SAIPAN Mayor Ramon Blas Camacho spent much of 2024 meeting with ethnic group leaders, business owners, his fellow mayors throughout the Marianas, and others to promote his platform of a “safe community, safe village, and clean island.”
In a Jan. 5, 2024 interview, Mayor RB said he was interested in community-based solutions to crime prevention and the establishment of working relationships with island businesses.
In February, he met with representatives from the United Filipino Organizations, the Chamorro Association, the Bangladeshi Cultural Group, the Palau Community Association, the Thailand Community Association, the Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Chuukese, and Japanese communities as well as Carolinian Affairs Office Executive Assistant Felix Nogis.
From March to May, Mayor RB hosted business owners from Precincts 1, 2, and 3 in separate meetings to discuss regulation concerns, crime, and the impact of the ongoing Beach Road construction on their business.
In August, the mayor established a partnership with the Martial Arts Academy of Self-Defense-Kyokushinkai Karate Watanabe Dojo in August.
In December, he met with Precinct 2 residents at William S. Reyes Elementary School to hear their concerns.
At each of these meetings, Mayor Camacho discussed the various programs under his office, including the Adopt-a-Place program, farm-to-table, and the neighborhood watch program.
In April, Mayor Camacho hosted a meeting of the Association of Mariana Islands Mayors, which included municipal officials from Guam, Rota, and Tinian.
Later, he and the other CNMI mayors formed the Association of Northern Marianas Islands Mayors. Its aim is to “foster…collaboration, unity, and effective governance” among the Commonwealth municipalities.
Tribune announces closure
In October, the islands’ other newspaper, Saipan Tribune, announced it would cease its operations on Dec. 31, 2024, citing “shifts in media consumption patterns.”
“The increased availability of internet access and mobile devices has led consumers to demand instant transformation, prompting many industries to reshape their business models and move online,” Tribune’s management stated.
It also cited “unforeseen calamities” and “continuing local economic challenges” in their decision to shutter their newspaper, adding that the “challenges have thwarted our best efforts to sustain the business.”
‘We are compelled to make this exceptionally difficult decision,” Tribune’s management added.
The newspaper began in 1990 as a weekly publication, and was founded by Mark Pangelinan and Larry Hillblom.
In 1993, Saipan Tribune was acquired by Tan Holdings Corp.
Managaha concession
On Oct. 11, 2024, Marianas Global Inc., the then-exclusive concessionaire for Managaha, was issued a notice of termination of its lease by acting Department of Public Lands Secretary Richard Villagomez.
MGI had not paid $812,000 in rent due to DPL, which notified MGI of its violations on July 31, 2024.
MGI’s Managaha Island Master Concession Operator Agreement with DPL was signed on April 18, 2023.
MGI said it “came to Managaha with big hope and vision in August 2023. We had plans to turn the island into the world’s most premier marine resort and prepared our operations to reflect such top-end services by purchasing submarines, various equipment, facilities, and upscale speedboats. However, various complex administrative regulations and permit conditions and processes kept most of these investments on hold before we could start to implement them…for more than a year. Additionally, we have invested $3 million over the past year to repair and replace outdated electrical and water supply facilities and restrooms, and another $3 million on over 20-year-old facility renovations that [will take] another 1 to 2 years of work to be completed to meet the global standard.”
The Korean-based company claimed that DPL “baited us with the proposed exclusive rights use to sign the Managaha Island Master Concession Operator Agreement.”
To address some of MGI’s concerns, DPL had proposed changes to the commercial rules and regulations for Managaha.
DPL, among other things, wanted to prevent the consumption of outside food and beverages in its main concessionaire’s exclusive concession area; restrict certain personal floatation devices in the designated swimming zone; and “further define” the type of commercial activity that may only be conducted by the main concessionaire and authorized sub-concessionaires.
DPL also proposed that “Managaha to Managaha commercial activity” and/or “Managaha to Saipan commercial activity” could only be conducted by MGI.
Local marine sports vendors vehemently opposed the proposed changes.
“If this passes, I want the general public to know that majority of the marine sports operators [and] boat owners who take tourists and the locals to Managaha will have to close our door, close our business,” said Chung Lee of BSea Inc. “That will affect our employees. Their family will have their dad or whoever is working for that company…be affected also,” she added.
