By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

MICRONESIAN Games Organizing Committee chairman Rex I. Palacios disclosed that the 2007 South Pacific Games was not included among those that were to benefit from the revenue of the 6th Micronesian Games.
Palacios made this clarification after Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael A. White expressed disappointment over Palacios’ announcement saying that all revenues from the Micro Games would go to the government.
Last Tuesday, White told Variety that Palacios seemed to want to put the interests of the government ahead of the people’s interest.
The MGOC chairman said there is no reason for White to be disappointed knowing that the 2006 Micro Games revenue would not fund delegates to the South Pacific Games because NMASA, in the first place, knew from the very start that it was not included in the budget of the event.
“There was no indication that the Micro Games budget would designate a certain portion to be reserved for the upcoming South Pacific Games,” Palacios said.
“MGOC did not make any pledge to fund the South Pacific Games,” he added.
Athletes who are set to represent the NMI in the Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa are having difficulties raising funds and NMASA was hoping to get a portion of the Micro Games revenue to help finance the Samoa trip.
It will cost $3,200 to send each athlete to Samoa. The NMI will send no more than 30 delegates to the quadrennial meet.
He said NMASA, being the governing body for NMI sports activities, should know before hand the costs of the activity and prepare it.
“I have nothing against sending participants to the event. I wish all our athletes could go there…but that’s not my responsibility or the MGOC’s because we never made a, commitment or budgeted that South Pacific Games,” Palacios said.
“NMASA knew that they were going to need money. Why they did not raise the needed funds from the very start?…and now that it is getting closer folks are panicking to get funds,” he said, adding that the MGOC budget target will push through as set.
Any left over from the Micro Games will be given to the government to assist in the operation of essential services in the government such as the hospital, police, schools, and corrections.
Palacios disclosed that in assuming the overall chairmanship of MGOC, he had earlier asked for the financial statement of NMASA.
“When I first got on the board, I asked for the NMASA financial statement to determine if there was any funds that MGOC could use for the 2006 Micro Games…but those were never made available and were never produced,” Palacios said, adding that he even asked NMASA board members for their individual copies but was informed that these were not available to them.
“No one had a copy….telling how much NMASA had when we were putting the Games together. The figure was never officially disclosed and although some members did disclose during a meeting with the governor that NMASA, by that time, had $74,000 that could be contributed to the Micro Games,” he said.
Variety tried to get White’s comment on these issue, but at press time he had yet to reply.
Besides the request for NMASA records, Palacios said MGOC also failed to get the records during the 1990 Micronesian Games which would have been a great help in coming up with a clear budget for the event.
“Those are records, financial statements, that would have been very useful to me in putting together the 2006 budget for MGOC…but these were not produced,” he said, adding that he wants to know if the 1990 Games committee funded the next South Pacific Games participation.
“The governor had no money to provide for the 2006 Micro Games but he made the commitment to assist and help the games in the form of employees. The government paid for the regular hours rendered to the event and any excess or extra hours was considered volunteer work. In the case of PSS, Board Chairman Roman Benavente was not part of the organizing committee and was not privy to the arrangement and agreement or to the instructions made by the governor in previous meetings,” Palacios said.
PSS is claiming that MGOC owes the system more than $42,000 for the overtime pay of bus drivers and for fuel consumption.
Palacios said the governor appointed the DCCA secretary, Daisy Bier-Villagomez, as the official coordinator of all government agencies in the Micro Games. She was also appointed spokesperson for the Games.
“The reason for appointing DCCA was so that the arrangements with all government agencies were consistent and properly monitored,” he said, adding that Department of Public Works, PSS, DPS, Commonwealth Health Center, and DCCA were the main government instrumentalities that participated in the event.
(With a report from Roselyn B. Monroyo)