Consolaction C. Togawa, 4th left, holds the framed copy of Senate Resolution 23-4 as she poses for a photo with her family, Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero and other senators on Friday last week.
THE Senate on Friday, June 23, 2023, presented Consolacion Cabrera Togawa with a framed copy of Senate Resolution 23-4 honoring her for her long years of government service.
The co-authors of the resolution, Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero and Sen. Celina R. Babauta, praised Togawa “for her selfless service to the…NMI.”
Also commending Togawa were Senate Floor Leader Corina L. Magofna and Sens. Dennis Mendiola, Jude U. Hofschneider and Frank Q. Cruz.
Togawa was with her family.
In an interview on Tuesday, she expressed her gratitude to Deleon Guerrero and the rest of the 23rd Senate.
Turning 84 on Aug. 13, Togawa embarked on her journey of public service at the age of 16 when she worked as clerk for the late Isidro S. Tudela in the municipal government.
Under the Naval Administration in 1957, she worked at the Land Claims Office, keeping records of government land, private properties, village and agricultural homesteads on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. She worked closely with the Land Advisory Board and the Inspection Board to summarize and prepare inspection reports of homesteaders’ development progress.
She was involved in identifying and researching pre-war properties and ancestral lands, and processing land transactions.
She also worked in 1958 with Saipan Mayor Elias P. Sablan who was also the land title officer in reviewing pre-war pending claims on Rota, which was at the time under the U.S. Department of the Interior.
From statistical recorder, Togawa was promoted to realty technician in 1963, a title she held until her resignation on June 27, 1968. She also worked as a merchandise and accounting clerk from 1970 to 1974.
She served the Micronesian War Claims Commission from 1974 to 1976, preparing the agenda for the Micronesian claims commissioners’ meetings on a weekly basis. She also prepared 100 to 150 casefiles of claimants decision awards each week while accounting for records of deceased claimants’ personal and land damage awards, and assisting legal counsels in land matters and damages.
Togawa also worked with the late Pedro Atalig during the first Constitutional Convention from August to November 1976, preparing minutes for the delegates and supervising the clerks. She later worked for the Farmers Home Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1976.
She then served as land title investigator/adjudicator and member of the Land Registration and Survey from October 1994 to December 2002, and instituted preliminary inquiries regarding the titles to all land claims by individuals and families.
As a result of her dedication to the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, she was appointed chair of the Land Registration Team in 1998, supervising three sitting members, conducting and presiding over hearings and meetings, setting the agenda and ensuring that their hearings were followed in accordance with the law.
Togawa also worked for the Marianas Public Lands Authority as land researcher in 2002. She was able to compile accurate land data and reviews while examining private properties taken by the government to determine their use for public purpose.
She was in charge of reviewing findings and justifying and making recommendations for land compensation to landowners for property taken for public purposes.
She was appointed chief of homestead from 2005 to 2006, tasked with overseeing the village homestead program.
Following her vast public service that ultimately aided the CNMI government, Togawa established her own firm, Marianas Land Title Research and Consulting which dealt with private properties, land and other related matters, including assisting private attorneys in land issues and litigation.
Togawa, who has attended various training programs and received several awards, was certified by the Superior Court as an expert in the field of land title and land claims research.
