Beyond limited vision

For decades, we’ve learned to settle and believe in our physical size, e.g., small islands, therefore small economy. Economists and social experts have pounded this message time and again. The net effect is its limiting effects in how we view ourselves as to stifle our vision almost completely.

This view is what neocolonialism is all about—limiting our vision and beliefs—so we settle for sheer physical size. Furthermore, we ignored pertinent Covenant provision that allows the CNMI economic assistance from economies of scale nearby but must be coursed through appropriate protocol via the U.S. Department of State.

Foremost, we must come to terms with the fact that the entire global village is interconnected in so many areas, e.g., movement of investment money, professional and technical workers, trade in a myriad of goods, shipping, technology in medicine, including applied technology in fishing and farming beyond our woefully limited conventional wisdom. But we need to identify and formulate programs that we wish to develop with the help of countries nearby that excel in, e.g., farming and fishing.

Remember we once had a healthy copra sector. Why did we trash it altogether? Did you know that this is nearly a billion dollar business in the Philippines? We also used to grow cacao that fizzled out over decades. This too is healthy food that rakes in millions of dollars in the Pearl of the Orient. Its applied technology on farming and fishing could benefit the CNMI in ways that would make both sectors healthy and thriving down the road. We could seek assistance from the University of the Philippines, Tokyo, and other higher institutions of learning nearby.

There’s just a dire need to grow other economic sectors here beyond the fickle tourism industry to support the local coffers on a steady basis moving forward. Must open our eyes to what’s known as “anchor” investments that feeds and holds the local economy on a sturdy basis. All these could be done if we use our cranium to challenge conventional wisdom. This curse must also pass!

Oh, we were born with small islands that expand yearly from volcanic eruptions. We also were born with the vastness of the sea around our shores. Isn’t there something downstairs that we could harvest for the local economy? But this takes appropriate protocol through the U.S. Department of State. Let’s put our marbles together and embark on this long but sturdy economic journey.

Helping the less fortunate: Are there folks here who live below abject poverty level, basically incapable of helping themselves? How I wish there’s sufficient courage to boldly declare: There isn’t, thus end of story!

But such isn’t the case at all. Sadly, there are those with “at risk” children we’ve failed to reach out with the conviction of helping them rebuild a hopeful tomorrow beyond the filthy mud of negligence on the part of the system.

I came across several couples that never graduated from high school in recent years. Though they work in menial jobs some 18 hours a day, it’s literally a struggle making ends meet. I was seriously taken aback by meeting couples panting for air in this situation. I could have easily dismissed it as their problem. But it is these folks whom the system has failed to reach out with commitment to guide and help them until they could be on their own.

I also had the opportunity to watch one of these kids (deaf and mute) at a happy gathering of folks from all over. One of his parents is afflicted with a long-term illness and could hardly help him. In the corner of my mind, I tried to figure out how the kid goes through the day a handicap himself. It definitely bothered my conscience. What’s my point?

The social programs or overall system that we have in government have obviously failed these folks whose dire condition needed intervention of sort. The collective agencies could do a lot to help them get from point A to B, however gradual it may be.

It takes a commitment to fulfill fiduciary duties to reach these folks beyond morning coffee at the office and elsewhere. You’re getting paid to assist. Could you lay down your guard of superficial self-importance and start helping? Obviously, your failure and negligence on this score is highly measurable. Hell, we’ll help you conduct your own performance rating!

Salute to Sablan: A dear friend and an uncle, Uncle Manny T. Sablan has moved on, closing the chapter as the last of his generation. He was a Micronesia-wide head of law enforcement under the TTG and knows the region well.

I relish the time we spent together as employees at the Legislature. I was especially fond of his quick wit, intelligence, and keen powers of observations on local issues. And I’m always the grasshopper that needed to listen to the words of wisdom from my elders like Uncle Manny.

He’s a very close friend of my late dad and shared many triumphs in the victory clinched by the famous Saipan Team between here and Guam. For all you are Uncle Manny, thanks for your wise counsel and tons of beautiful music you’ve shared with me through the years. Bien felis as you begin another joyful conversation on baseball with my late dad. Pot todu, i tinayuyot mame yan un` dañkulu na Si Yuus Maase`!

Kilili listens: I may have had my differences with Kilili on issues, though mindful that I can’t change the conduct of business in Washington via critical authorial fiat. But we both agreed to call a spade a spade.

Humbling though his ability to “listen” to folks from all walks of life. Listening is the most important trait of leadership. Nothing else! There’s a difference between leadership and followership. Kilili is in the former, the rest are scrambling for space on the latter.