Focus is on tourism at Sangre Grande Corporation

TOURISM and community development appear to be the top priority for Terry Rondon, chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC).

Last Wednesday, on the corner Eastern Main Road and Ramdass Street, Sangre Grande, the corporation held its statutory meeting where matters involving wellness fairs, beach clean-ups, community events and tourism were discussed.

The municipality of Sangre Grande is the largest geographically in the country, covering areas such as Cumuto, Tamana, Manzanilla, Sangre Grande, Toco, Fishing Pond, Valencia and Vega de Oropouche.

Rondon hopes more can be done for tourism development in his municipality. He said the corporation has many wonders to offer tourists, from the Keshorn Walcott Lighthouse in Toco, the Nariva Swamp, turtle nesting in Matura, San Pablo Hummingbird Resort and Guest House, Valencia and the Turure Waterfalls in Cumaca, Rondon said there are a lot of possibilities to generate revenue from tourism, especially if it is developed correctly.

He highlighted the Tamana caves as an area that needs development as he claims they are the only place in the country that has white bats.

“We want to promote it. We want our people to work in the waterfalls and make a lot of money,” he told Newsday after the meeting. He said resident who are knowledgable about the area can become tour guides for tourists.

Rondon is offering free sargassum and free delivery of sargassum to anyone who would like the seaweed. It can be used as feed for livestock, fertiliser for plants and in cosmetics.

Sargassum is a seaweed that frequently washes up on the northeastern shore. Its abundance often causes problems for beachgoers, fishermen and turtles during nesting season.

As United Way’s National Day of Caring approached on May 26, organisations offered beach clean-ups to the corporation. Massy Motors requested permission to have a beach clean-up in Toco. However, Rondon said Toco is saturated with beach-clean up requests and hopes attention can be directed towards Manzanilla.

Coal Mine Adventist Church wrote asking to use of a corporation park for a cricket match, and Rondon approved the request before the councillor could finish reading the letter.

“All religious organisations will get approval from me. They are praying for us all,” he said.

Health and wellness fairs were another community development issue discussed at the meeting.

He said the corporation wanted to bring health screenings to people in areas who would need it the most. Particularly targeting women, so far, the corporation has had health fairs at Vega de Oropouche and Damarie Hill. Next is a fair at Manzanilla, Cumuto and Toco.