LibDay Parade lineup showcases CNMI’s unique culture

Members of the 2016 CNMI Royal Court went down their float and laid flowers at the 13 Fishermen Monument to pay their respects to the 13 fishermen who perished decades ago. (Contributed Photo)

Fourth of July will forever be a special day for CNMI, the day when the people were liberated from Camp Susupe 71 years ago in 1945. The 2016 CNMI Liberation Day festivities and its theme “Our Island, Our Heritage” was focused on celebrating the independence of the island and pay tribute to the veterans who fought for the independence. This year, Skywalker Communications Group, in collaboration with Saipan Mayor’s Office and Liberation Day committee, organized the most memorable parade, showcasing the culture of the CNMI and attracting the biggest audience in the history of CNMI.

It was not long ago that Saipan was experiencing a major crisis. Eleven months ago, Typhoon Soudelor almost destroyed the whole community, affecting the daily lives of the islanders. But, just like its history, the people of Saipan, didn’t give up and in 11 months managed to rebuild the community and infrastructure, which was clearly evident at the parade.

This year, 51 marchers and floats participated at the parade. Credit goes to Saipan Mayor’s Office and Skywalker Communications for organizing the event at such a large scale, as well as KKMP for hosting the event. Like previous years, the parade started from the National Office Supply. Beach Road was packed with audiences as Apatang led the parade followed by Dr. Bo Hu, president of Skywalker Communications, major sponsor and organizer of the 2016 CNMI Liberation Day Festivities. Right behind them was Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and first lady Dianne Torres, followed by Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog as well as the dignitaries. As they approached the grand stage, located right across the Garapan Fishing Base, they stepped out of the parade to take their seat at the stage to watch the parade. The parade was broadcasted live by Skywalker Communications and ITE on the CNMI Liberation Day Facebook page.

As the marchers went past the grand stage, each of them performed in front of the stage, which generated a festive vibe and provided entertainment from the crowd. The beautiful performances of the Japanese Association of Saipan, as well as the Chinese and Korean associations showed how diverse the island is, and the pride that Saipan takes for its diversity. The parade ground attracted a lot of tourists from all over the world who travelled from different countries just to attend the event and witness the unique and diverse culture of the CNMI.

Meanwhile, the Liberation Day Parade has unique traditions that have been observed for a long time. One of them is the CNMI Royal Court paying respect at the 13 Fishermen’s Memorial in memory of the 13 men who perished at sea. The tradition of paying respect to the 13 fishermen started on July 4, 2004, during the reign of then Miss CNMI Liberation Queen, Mrs. Leiana Ogumoro-Saures. On that day the truck that was pulling the float suddenly turned off by the old Naked Fish on Beach Road, Garapan before it reached the 13 Fishermen’s memorial. So the queen decided to walk and meet the people from both sides of the road and talk to them and take pictures, as well as pay their respects to the elders. Future Royal Courts have followed Leiana’s tradition and have walked toward the reviewing stand ever since.

The floats are a major attraction of the Liberation Day Parade. This year the floats truly reflected the theme “Our Island, Our heritage” with beautiful and unique designs that represented their community. Last year’s float winner was again among the favorites of this year’s float competition, yet again building a unique float that speaks volumes about its culture. The U.S. Air Force decided to participate in the parade as well by sending a B-52 plane to fly over the parade ground, all the way from their Guam base.

This year’s parade represented how the island was rebuilt again after the typhoon, with many businesses participating in the parade showing the community that life in the CNMI is back to normal. (PR)