In meeting on Tuesday morning, members of the House leadership expressed their desire to help the disaster victims of Japan.
In an interview after the meeting Rep. Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan, said before the CNMI should consider the impact of the tsunami on the island economy, “we should first think helping these people who for many years have contributed a lot to the commonwealth economy.”
The resolution will ask the federal government to provide people from Japan quick access to the CNMI, he said.
Villagomez also brought up the idea of using a small portion of the $6.2 million Japan Tourist Stabilization Fund to help the tsunami victims.
He said the CNMI may not have a lot to offer by way of assistance, “but it is the effort and the willingness to help that really matters.”
The Fitial administration is also looking into allowing members of the community to host evacuees from Japan.
Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan, in an email, told Variety that one of the ideas is, the administration may enlist the assistance of local households to offer lodging accommodations to displaced families in Japan.
“Of course, we’d still have to work out the logistics such as seeking airline discounts and so forth,” he said.
Rep. Joseph M. Palacios, R-Saipan. said “we should open our doors to them,” referring to the victims of the disaster.
He said thousands of people a were affected, many lost their homes and family members.
“It is just right that the CNMI people should help the country that over the past many years helped the island economy,” he said.
Palacios said the CNMI can probably provide evacuees with temporary housing while they are waiting for their country to recover.
“Right now as we have seen in the news, a lot of countries have been offering help either money or in-kind or personnel to rescue or comfort those injured,” he said.
Rep. Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said Japan has a very close and historic relationship with the Northern Marianas and has contributed a lot to the local economy.
“I am more than willing to be part of the effort to help the victims. I love that idea,” he said.
