“IT’S the economy,” Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said when asked about the CNMI’s most pressing issue.
The governor on Tuesday, June 27, answered questions from 10 high school students taking college-level courses in media and democracy at Northern Marianas College as part of Junior State of America’s Civic Institute Micronesia Program this summer.
“The economy…the resources to pay for the critical public services for the CNMI community — our hospital, public utilities, medical referrals, Medicaid, scholarships, our schools, the safety of the public — those are critical and are needed every day,” he said.
Another issue facing the Micronesian region including the CNMI is climate change, he added.
“How to deal with it….how to [build] resilience…. As Micronesians we really need to… look into our shorelines, that’s very critical. Climate change not only makes islands disappear, it also destroys resources in our ocean. We need to be very mindful of that,” Palacios told the students, who are from the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
China is another issue facing the Micronesian region, the governor added.
“Our relationship with China, that is a reality…. The CNMI and Guam have to work with our U.S. federal government to be consistent with [national] policies….and that sometimes is the challenge for us…that is a big challenge. A lot of us in Micronesia, have a lot of Chinese investment. You look around Saipan, you see a lot of Chinese-owned stores and businesses. These are Chinese nationals. What is their endgame when the relationship gets worse? On Tinian, we’re building a divert airfield, basically a military installation. Our airports will also be open for military use all the time. There’s a lot of movement of assets to Guam…just for these China relation issues. Those are the issues that we are seeing in the Commonwealth and the rest of the Micronesian region,” Palacios said.
Asked about the most valuable lesson he has learned as governor, Palacios, who was sworn into office in January, said: “I’m still learning. You got to learn how to reach out. In the midst of the challenges, sometimes you feel lonely. It’s not a sociable job and you got to learn and I’m still learning how to reach out for help. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, because you have to navigate the waters, and build consensus among many different points of view, and different perspectives…the legislative branch, the judiciary, even the community at large. Sometimes you are not going to be the most popular guy when you make hard or unpopular decisions,” he added.
The Civic Institute Micronesia Program at NMC began on June 25 and concluded on July 1.
KUAM’s chief regional correspondent on Saipan, Thomas Manglona II, was the instructor.
NMC’s lead point of contact was Kevin Bautista who was assisted by Christine Delon Guerrero and Jess Agulto.
Founded in 1934, JSA is the nation’s oldest non-partisan non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school students acquire leadership skills and the knowledge necessary to be effective debaters and civic participants.
The media and democracy course offered “a comprehensive look at the relationship between the media and politics in addition to the role of the First Amendment and journalism as the fourth estate.”
JSA’s Civic Institute Micronesia Program Director Laurel Fischer joined the participating students in their meeting with the governor at his office.
It was the 2nd JSA Civic Institute Micronesia held at NMC. The first, which focused on “debate and environmental justice,” was held in 2022.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios poses with 10 high school students participating in the Junior State of America’s Civic Institute Micronesia Program at Northern Marianas College. Joining them are JSA’s Civic Institute Micronesia Program Director Laurel Fischer, NMC’s Kevin Bautista, Christine Deleon Guerrero, Jess Agulto and the program instructor, Thomas Manglona II, KUAM’s chief regional correspondent on Saipan.
