“The mayor is in the frontline, the key player in extending the services to the people, that’s why the people need to make a wise choice,” he said, adding that the voters should choose the candidate who will represent and address the community’s concerns first.
PRIORITIES
Demapan’s platform includes the following:
Employment first
With the present difficulties and problems the CNMI is facing today, Demapan said that getting jobs for the jobless is his first priority if he gets elected into office.
“Saipan is one of the most expensive places to live in these days. The residents can hardly keep up with the escalating cost of food, living expenses and everything,” Demapan said.
To alleviate the worsening economic situation, Demapan said that the people need to find well-paying jobs not only to meet their daily expenses but to raise the standard of living.
“If elected as mayor, my first priority would be to set up an office to generate much-needed jobs for the jobless,” Demapan said.
He added that this project would involve enlisting all the jobless individuals in the island, see where they fit in and link them with the private sectors.
He said that if training is needed, the mayor’s office will facilitate the training necessary in order for the jobless to land well-paying jobs.
“There are a lot of jobs in the island that does not require college degrees or even college education, but just short training,” Demapan said.
He cited the availability of jobs in hotels, restaurants, stores, golf courses and other establishments that are “trainable”.
Demapan said that if elected as mayor, he would help the people join the U.S. military services.
“If our people join the military, that means employment,” he said.
Demapan said he fully supports the implementation of the federal minimum wage rate in the island.
“For a very long time, the federal wages in the island had been too low. It’s high time for the community to get better rates through the federal minimum wage rate,” he said.
Scholarships
Education is important in lifting the standard of living in the island, Demapan said. But he added that education is not limited to getting a degree in college but to venture into vocational courses like carpentry, electrician, and other in-demand courses that would translate to employment.
Island beautification
Making Saipan a paradise to live in is possible with the cooperation of the community, Demapan said.
He said that everyday, motorists and pedestrians face the daily dangers and hazards of driving on flooded streets caused by sewer problems, the pressing issue of stray dogs and hordes of other problems.
“We can do so much to make our island beautiful like enforcing the existing laws to protect the island, landscaping the roadsides, recycling, repairing the sewer system, maintaining the cleanliness of the island, addressing the stray dog and ‘road kill’ issues, and anything that makes Saipan beautiful,” he said.
Maintaining a clean and beautiful Saipan would entice more tourists to come here and generate more business, he said.
Mass transit
Easy mobility in the island is one issue that Demapan vows to look into if he gets elected into office.
“We need a means of affordable transportation that tourists and residents could board to get from one point to another,” he said. Demapan added that this could be a pilot project which will reduce congestion in the streets, and help the residents save on gas,” he said.
Establishing cooperatives
Establishing cooperative stores, supermarkets and even gasoline stations in the island which would sell goods at cheaper prices is one of Demapan’s priorities.
“Paying cheaper prices for the same goods in regular stores would help the community a lot to make ends meet,” he said.
Asked if this would not create a conflict with the existing businesses on island, he said that “if it is in the interest or benefit of the people, you will never go wrong.”
He added that the Saipan mayor’s office should also look into establishing cooperatives for fishermen and farmers and target exporting the island’s local products to other places to maximize income potential.
Feeding program
Providing proper nutrition is one of Demapan’s priorities if he gets elected as mayor.
“A lot of people on Saipan lack proper food because what meager income they get goes to pay for bills and utilities,” he said. With this, he wants to put up a feeding center which will provide food for the hungry.
He also looks into finding solutions to find a supply of potable water at lower costs for the community.
“These are important things that need immediate attention,” he said.
Change for the better
Demapan said that there is a need to review all the government agencies and get rid of those that have not been functional for the past years.
He said his goal of running in the mayoral race is to see a difference in the lives of the people of Saipan.
“The people of Saipan need to wake up and re-engineer the government. If it’s not working, let’s fix it. I want to initiate the changes and I need the support of the people to do it,” Demapan said.
