Former YCO Corporation President Ray N. Yumul now serves the Commonwealth as the secretary of the Department of Public Works.
DEPARTMENT of Public Works Secretary Ray N. Yumul faced the toughest stint of his professional life as the former president of YCO Corporation.
It was during Yumul’s time as corporation president when the CNMI was pounded with super typhoons and hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
It may sound like a cushy job, but being the corporation’s president at such unprecedented times made for quite an experience, especially in the wake of Typhoon Soudelor, which slammed into the CNMI in 2015 at about 100 miles per hour.
When it happened, Yumul was the only principal family member on island. All his siblings and parents were off island and he and his staff had to immediately assess the damage their companies had sustained. Even as they were in the middle of assessments, Yumul said many people rushed to their stores, pleading to buy hardware goods to repair their homes.
“I could not say no,” he said.
Presumably, YCO Corporation’s hardware stores also experienced the same scenario when Super Typhoon Yutu slammed into the CNMI in 2018, which had wind speeds of 180 miles per hour.
Just a year later, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, essentially bringing the CNMI’s tourism industry to a screeching halt.
The challenges
Yumul said these challenges, including the wildly fluctuating state of the CNMI economy, “tested the strength of both our company and the community.”
“Through these hardships, we did not waver. Instead, we adapted, rebuilt, and pushed forward, embodying the same unwavering determination that defines this island community,” he said.
The Commonwealth’s history is one of perseverance, he noted. As an island people, Yumul said, “we have long understood the importance of unity, innovation, and resourcefulness in overcoming adversity.
“YCO Corporation embraced these values, ensuring that, even in the darkest times, we remained a steadfast force for recovery and growth. Our mission was never simply about weathering the storm; it was about emerging stronger together,” he added.
A young Ray Yumul.
Starting young
That can-do attitude was pounded into his head even as a child. His dad, YCO Corporation’s current president, Jesus Yumul, said that all his children were already working in the company even when they were still in high school.
As soon as he came back from college in 1998, Ray Yumul started working at the company as assistant general manager and worked his way up to becoming the corporation’s president until 2023, when public service called.
At that time, his father was already semi-retired, and Yumul, as the new president was supposed to lead the corporation into the future. Fate, as it happens, had different plans. Two years ago, Rey Yumul was appointed DPW secretary, “so I was forced to be president again,” Jess Yumul said.
Resilient
Despite years of struggle during the worst economic times of the CNMI, YCO Corporation still made it a point to always give back to the community as a show of gratitude for its customers’ continued support, said Ray Yumul.
Those community contributions include Education Tax Credit provided to the Public School System and private schools, as well as donations to many youth programs.
Looking back on all those years, Yumul sees YCO Corporation as a reflection of the CNMI itself: resilient, adaptive, and committed to building a better future. He said the challenges of the past were always met with resolve.
And today, as they celebrate the corporation’s 50 years of doing business in the CNMI, “I would like to say thank you, yu’us ma’ase, ghilisou and maraming Salamat to the people and community of the CNMI.”
Cheers
Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, the eldest among Jess and Frances Yumul’s children, said it’s incredible that the corporation has reached its 50th year. He congratulates everyone in the corporation—his family and the employees.
“Congratulations on reaching this incredible milestone of 50 years! Your dedication and hard work has made [a] significant impact [on] our community. Cheers to many more years ahead,” he said.
‘We have long understood the importance of unity, innovation, and resourcefulness in overcoming adversity. YCO Corporation embraced these value.’
<p style=”text-align: right;”><strong>—DPW Secretary Ray Yumul</strong>
