TO Sen. Celina R. Babauta, chairwoman, Senate Committee on Executive Appointment and Government Investigations:
On behalf of the Matua Council for Native Chamorro Advancement, we hereby submit our letter of support for the appointment of Mr. Ross Hugh S. Manglona as Resident Executive for the Indigenous Affairs Office.
This Committee is aware of Mr. Manglona’s vast experience and educational credentials, and more importantly, his wealth of experience in the Chamorro culture, language and tradition. Mr. Manglona’s first language is Chamorro and he has been raised in a traditional Chamorro family environment. This placed Mr. Manglona at an advantage having an excellent command of the Finu’ Haya or Chamoru and necessary knowledge of the importance of the customary values of the Taotao Tano from his early age.
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under Article III, Section 23 demands that the person who will be appointed to this important position must possess the necessary knowledge, skills and educational background to fulfill the critical mandates of the law for the advancement of the Chamorros who are the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana Islands.
It is equally important to emphasize and stress the significant role of the Resident Executive for the Indigenous Affairs Office and its responsibility toward the indigenous people because it is the only appointed position in the CNMI government in which the Resident Executive is held accountable to his/her constitutional duties and responsibilities to the Chamorros. The Resident Executive may be removed from office by the impeachment process.
The impeachment process is usually only applicable to elected officials to include judges and justices. This process is not applicable to any other appointed position in the CNMI government such as department secretary or commissioner. We take the time to emphasize this constitutional provision to express to this honorable body the important role of the Resident Executive to the indigenous people.
Mr. Manglona has experience and education credentials in higher education at Northern Marianas College, the only public post-secondary education institution in the CNMI, and at the Northern Marianas Trades Institute, also the only publicly supported trades and technical education institution in the CNMI.
It is important to also note that Mr. Manglona was instrumental in the curriculum and program development for NMC-CREES and the NMTI, as well as oversight of the fiscal management for projects and programs at both institutions. Again, we emphasize these experience and credentials as these are critical criteria for the appointment of the Resident Executive.
Further, Mr. Manglona’s background in social and at-risk issues makes him a good candidate for the office because the indigenous population are overrepresented in almost all social challenges and at-risk behaviors such as substance abuse, mental health, lack of employment experience such as in trades and technical skills, including the lack of employment skills in allied health, to name a few.
Furthermore, Mr. Manglona’s wealth of experience and expertise in the areas of grant management comes at the most opportune time taking into consideration the economic condition of the CNMI, post-Covid-19. The pandemic has crippled the islands’ economic base. This situation negatively impacted the IAO and its ability to sufficiently sustain and to continue to support programs and services required and mandated for the Resident Executive of the IAO.
Mr. Manglona successfully obtained millions of dollars for NMC-CREES, NMTI and, most recently, for 500 Sails, a non-profit organization whose mission and purpose is to resurrect the ancient Chamorro tradition of seafaring and ocean navigation.
In closing, and on behalf of the Matua Council for Native Chamorro Advancement, we humbly seek the expeditious confirmation of Mr. Manglona as the next Resident Executive for the Indigenous Affairs Office because the issues and concerns that are negatively impacting the Chamorro people in the NMI come at an alarming rate that requires the hiring of someone with his personal, educational and professional experience.
We are confident that his appointment as the Resident Executive of IAO will positively impact the socio-economic conditions and situations of the natives. And especially at a time when the entire world are zoning in on the condition and treatment of the indigenous peoples in their respective communities as espoused by the United Nations Proclamation on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
And more importantly, on behalf of Matua Council we take this time to acknowledge and give our humble appreciation to the Honorable Governor Arnold I. Palacios and the Honorable Lt. Governor David M. Apatang for their appointment of Mr. Manglona as the Resident Executive of a very important, if not the most important, office in the CNMI government.
Un dangkulu na si Yu’us Ma’asi.
Ross Manglona
