By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE CNMI Joint Information Center on Tuesday said some families on Saipan remain under tarps and makeshift shelters because their tent applications are still undergoing FEMA eligibility review and dispatch processing, despite reports from frontline responders that emergency tents have already been transferred to the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services for installation.
The JIC, which operates under the Office of the Governor, said DFEMS and federal partners — including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection — are responsible only for erecting tents and do not determine which households qualify for assistance. Eligibility is determined through a multi-step process that begins when survivors submit tent requests and Right of Entry forms through their respective mayor’s offices.
The applications are scanned and forwarded to FEMA, which conducts site assessments to verify whether a home’s roof or structure has sustained severe damage. If FEMA confirms eligibility, the case is forwarded for dispatch and installation.
“Thanks to the efficiency of our first responders, we have installed more than 1,263 tents across Saipan, Tinian and Rota in just one month,” the JIC said.
First responders told the media they are installing fewer than two dozen tents per day — far below their capacity — because only limited daily lists of approved households are being released. During Super Typhoon Yutu, responders were erecting approximately 100 tents per day.
The JIC said delays may occur because FEMA’s validation process is still underway, a household has not yet been deemed eligible, or landlord approval is pending for renters.
“If the landlord does not allow installation, we encourage the survivor to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance,” the JIC said, noting that the program may provide temporary lodging or other housing support.
The JIC said it is aware of families — including single-parent households — that remain in unsafe temporary living conditions and added that its priority is to move applications through the process “as quickly as possible.”
The agency also urged residents to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance before the June 22 deadline.
Media representatives may observe tent or roof installations “when permitted,” the JIC said, adding that it remains open to coordinating opportunities that promote transparency.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
