for their next competition on Saturday June 18th. With this said, they are seeking assistance from the general public, business community or individuals who would like to show their support for the sport of Beach Volleyball while representing San Pedro. Donations may be made by contacting Gustavo Morataya 633-0913or Mr. Jason 660-5465. Any donation will be greatly appreciated.

SPRCS' Alessandra Gutierrez scores 4th highest in the PSE

For students in primary school, the culmination of their 8-year studies is the Primary School Examination (PSE). The years of study and hard work are tested with the PSE, and often, students find that they must prepare months in advance to do well.

This year, the San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS) is proud to name one of its own as the top 4th scorer in the entire country of Belize. Alessandra Gutierrez, daughter of Amparo and Oscar Gutierrez, and Standard 6 student at SPRCS managed to score a total of 368 points out of 400, or 92%. This score puts Alessandra in fourth place countrywide. Holy Redeemer Primary School’s Aliyah Marin topped the exams with a score of three hundred and eighty five points (96.25%). Placing second overall this year is Josette McGann of United Evergreen Primary with three hundred and seventy six points (94%) and Jordan Murrillo of Belize Elementary with three hundred and sixty nine points (92.25%).

(L-R: Xanairi Xiu, Jacqueline Hernandez, Jamie Valentine and Alessandra Gutierrez)

At the SPRCS, there is much to celebrate, and according to Mrs. Roxanni Kay, everyone is very “happy and very proud [of all the students].” Of the 58 SPRCS students that sat the exam, 57 passed, making this year’s PSE another success story for the island’s largest, most populated school. Rounding out the top five were Jamie Valentine (87%), Rosanna Guerrero (86%), Jacqueline Hernandez (82.3%) and Xanairi Xiu (81.3%).

Congratulations to all the students!! Job well done!