She said several residents of Rota have asked her help in contacting the passport office.
“Many are unable to afford the exorbitant airline fare, car rental, food and other expenses incurred when traveling to Saipan just to submit an application for a U.S. passport or to renew passports,” she said.
Santos, Ind.-Rota, informed Acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos about the request of the Rota residents in her letter dated March 17.
She said she has already spoken with U.S. Passport Office Director Jenny C. Norita about the needs of the Rota residents.
The director, she said, has indicated willingness to extend services to Rota as it has done in the past.
But Norita recommended that the government set the per diem rate for passport office personnel who will be deployed to Rota at 80 percent instead of 50 percent to cover costs of hotel accommodation, food and car rental for a two-day stay.
Santos said providing a one-day service will not be able to accommodate the passport needs of the people of Rota.
