Pathway relighting nearly done

A jogger uses the Beach Road Pathway to do his daily exercise. (Erwin Encinares)

The Marianas Visitors Authority is on the brink of officially completing the relighting of the Beach Road Pathway, a project that started earlier this year to provide security to joggers and an overall good view at night for those who wish to walk along Beach Road.

MVA is pleased with the outcome of the project, the Beach Road Pathway having already been lit for three weeks now.

Although it is not yet fully complete, the relighting has been progressing well, MVA managing director Chris Concepcion said.

“The Beach Road Pathway lights are all up and have been lit for about three weeks now without interruption. However, it’s not completely finished,” said Concepcion.

Concepcion said the lights still has issues with wiring, but are currently being addressed by their contractor, who intends to finish the project.

“The contractor is still fine-tuning some of the wiring and finalizing some of the paper work before the project can be considered officially complete. We are very pleased with the progress, and we are very thrilled with the results. The Beach Road Pathway lights are a great attraction,” he said.

“They provide a sense of security for our visitors and residents who choose to walk the path in the evening hours,” he added.

Concepcion said the community has the shared responsibility to be on the lookout for copper wire thieves, which are commonly stolen. The pathway used to be well-lit but has been hit by copper wire thieves over the years.

“We urge our community to remain vigilant so that vandals and thieves are deterred from committing any crimes against the pathway and its users. The MVA is proud to have funded this project and we extend our thanks to our partners in the government and private sector who helped make it a success,” said Concepcion.

The Philippines honorary consul to Saipan, Glicerio Arago, agrees with Concepcion.

“This is a big improvement to the tourist district Garapan, Beach Road particularly, because if the pathway is dark, it’s scary, and tourists and locals might not even use the pathway because of that. With the lighting system on, at least you feel safe. When you feel safe, you get motivated to keep on walking,” said Arago, who frequently walks and exercises along the pathway.

“I know that a lot of people would like to walk along Beach Road to get a view of the ocean as they walk, but if it’s too dark, they change their minds. With these lights on, I believe that a lot of people will be inspired to walk,” he added.

Arago said that the pathway lights are appreciated, but continuous maintenance of the project must be constant so that the pathway lights remain intact.

“The only thing that needs to be done from here is properly maintaining the pathway lights. The lights have to be checked every now and then, because if not, who knows, maybe after two weeks the lights are off again, and the state of Beach Road returns to its old self,” he said.

“That has happened before, when nobody was maintaining the pathway lights, they just suddenly turned off and it was really dark. Vandalism has also played a role in this, but I think with the proper maintenance, it can be avoided,” Arago added.

MVA board member Jerry Tan spearheaded the project.

According to Tan, both residents and tourists alike benefit from the relighting of the pathway.

“The benefit goes beyond the residents. Many tourists choose to come to Saipan because Saipan is a resort island. Most tourists come from cities, and for them to take a 30-minute walk along the ocean is rare. That is just something that they don’t get to enjoy in their country,” said Tan.

“When they come to our island, just walking along the pathway is an enjoyment, because it is something they don’t get to do often, something we take for granted, but for them, as a tourist, is a treat,” he added.

With the relighting of the pathway, Tan said the overall appeal of Saipan as a tourist destination is enhanced.

“We thought that it enhances Saipan as a tourist destination. Because tourists choose to come to a resort island, we can give them the opportunity after a long day of enjoying the island by walking the pathway. The pathway actually has a lot of tourism value, and for me, that enhances the destination overall,” he said.

Funded by the MVA and contracted by the Department of Public Works, the more than $600,000 relighting project has been delayed due to copper wire theft. Now, the project is just waiting for paperwork before being announced officially completed. The original completion month was August 2016 but vandals and wire thieves scuttled that plan.

The Beach Road Pathway stretches several thousand meters, starting from the Port of Saipan in the north, passing through the iconic American Memorial Park, and all the way to San Antonio in the south. It is officially called the Froilan C. Tenorio Beach Road Pathway.