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New DNAP site is ‘perfect’—Hunter
The new Disaster Nutritional Assistance Program site in Susupe was “perfect,” according to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
DNAP, which moved to its new site at the Minachom Atdao across the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium in Susupe yesterday, was ideal for the distribution of DNAP numbers, according to DCCA Secretary Robert Hunter.
The announcement to move the DNAP site from the NAP office in As Lito was made late Sunday evening.
“It’s great,” he told Saipan Tribune, adding that the vehicular traffic in the larger four-lane roads in Susupe allowed vehicles to drive through the DNAP number distribution site in the pavilion while allowing others to drive through the area with little trouble.
“…[The traffic] would have been up in the [Nutritional Assistance Program office in As Lito] if we did not do this here and it would have clogged up that road,” he said, adding that it would be troublesome since the Saipan International School is across the NAP office.
“That would’ve posed serious problems…It’s perfect [here],” he said.
The new DNAP numbering site at the Minachom Atdao was able to accommodate both drive-throughs and walk-ins, Hunter noted.
“We have already knocked out all the remaining numbers for [today] and [tomorrow], and we are already giving out numbers for Thursday,” he said, adding that the NAP office only entertained 1,700 numbers per day.
Hunter further noted that the original intent of the location change was to prevent camping out for benefits, which occurred last Sunday when residents started camping out of the NAP office as early as 6pm Saturday evening.
“There was no camping last [Sunday] night, which was the objective of moving it down here,” he said, referring to the new location.
Hunter further reiterated that the camping that occurred last Saturday evening was unnecessary since there is enough DNAP benefits to go around.
“Anybody who qualifies is going to get assistance. You don’t need to camp out. You might not be the first one to get DNAP benefits,” he said, adding that eventually, if you were qualified, you would be receiving benefits.