Asked for comment, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said “no company in its right mind” would have signed the Managaha Island Master Concession Operator Agreement between DPL and MGI.
“Have you seen the contract? … That is the Number 1 issue. Are you kidding me? You’re going to sign an $800,000 contract annually plus 9% of your gross?” Palacios said.
He added that DPL will now oversee Managaha’s operations
“DPL is going to step in, they were already operating [it] when the previous operator left so they already have a crew ready to step in. For the lifeguard issue, if we have to hire lifeguards, then we will hire lifeguards until we can get a company to operate it,” he said, referring to Managaha.
The CNMI participates in FestPAC
The CNMI played its role in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture or FestPAC in June of this year in Honolulu.
FestPAC is the largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders, bringing together cultural practitioners from across the Pacific Islands and beyond. It is celebrated every four years on a different Pacific Island.
On June 5, three 500 Sails canoes — Che’lu, Aunty Oba, and Mikaela — represented the CNMI in the Wa’a ceremony held at Kualoa Regional Park.
During the opening ceremony on June 6 at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center, thousands of dancers, weavers, musicians, traditional sailors, artisans, and more took part in the parade of cultures.
The CNMI delegation entered the center to a cover of KC Deleon Guerrero’s “Saipan,” which modified the lyrics to sing “Islas Marianas, hu saluda hao.”
Later, members of the CNMI delegation would join the Chamorros from Guam and the diaspora for a special community ceremony at the Bishop Museum on June 15 to honor three latte sets taken from the Marianas.
One of the latte sets was taken from Urunao, Guam while the other was taken from Ypao, Guam. The third latte set was taken sometime in the 20th century from Rota.
Donald Mendiola, a yo’amte/suruhuanu from Saipan, led a chant that invoked ancestral spirits.
“I was summoning the paramount spirits, the clean spirits, the angelic spirits — our ancient Chamorro and the ali’i spirits here in Hawaii,” he said. “I was calling them to be as one and to enter into our realm and to bring with them goodness, to bring wisdom, knowledge, truth, so that they can inspire, so we can all have a successful gathering. And to help guide [the Chamorros and the Bishop Museum] in the endeavors that they’re doing in whatever they’re working on and to help them achieve their goals.”
Saipan Humane Society cares
The Saipan Humane Society leveraged its relationship with the Banfield Foundation and other animal welfare organizations to bring practicing veterinary technicians and veterinarians to Saipan, which has no resident veterinarian.
In July, Banefield Foundation sponsored the travel of Lacey Frame and Shahrzon Abdi, veterinary technicians from California. The pair trained SHS staff in practical skills and assisted with the regular clinic.
In November, a collaboration with the Parker Project, a nonprofit organization from the Navajo Nation, brought Dr. Karter Neal and a team of nine to the island.
The dogs and cats of Kagman residents, households with more than five pets, and community-owned or friendly stray animals were provided free spay and neuter surgeries.
Free Seresto flea and tick collars courtesy of Banfield Foundation were also available for eligible customers.
In December, Dr. Jessica Bell, a veterinarian, and veterinary technicians Aleena Nemeth and Nicole Valdez provided clinical care for island pets.
More good news. SHS founder Lauren Cabrera was accepted into Washington State University’s Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2029.
She plans to return to the CNMI after graduation to fill the Commonwealth’s need for a veterinarian.
Saipan Mayor Ramon B. Camacho speaks at a public meeting his office organized for Precinct 2 residents at William S. Reyes Elementary School on Dec. 4, 2024.
Chung Lee of BSea Inc. speaks at a public meeting organized by the Department of Public Lands on Aug. 16, 2024 regarding proposed changes to the commercial rules and regulations for Managaha. She opposed them.
The CNMI delegation participates in the FestPAC opening ceremony on June 6, 2024 at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center.
The CNMI delegation participates in the FestPAC opening ceremony at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center on June 6, 2024.
Saipan Humane Society founder Lauren Cabrera, a nurse practitioner, has been was accepted into Washington State University’s Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2029. After graduation, she plans to return to the CNMI to serve as a much-needed veterinarian.
