(MVA) — Elected and business leaders of Tinian are the latest to join the Hafa Adai & Tirow Pledge program, vowing to help promote the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures of the Marianas.
On Friday, June 11, Mayor of Tinian and Aguigan Edwin P. Aldan led 14 other individuals in a pledge ceremony with representatives of the Marianas Visitors Authority and Saipan Chamber of Commerce, who jointly operate the pledge program.
“The community of Tinian is renowned for its hospitality, which makes this pledge ceremony with Mayor Aldan and others who have take the Hafa Adai & Tirow Pledge even more meaningful,” said MVA Managing Director Priscilla M. Iakopo. “As we are all a product of the Marianas, our traditions, history, language, values, and arts shape who we are, and most importantly, it is the preservation of our cultures that keep our identity alive today, tomorrow, and in the future.”
Joining Mayor Aldan were Chairman Joseph E. Santos of the 18th Tinian Municipal Council, Chairman Francisco Q. Cruz of the 22nd Tinian & Aguiguan Legislative Delegation, owner Deborah Fleming of Tourific Tinian dba Fleming Hotel, Manager Lot G. Bunao of JC Café Restaurant and Karaoke Lounge, manager Heeyeon Cabrera of SAM E Corporation dba Tinian Oceanview Hotel, owner Jang Moon Soo of HJ2 Corporation dba Good Tour/Car Rental, owner Miho K. Evangelista of MIK Tours, accountant Rosalie R. Masga of Bridge Investment Group LLC dba Tinian Diamond Hotel, owner Jun Chou of Lorilynn’s Hotel, operations manager Jim Barton of Triple J Saipan Inc. dba Bar-K-Diner/ The Western Lodge, owner Suzuki Atsushi of Tinian Express, owner Meihua Xuan of Queen’s Restaurant, and owner Mary Susan Perez of Susan’s Creations.
The Hafa Adai & Tirow Pledge encompasses the action of “Ta Fan Un Kurason/Sibwe Tipiyeew” (be united), uniting public and private sectors and individuals in a commitment for the preservation and promotion of the Chamorro and Carolinian language, culture, and traditions. The program involves taking efforts every day to make a difference in the survival of these cultures in some way or another, including taking continuous steps to “go local, look local, and think local” in the areas of language, arts, traditions, history and values. The program welcomes all businesses, organizations, and companies interested in strengthening the core values and traditions of indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures.
The ceremony was also attended by Senate President Jude Hofschneider, Sen. Karl King-Nabors, Rep. Patrick H. San Nicolas, Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Joe Guerrero, and Commonwealth Ports Authority Board Chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Esq.
For more information, contact the MVA offices on Saipan (info@mymarianas.com), Tinian (vborja@mymarianas.com), or Rota (datalig@mymarianas.com).
Elected officials and business leaders gather at the Tinian Mayor’s Office on June 11, 2021, to take the Hafa Adai & Tirow Pledge, vowing to promote the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures of the islands. The pledge ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, joint organizers of the program
Fifteen elected and business leaders gather at the Tinian Mayor’s Office on June 11, 2021, to take the Hafa Adai & Tirow Pledge, vowing to promote the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian culture of the islands.
Mayor of Tinian and Aguigan Edwin P. Aldan, left, signs the Hafa Adai & Tirow Pledge on June 11, 2021, as Senate President Jude Hofschneider looks on at Tinian Mayor’s Office. Aldan signed the pledge along with 14 other elected and business leaders from the island.
