By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE Marianas Visitors Authority board of directors on Wednesday unanimously approved funding of up to $500,000 to issue a request for proposals for Philippines market development, positioning the CNMI to capitalize on the return of direct flights from Manila to Saipan.
MVA Managing Director Jamika Taijeron told board members the agency is seeking a one-year RFP in response to Philippine Airlines’ announcement that it will launch twice-weekly Manila–Saipan service beginning March 29, 2026.
“There’s significant opportunity to cultivate the Philippines as a new strategic source market for the CNMI,” Taijeron said. “We are also continuing to advocate for a visa waiver from the Philippines that would further support that.”
She said MVA wants to engage an experienced market-representation team to build trade and media relationships, support airline route stability, and generate consistent demand from the emerging market.
“The team would provide on-the-ground support for sales, marketing, public relations, and partner development, ensuring that CNMI tourism interests are effectively represented and promoted,” she said.
Taijeron proposed funding the initiative through an RFP of up to $500,000, noting that the Philippines is “basically a new market” for MVA. “We haven’t engaged with the Philippines since the last PAL flight in 2016,” she said.
She added that the proposed amount aligns with what MVA spends to support other international flight arrangements. “We have other similar flights that run around that amount, so this is the ballpark of what we’re looking at for a twice-weekly service.”
Board member Ivan Quichocho recommended shifting the focus from establishing a physical MVA office to securing a marketing plan with clear deliverables.
“We want a marketing plan with a solid strategy — never mind the office — so that we’re not paying for overhead,” he said. “If we put out an RFP, we should ask for a plan with deliverable execution and not necessarily a representation office.”
Board member Joe Guerrero moved to approve the funding, saying it should be allocated “for this new service development” and aligned with Quichocho’s recommendation for marketing services rather than a field office.
After discussion, the board approved issuing an RFP specifically for marketing services. Members also agreed the contract would be discontinued if PAL halts its planned flights to the CNMI.
Board Chairman Warren Villagomez emphasized that the $500,000 is a budget allocation and “not to be exhausted entirely” during the RFP term.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
