By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE bicameral budget committee is ready to agree on the revision of the fiscal year 2026 budget, but “it is imperative” that the Marianas Public Land Trust and the administration execute a binding agreement securing the $29 million loan “without further delay.”
More importantly, the members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee jointly acknowledge Gov. David M. Apatang’s urgent recommendation to ensure that the group health and life insurance program “remains intact for the benefit of all active employees and retirees beyond December 31, 2025.”
In their joint letter to the governor on Monday, House Ways and Means Chair John Paul Sablan and Senate Fiscal Affairs Chair Jude U. Hofschneider said the joint committee’s support in advancing the revised FY 2026 budget “is conditioned on one critical requirement: an assurance that MPLT will finalize an agreement with the administration to secure the $29 million loan for the payment of the 75% retirees’ pension.”
Variety has sought comment from MPLT trustees regarding this matter, but their response has consistently been, “We cannot comment at this time.” The administration likewise “doesn’t have available comment at this time regarding the lapse in [health insurance] benefits.”
Sablan and Hofschneider told the governor on Monday that the minimum annual payment is essential to stabilizing the NMI Settlement Fund and upholding the CNMI government’s commitment to retirees.
They assured the governor that the Legislature has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that critical policy measures are taken to allow for the formal execution of the agreement between the administration and MPLT, enabling the Legislature to properly deliberate on and pass the fiscal year budget.
The two committee chairmen said that, absent the agreement between MPLT and the administration, the revised FY 2026 budget would show a significant impact on the operations of the CNMI government as a whole. They said they look forward to the formal agreement.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
