District Court of the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, the daughter of Manuel “Kiyu” Seman Villagomez, talks about her father at a special event commemorating his 100th birthday at Joeten-Kiyu Public Library.
Some of the descendants of Manuel “Kiyu” Seman Villagomez pose for a photo with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Joeten-Kiyu Public Library Director Erlinda Naputi, House Speaker Edmund Villagomez, and Northern Marianas College President Galvin Deleon Guerrero during a ceremony at JKPL to celebrate Kiyu’s 100th birthday.
AT a special ceremony held Wednesday on the 100th birthday of Manuel “Kiyu” Seman Villagomez at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, Northern Marianas College, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and descendants of the late businessman and philanthropist honored his legacy.
The Kiyu family also donated photographs of their patriarch to the CNMI Archives.
Kiyu was known in the NMI for his civic contributions and business holdings.
He, his wife Luise San Nicolas Pangelinan Villagomez and another pioneering local businessman, Jose “Joeten” Camacho Tenorio, were the major benefactors of JKPL, which opened in December 1991.
As a young man, Kiyu was trained by the U.S. Marine Corps as a Marine Scout and served in that capacity in 1945.
He later became a police officer. When he retired in 1955, he and his wife opened the M.S. Villagomez Store in Chalan Kanoa.
As their business grew, the Villagomez family was able to invest in, among other things, real estate, including the self-financed construction of commercial space and apartments.
From 1988 to 2000, Kiyu was the civilian aide to the U.S. Secretary of the Army. Kiyu passed away at the age of 87 in April 2011.
In his remarks, Governor Palacios recalled his time as a customer of Kiyu, also known as Tan Ne’.
“He practically knew all the kids and all the people in the community whether you’re from San Antonio or from San Roque and in between,” the governor said. “Tan Ne’ was a man of the community who served the community…. He [helped build the] community and [its] economic well-being just like Joeten,” the governor said.
Kiyu’s daughter, District Court of the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, remembered him as a man who had “humble beginnings.”
She said many former customers of the M.S. Villagomez Store still have fond memories of her father.
She said her father would often settle some of his customers’ personal debts because, as a war survivor, “he knew how it felt to be hungry and to not have.”
“If he shook your hand and said ‘This is what I will do,’ he will not turn back. He believed in the honorable way of doing things,” Manglona said.
Although her father only received a 6th grade education — the highest available education to most Chamorros and Carolinians during the Japanese administration of the islands — he was able to contribute to the education of the entire community by co-establishing JKPL.
In celebration of Kiyu’s legacy, the library will highlight various educational materials about him for the rest of the month.
