Whipps will hold a rally today at the Carolinian Utt in Garapan starting at 6:30 p.m.
He is also consulting with the Palauans here about their choice for his running mate. (See story on page 4)
Whipps arrived yesterday from Portland and will proceed to Guam after his rally tonight.
Last month, two other Palau presidential candidates campaigned on island — Vice President Elias Camsek Chin and attorney Johnson Toribiong.
The only Palau presidential candidate who has yet to visit Saipan is Sen. Joshua Koshiba.
Whipps said he will name his running mate on or before Aug. 6, the deadline for the filing of candidacies.
Palau will hold a primary in September to choose the two presidential candidates for the November general elections.
Whipps said he want Palau to improve and develop economically so that Palauans seeking better opportunities in the CNMI can go home and live with their families.
Whipps, who owns the largest department store, construction firm and other businesses in Palau, said he favors increasing the minimum wage from $2.50 to $3.50, and will push for the passage of the wage hike bill on July 8, during the Senate’s regular session.
He admitted that his bill is “unpopular” in the business community, but “it is a right thing to do and the people in Palau, including the foreign workers, will benefit from it.”
Increasing the wages of the workers will also increase their buying power and business taxes, he said.
Saying that his campaign slogan is “The People of Palau First,” Whipps is banking on the support of the grassroots.
He experienced “what is like to be poor and that’s why I am the best person who can relate to them,” he said.
Before becoming one of the most successful and affluent businessmen in Palau, Whipps started as a small-time store operator.
He wants “to better serve the Palauan people based on the belief that as Palauns we should unite toward common goals to preserve the beauty of the Palauan people, culture, and environment, and to defend the best interests of Palauans.”
He has not lost an election since he first ran for public office.
