By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

FIELD workers from the Saipan Mayor’s Office drained fuel from idle equipment so they could use one machine to fix the road to Mt. Tapotchao for today’s Good Friday pilgrimage.
A road grader operator cleared a two-mile stretch of the dirt road almost half way to the shrine before noon yesterday.
George M. Camacho, the mayor’s chief road maintenance officer, said their work will continue as long as there is fuel in the road grader’s tank.
Mayor Juan B. Tudela last week announced the suspension of his office’s public services due to lack of funding for fuel.
His office was not able to settle its $9,000 fuel bill with Mobil Oil.
Camacho said yesterday they were “lucky” to have been able to drain about 30 gallons of diesel oil from the tanks of equipment that needed repairs.
He said, they had to tap the tanks of a malfunctioning pay loader and two dump trucks so they could use the road grader for the Mt. Tapotchao road job.
He said they checked the road last week and found it to be in fairly good shape.
But when they visited it again after Typhoon Kong Rey 01W, mounds of coral washed down by runoff water from the top of the mountain were blocking the road.
He said, of the heavy equipment needed for road repairs, only the bobcat and the road grader are working.
Aside from fixing the road, Camacho said they also had to widen and clear some areas for parking spaces.
The mayor’s office also has the task of preparing the shrine for the pilgrimage. The office wants to bring in chairs, tables, and drinking water.