Five agencies honored at inauguration concert

Concert-goers enjoy the 2019 inauguration concert last Saturday evening at the Marianas Business Plaza parking area. (Erwin Encinares)

In keeping with the name #Marianas STRONG, the Torres administration’s inauguration concert last Saturday evening at the Marianas Business Plaza parking lot honored five agencies that were among the earliest to work with the CNMI government in response to Super Typhoon Yutu in late October 2018.

The five are the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Defense, American Red Cross, Marianas Young Professionals, and The Salvation Army.

Present to receive the plaques of appreciation were FEMA deputy regional administrator Bill Roche, DoD coordinating officer Harry Elliot, ARC-NMI Chapter executive director John Hirsh, MYP executive director Gerard Van Gils, and Salvation Army soup kitchen program coordinator Annie Lizama.

In his short remarks, Roche said: “It’s a tremendous honor for FEMA and our fellow partners to be here supporting all of the survivors of Typhoon Yutu. …It has been an unbelievable experience so far.”

Last Saturday marked the 80th day since Typhoon Yutu pummeled the CNMI.

“We have a lot of work to do and a lot of work has been done up to this day. We are super appreciative of the patience and resilience of the CNMI population that was affected and everybody else. We are here for the long haul,” added Roche.

Elliott thanked the people of the CNMI in his short message. “…I want to [thank everyone] for welcoming the soldiers and sailors that come here to help you return to a new normal,” he said. “It is one of the most humbling undertakings any member of the U.S. military can ever take—to help a fellow American [regain] life from one of the worst days we have ever faced.”

Hirsh, Van Gils, and Lizama all had similar messages of gratitude to the CNMI and the Torres administration for recognizing their efforts in restoring normalcy after Supewr Typhoon Yutu.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who also spoke at the event, said there are other companies and non-profit organizations that are helping with the recovery from Super Typhoon Yutu, but the five organizations were the first responders “so to speak, as they had their teams out since Day 1.”

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has contributed one way or the other and to everyone who is continuing to contribute,” he said. “…At the end of the day it is the friendship that we have [that counts], and I cannot ask for a better friendship than what we have with our partners.”