By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

SAIPAN residents say they are thankful that Typhoon Kong-Rey 01W did not slam into the island yesterday as earlier projected.
Frank Camacho, a staff member in the mail room at the governor’s office, said he has seen many typhoons in his life and didn’t want to see more of them, especially now that the islands are suffering from a severe economic crisis.
“I don’t like typhoons,” said Camacho. “Typhoons have destroyed our houses.”
He now lives in Chalan Galaide, which is between Navy Hill and Capital Hill.
Charlie Rechengel, a maintenance worker, said he is thankful that the typhoon changed course before reaching the island.
He said his property has been damaged by previous typhoons and with the economy contracting, additional expenses for repairs would have been a burden on his family.
Ben Taman, an employee at the Aging Office, asked his wife and daughter to temporarily stay with relatives on higher ground as they, like other island residents, feared the worst.
Taman and his family live in Garapan on Beach Road, just a few meters away from the open sea.
He said their house, made of wood and tin, was damaged before by Supertyphoon Kim in 1986.
“I’m glad that (Kong-Rey’s) gone,” he added. “The government doesn’t have the money (to repair typhoon-damaged property). And it takes a while before federal relief comes here,” said Taman.
For contract worker Patrick Pegdato, Supertyphoon Chaba which struck the islands in Aug. 2004, was the worst.
Chaba blew the roof off their rented house and destroyed their belongings.
His wife and their five children now live in San Vicente, a village on higher ground, but the thought of another strong typhoon hitting the island scared him.
“We are really scared whenever there’s a typhoon,” he told Variety.
Tony Muna, the governor’s special assistant for budget and management, said he is glad the typhoon is gone.
Most government offices are self-insured, but there is no funding available for unforeseen events like typhoon-related damage.
The Federal Emergency Management Office, which helps rebuild typhoon-damaged commonwealth structures, requires the CNMI government to have typhoon insurance.
But because of the large premiums, many CNMI government offices are still uninsured.