“I AM a product of the American Dream,” said Dr. Jonathan Liwag, the guest speaker at the two-part U.S. naturalization ceremony held Wednesday at the District Court for the NMI where 33 new Americans were sworn in.
“Some say that the American dream was only possible back in the 1950s, [but] the United States is still a land of opportunity if you are willing to work hard and help build this great nation,” Liwag told the new citizens.
“As an immigrant, I lived in Los Angeles, California, for 19 years. That in itself is a challenge. I completed my undergraduate and master’s degree while working for AT&T, one of the largest telecommunication companies. In 2009, I decided to move back to Saipan to give back to the community where I grew up. I knew that my expertise and knowledge would help the CNMI. It is also a great place to raise a family,” he said.
Liwag currently works for the federal court as an information technology security officer. He recently obtained a doctoral degree in business administration specializing in technology entrepreneurship from Walden University. Among other things, he studied developing strategies for telemedicine programs in rural communities.
Before joining the federal court, he was vice principal of Saipan Southern High School and an adjunct instructor for the business department of Northern Marianas College.
In 2013, he became the IT director of NMC and helped the institution maintain its accreditation with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. He also helped establish NMC’s online registration system.
Before he moved to the CNMI, Liwag was a data services engineer for AT&T in California. He worked his way up starting as a lineman and eventually becoming a major accounts technical supervisor.
At AT&T, he availed himself of its employee scholarship programs to complete his master’s degree in leadership and organizational studies from Azusa Pacific University.
Liwag was born in the Philippines but was brought to Saipan by his parents when he was a child in the late 1970s. He was an only child and his parents were contract workers at the time.
After his parents’ employment on Saipan ended, they found new job opportunities in another country while Liwag remained in the Philippines to complete his secondary education.
After graduating from high school, he was given a chance to study in the continental U.S. where he later settled and raised a family.
In his remarks to the new U.S. citizens on Wednesday, Liwag said: “Moving to [another] country and leaving my nation of origin is a challenge and struggle, but this journey also gave us a special appreciation for our new home…. You have come all this way and made this country your home, so you must protect it. You have sworn allegiance to protect our way of life.”
He also reminded them of their civic responsibility. “There are [many] ways to serve this nation; one is doing our civic duty, such as voting and jury service,” he said.
District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona gave the welcoming remarks and led the swearing-in ceremony for the new citizens. It was made into a two-part event to comply with Covid-19 safety protocols.
In the morning session, the following new U.S. citizens were sworn in: Aileen Mendoza-Agana, Momrej Bhuiyan, Edelina Herrera Borja, Giselle Adlawan Butalid, Ponciano Pascua Corotan, Elisa Mariquit Cuaresma, Joselito Narag Golingo, Alexander Sison Gozon, Elizabeth Sanchez Gozon, Zenaida Degracia Hernandez, Hyung Jin Kim, Francia Copino Manait, Adelita Hayagan Molina, Femie Yesca Rey, Kyeong Hee Seo, Alexander Vekhov, Lolita Endaya Velasco, and Zhanru Yin.
In the afternoon, it was the turn of the following U.S. citizens to be sworn in: Donna Marie Ada, Bruno Garillo Alvarez, Eric Dimzon Quijano Aquino, Gemma Buetizon Babauta, Shuji Li Chang, Eva Guerrero, Genoveva Hocog, Mingshun Norita, Donald Power, Rhose Ann Joy Caluya Prado, Janet Agra Sablan, Josephine Larot Santos, Ruby Santos, Angelo Sebio, and Cheng Shao.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI poses for a photo with new U.S. citizens, guest speaker Dr. Jonathan Liwag and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer Patricia Phelan.
Jonathan Liwag
