This carat of wisdom has been passed through the ages and it is one of the creeds firmly believed by Republican governor and lt. governor candidates former Governor Juan Nekai Babauta and Galvin Sablan Deleon Guerrero.
With years of political experience and the grace of a skilled diplomat, Babauta has seen where the CNMI has been, its growth milestones and, along with Guerrero, have a clear and concise vision of where the CNMI should be headed to succeed.
“We are at a critical crossroad here in the CNMI and we need experienced leadership who knows what we have gone through in order to plan for what we need in the years ahead. It’s hard to move forward without the experience,” said Babauta.
The future, Babauta and Guerrero say, is now. “We say the future is now because now is the time for the right leadership and the right vision. We can’t wait for it to come, it has to happen now,” said Guerrero.
This is the reason why Babauta and Deleon Guerrero have decided to step up to the plate and run for the islands’ highest office—they offer the right balance of experience and innovative thinking to help the CNMI rise to today’s challenges.
“Coming from a younger generation, this is a huge opportunity for us to feel some ownership of where we would like our islands to go and we are just brimming with ideas of how to get there,” said Deleon Guererro.
“Along the way, we have learned lessons, some of them quite hard, but that’s how we become stronger—we know where we came from, and the lessons and experiences that we have learned have set better paths for us to go on,” said Babauta.
And the road Juan and Galvin are paving for the CNMI includes a team with dynamic energy to carry out their mission of education, economic recovery, federal relations and healthcare as some of their top priorities.
While some the priorities don’t seem new for political candidates, who will carry out their mission has a new twist.
“We will look to the younger generation for the majority of our team. We need fresh thinking, passion and commitment to drive home many of our core objectives. It is time we tapped into our young energy and talents,” said Babauta.
A quick glance at Babauta and Deleon Guerrero’s detailed platform shows emphasis on education as the single most important investment for the CNMI’s economy and future.
“Education is key. It is about empowering our people, creating new job opportunities and meeting the demands for today’s global economy,” said Babauta.
This comes as no surprise as both hail from extensive educational backgrounds.
Babauta, also the CNMI’s former Washington representative, has two Master degrees, a Master of Science in Health Planning & Administration from University Cincinnati in Ohio, a Master of Arts in Political Science from Eastern New Mexico University and a Bachelor of Science, History and Political Science degree from Eastern New Mexico University.
Deleon Guerrero, currently a member of the Board of Education, has a Master of Arts in School Administration from University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of Puget Sound.
Babauta would also like to use his extensive political experience in Washington, D.C. to help build better a relationship with the U.S. federal government.
“We are in a position, not only with federalization, but also the expected military build-up on Guam, to work with the federal government and maximize the opportunities we have as well as help increase federal funding so we could raise the standard of living in the CNMI,” said Babauta.
“We have the experience and ability to build that relationship and work with the executive branch and the U.S. Congress so that the CNMI benefits from this change,” he said.
Babauta and Deleon Guerrero have their own individual passions—Babauta would like to improve the standard of living in the CNMI by taking on the most basic necessities and making them affordable, from the cost of goods to utilities.
“It’s about working with everyone involved, finding solutions that both businesses and the community will benefit from and ending the suffering we all feel due to high costs of living,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero is driven to improve the educational standards in the CNMI and make the islands first rate when it comes to national achievements, in addition to growing the islands’ film industry.
“We must prepare our students not only for the work required here in the CNMI, but to be able to compete in the global market as well,” said Deleon Guerrero.
Both Babauta and Deleon Guerrero believe that the CNMI’s economy is better off diversified into smaller, more sustainable industries, while focusing to stabilize the tourism industry with Japan and Korea as the main markets.
“Japan and Korea are stable countries and we need to look for more countries stable under the U.S. flag to promote our tourism industry to,” said Babauta.
Babauta and Deleon Guerrero pledge to work together in building a stronger, more viable Commonwealth through collaboration with the islands’ brightest minds and experts in their fields, while focusing on their objectives as a team.
“Together, we can do this. The opportunity is here…the future is now. We humbly ask for your vote of confidence,” said Deleon Guerrero.
