Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, his running mate, Finance Secretary Eloy Inos, other government officials and Covenant Party members led the groundbreaking ceremony of the $148,000 pathway project in Kagman yesterday.
Community leader Jesse Torres, in his remarks, said Kagman may be the most isolated area on island but it has Saipan’s fastest growing population.
He noted their lack of a wastewater treatment plant, their ongoing campaign against poker arcades and the rampant illegal dumping of garbage in their villages.
The pathway project, he said, is a good investment that Kagman residents really need, and he hopes it will extend all the way to the Santa Soledad Church.
Songsong said there will be more projects for Kagman this year.
There’s going to be more road improvement in Kagman as part of the CNMI’s federally funded capital improvement projects.
“We’re looking at two to three more projects, mostly paving of roads, including the one going to Marine Beach,” he said.
The portion of the pathway project that was launched yesterday is just the first stage, he added.
The details of final stages are still being worked out, the DPW chief said.
One of the Kagman projects that they have just finished is the paving of the road near Santa Soledad Church.
The cross-island project that will start in San Vicente and stretch to Capital Hill will also benefit the Kagman community, Songsong said.
The pathway and road pavement projects, he added, are very significant because they were developed with the help of the community.
He said DPW worked together with Kagman residents in developing these projects.
“We are making Kagman community involved and we make sure that their inputs are considered.”
Songsong said he is very confident that once the pathway is completed, it will be appreciated and enjoyed by the public.
Laulau Bay Resort, he said, will help maintain the pathway once it’s completed.
In recent interviews, some leaders of the Kagman community said they felt that their village was being left out.
They were upset when the funding for two projects — the wastewater treatment plant and the Kagman Health Center —were reprogrammed for other projects.
Fitial in his remarks yesterday, said the pathway will provide more opportunities to develop a sense of community among Kagman residents
It will also help turn the place into another enhanced destination for tourists who may interact with locals, he added.
