By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Benigno R. Fitial yesterday said he will make a “big announcement” when he delivers his State of the Commonwealth Address on Friday.
“I have three things to discuss — federalization, the economy and the road to recovery,” he told the media, “I cannot discuss (the big announcement) now.”
The governor likened the present state of his health to the worsening condition of the CNMI’s economy.
“It’s very simple. I got sick and I had a disease. I didn’t waste any time and I went and looked for a cure because I wanted to get well so now I am on the road to recovery — I was enduring pain (like) the CNMI economy,” he said.
The governor said because the economy is “sick” his administration is looking for a “cure and treatment.”
“We’re looking for cures…and I want to emphasize that the CNMI has to go through pain in order to recover,” he said. “There are several factors that caused this economic disease and I will be discussing those in detail on Friday…so there are more reasons why people should be there.”
The governor will deliver his address at 9 a.m. on April 27 at the multi-purpose center in Susupe.
“There’s a marked difference between my disease and the CNMI economy’s disease because I know what caused my disease and that’s why I went straight to find a cure,” Fitial said. “But the CNMI’s economic disease is not really that simple. For my disease, I have to endure the pain and I have five more months of therapy before my pain will be gone, but the CNMI economic disease, although we’re doing something to cure it…this will not take five months but years.”
Fitial said he is “confident” that this “economic disease” will be cured eventually.
“I am confident because I started the cure right after I became the governor — I am focused and very consistent with my mission and policies to achieve my goals,” he said.
Fitial said he will continue to be relentless in his efforts to bring about “sustainable economic recovery.”
Although the military buildup on Guam could benefit the CNMI economically, he said this would only be temporary and may not provide the sustainable development the islands need.
“We may be fortunate to get military funding or construction which is beneficial to the CNMI economy but that would only be temporary because we cannot have it every year….what matters most is a sustainable economy,” he said.
Fitial promised to be “very candid” on Friday.