THE Northern Marianas Technical Institute yesterday morning held a ceremony to celebrate milestones achieved these past six months.
Led by the masters of ceremonies — NMTI director of instruction Dante Yumul and CNMI Youth Sen. Easton Dela Cruz — the program kicked off with the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Corrections for a pilot project with the department’s outreach program that will allow inmates to enroll in trades courses.
“The program is going to benefit the inmates right now…. It started out with my staff member, Sgt. Jeffrey Quitugua, [who has] been meeting up with NMTI. Then, as we got close to the signing, we also spoke with our legal counsel to work things out,” Corrections Commissioner Wally Villagomez said.
He said the inmates are excited for this opportunity.
“It’s going to benefit them [when] they get out. At least we’re preparing them for [reintegrating into] society and they’ll be able to find jobs when they get out with all the trainings that they have received. At the end of the program, they will be receiving certificates of completion in whatever [courses they] are going to be trained,” he added.
NMTI also signed an intergovernmental agency agreement with the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program for the Workforce Development Training Scholarship Program.
Through this new program, scholarships will be offered to residents in the most disaster-impacted sectors in the CNMI with a focus on the construction trades.
The program aims to assist an estimated 150 eligible students through December 2026.
Attao thanked NMHC for guiding NMTI in establishing processes and applications to enable students to avail themselves of the new scholarship opportunity.
Also on Monday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the newly established NMTI financial aid office.
In her closing remarks, Attao thanked the NMTI team who she said works so tirelessly each day as they learn from each other, play off of each other’s strengths, and continue to strive to streamline and improve processes and better serve the students by leveraging their many partnerships, creating system alignment and expanding services to Rota and Tinian.
Attao specifically thanked Director of Instruction Dante Yumul and other NMTI instructors, Romy Cayetano, Ed Taruc, Mike Vargas, Wendell Posadas, and Luis Deleon Guerrero; chefs Ben Babauta and Inas Hocog; facilities support Lucio Saures, Dino Romolor, and Joe Lifoifoi; Stephen Sablan, the lone member of the IT department; finance team Natalia Sablan and Rosiel Holgado; administrative staff and student services team Amy Babauta, Emiling Lisua, Jerry Pangelinan, and Meena Benavente; Char Quitano, who singlehandedly handles human resources for NMTI; and “the dynamic duo,” Vic Cepeda and Rip Stephenson.
“I know that we have all had our moments, but I am truly grateful to have been blessed with an amazing team that continues to pull through despite the obstacles we faced these past six months…. Your work does not go unnoticed,” said Attao.
To the NMTI students, she said, “You are the future of the CNMI workforce. Thank you for your trust and determination to move forward with NMTI as we grow together in this goal to fill the needs of our Commonwealth.”
Attao also extended her gratitude to the CNMI Youth Congress, whose members congratulated and thanked the institute for its efforts in helping young people enhance their skill sets in the trades industry and contribute to the betterment of the local economy.
Congratulations
Attending the kick-off ceremony were several government, business, and community leaders, including Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, House Committee on Education Chair Leila Staffler, other lawmakers, Department of Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, Department of Commerce Secretary Edward M. Deleon Guerrero, Tan Holdings president and chief executive officer Jerry Tan, NMTI board members and many others.
“I know that [NMTI] has gone through a lot on this transition, but I’m so, so happy that they’re doing great. We’re giving them the resources that they need and of course, all of the support, so I look forward to their success,” said Gov. Torres, noting that the administration continues to prioritize what the CNMI needs in terms of its workforce for the next 10 to 15 years.
The governor said the administration has provided funding to NMTI and its different programs, as well as for a new state-of-the-art facility.
“The funding is there if they need it. We’ll continue to give them more funding as they need to move forward. I’ve dedicated some properties for them to build a state-of-the-art facility. I just spoke with the NMTI board chairman. We’re going to get up-to-date on that, the status of that project and funding,” he said.
Speaker Villagomez, for his part, said anytime there is a kick-off ceremony for something that provides opportunities for CNMI youth and the general community is always a good thing.
“It’s good to see that [NMTI] has never faded away and that this opportunity is still ongoing, and they’re expanding… I wish NMTI the best of luck because their success is the success of our community [by] helping with the economic recovery and passing on of knowledge,” he said.
House Committee on Education Chair Leila Staffler, for her part, said, “I love how there’s so much collaboration that has gone on to building relationships among different agencies so that our people, wherever they are at, will be able to access these kinds of educational opportunities. I’m really proud of the team who have come together to put this event together and also to just get NMTI on the track that it needs to be so we can get services back to our community.”
Staffler, who regularly attends NMTI board meetings and is actively involved in the institute since she took office in January 2021, said the kick-off affirms that the institute is reaching out to the community to ensure that its programs continue.
NMTI reopened its doors to its students last month.
From left, NMTI Trustee Catherine Attao-Toves, NMHC CDBG-DR program manager Kimo Rosario, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, NMHC corporate director, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, NMTI board chair Mario Valentino, Trustee Carmelita Faisao, Trustee Ana Mendiola, and NMTI interim CEO Jodina Attao pose for a photo following the signing of an scholarship program agreement between NMTI and NMHC.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, CNMI Department of Corrections Commissioner Wally Villagomez, Sgt. Jeff Quitugua, Corrections legal counsel Leslie Healer, and other Corrections representatives are flanked by NMTI board chair Mario Valentino and NMTI interim CEO Jodina Attao for a photo following the signing of a program outreach agreement between Corrections and NMTI.
From left, NMHC CDBG-DR program manager Kimo Rosario, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, NMTI board chair Mario Valentino, House Committee on Education Chair Leila Staffler, CNMI Youth Sen. Easton Dela Cruz, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, NMHC corporate director Jesse Palacios, and NMTI interim CEO Jodina Attao prepare to cut a ribbon to mark the opening of the new NMTI financial aid office.
NMTI interim CEO Jodina Attao gives closing remarks as NMTI board members, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, and other officials and guests look on.
