By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE bicameral conference committee on Tuesday agreed to fund the Marianas Visitors Authority with interest income earned by the Marianas Public Land Trust.
Senate and House conferees unanimously adopted the committee report recommending the final version of House Bill 24-74, which proposes appropriating $1 million in MPLT net distributable interest income to the MVA and the Public School System.
The conference committee, composed of members of the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee led by Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider and the House Ways and Means Committee chaired by Rep. John Paul Sablan, recommended appropriating the public land income as follows:
• $750,000 to MVA for tourism recovery efforts
• $250,000 to the Public School System for its 25% share mandated by the CNMI Constitution
Authored by Rep. Jonathan Blas Attao, H.B. 24-74 originally appropriated MPLT funds to cover a portion of household allotments for Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in response to the federal government shutdown in October, which would have left 14,000 CNMI food stamp recipients without benefits in November last year.
However, after the federal government shutdown ended on Nov. 12, the Senate — noting that the MPLT funds were no longer needed to address the NAP shortfall — passed its own version of the bill diverting most of the funds to the municipal governments of Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
The House rejected the Senate version.
During a meeting on Tuesday, the conference committee deliberated again and agreed to a new version that funds MVA while retaining the $250,000 allocation for PSS.
According to the committee report, the change addresses pressing concerns regarding the CNMI’s economic condition.
“Investing in MVA is currently critical because tourism remains the primary economic engine for the CNMI, yet the industry is facing severe instability as of early 2026,” the report states. “MVA requires funding for air service stabilization and expansion and for destination enhancement and preservation amid severe budgetary constraints.”
To maximize the impact of future investments, the bicameral panel said funding must be paired with increased accountability and a shift toward results-driven management.
The committee noted that local stakeholders are calling for “a more transparent MVA that operates with clear performance metrics to justify public spending, particularly given the current budget constraints.”
Members of the conference committee are Attao, Senate Vice President Corina Magofna, Senate Floor Leader Donald Manglona, Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, House Floor Leader Marissa Flores, and Rep. Ralph N. Yumul. They were assisted by House legal counsel Karie Comstock and Senate legal counsel Jose A. Bermudes.
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.
