By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

FOR a more effective promotion of the CNMI in other countries, lawmaker wants the Marianas Visitor Authority to replace Saipanda with a mascot that “truly reflects our people and nature.”
Sen. Maria T. Pangelinan, D-Saipan, said since 2000, MVA has been using Saipanda as the CNMI’s tourism mascot.
“Time has passed,” she said in her letter to MVA marketing manager Wayne Pangelinan, on Jan. 17, “and it may be time to consider the possibility of revisiting the effectiveness and appropriateness of this mythological mascot.”
Although the name “Saipanda” is a clever play on words in Japanese, it does not promote all the islands of the commonwealth, Pangelinan said.
“There are others who have noted that perhaps one of our native animals, or several of the same, could be used to the same purpose, while highlighting the unique natural wonders of our islands,” she said, adding that MVA’s “Happy Children in Paradise” program that is used in conjunction with the Saipanda marketing strategy is a “wonderful way to promote the family-friendly islands.”
But the senator said MVA should revisit the issue of what mascot would best serve to represent the CNMI.
Pangelinan’s letter to MVA was a result of Sen. Luis P/ Crisostimo’s correspondence with her on Jan. 11 seeking a “re-evaluation” of MVA’s mascot.
“This mascot does not truly reflect our commonwealth and, in fact, it seems to mislead our visitors into thinking that Saipan is home to the panda when, in fact, there are no pandas to be found in the islands,” Crisostimo said in his letter to Pangelinan and Rep. Martin B. Ada, R-Saipan and the chairman of the House Commerce and Tourism Committee.
Crisostimo, D-Saipan, wants Saipanda replaced by either the kingfisher, the fanihi, the ayuyu, the iguana or another island animal which residents can relate to and share their knowledge of with visitors.
According to a survey conducted by a Tokyo marketing firm in Dec. 2000, Japanese travelers knew little about Saipanda.
Only 32.2 percent of the 1,000 Japanese surveyed were aware of the existence of the Saipanda campaign promoting the CNMI in Japan — 65.8 percent through television commercials; 34.2 percent through newspapers and magazines; and 16.1 percent through travel pamphlets.
Tokyo advertising company Dentsu 10 created the Saipanda mascot, a character which resembles a panda bear with a rhinoceros horn nose. It supposedly symbolizes the male Japanese traveler who is a repeat visitor and is crazy about Saipan.
The MVA leadership at that time said they would review Saipanda to determine if it was justifiable to continue using the mascot for the islands’ promotions.