By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
IMMEDIATE administrative action to stabilize the workforce can reduce uncertainty in the CNMI economy, Gov. David M. Apatang said in his testimony before the Department of the Interior’s Interagency Group on Insular Affairs in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Saipan time.
In the presence of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, other federal officials, and governors of U.S. territories, Apatang stressed that one of the “foremost, urgent challenges” the CNMI faces is workforce stability.
The governor said the CNMI-Only Transitional Worker program “remains essential to the functioning of the CNMI economy.” He added that the program supports key industries such as tourism, healthcare, construction, and other essential services “at the time when labor supply alone cannot meet demand.”
Apatang also informed attendees that Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds has already begun working on the Commonwealth’s immigration transition framework. “The Commonwealth and my administration appreciate the congresswoman’s efforts and urge the Trump administration to work with us, the CNMI, for a responsible transition,” he said.
“We respectfully ask for coordinated federal agency support, regulatory clarity, and the use of existing authorities to establish a practical transition framework in the near term,” Apatang added.
“Immediate administrative action under current law can help reduce uncertainty, protect workers, [and] provide the stability necessary to continue recovery,” he said.
Closing his testimony, Apatang said, “I did not travel 8,000 miles simply to describe challenges. I came to speak for the community that has proven itself in self-reliance, resiliency, and is ready to move forward if given the tools to do so.”
He noted that the CNMI has maintained a federal partnership that aligns security with economic reality and resilience, focusing on reforming and coordinating existing policies “so our islands can recover, stabilize, and move toward self-sufficiency.”
In a press statement later Thursday, the governor said, “The Commonwealth does not need a handout from the federal government; it needs a hand up. We are here in good faith, we ask for partnership, and we ask that the Covenant be honored.”
Apatang and his team are meeting with federal officials for 902 consultations, focusing on four critical issues: budgetary support, tourism and transportation, access to labor, and Department of War activities in the Commonwealth.
The CNMI delegation emphasized three priorities: preserving EVS-TAP, securing continued federal tax cover-over payments, and pursuing administrative reforms to strengthen the CW-1 visa program.
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.
