TanHoldings helps organizations revamp sites

To help revamp sites that were damaged by previous typhoons, TanHoldings Corp. has set aside money to help 32 organizations maintain facilities, sites, and locations around the island.

Speaking at the radio news briefing last Nov. 25, Alex A. Sablan, TanHoldings Corporate Business Development vice president, who is also chairman of the Tourism and Infrastructure Reboot Committee of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers, said that the TanHoldings effort is part of the Public-Private Partnership program of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers and is focused on providing funds to groups that may want to take part in efforts to transform sites in the CNMI to make them “aesthetically more presentable.”

He didn’t state in the radio briefing how much is being set aside for the organizations.

Sablan stated that they’ve gotten assistance from the Marianas Association of Filipino Engineers and Architects to assess the sites, to provide some A&E consulting services for free. A&E is also helping them determine what types of materials are going to be needed and assessing how much it is going to cost.

There have already been renovations at the Grotto, Garapan Central Park, Froilan C. Tenorio Beach Pathway, CowTown, Suicide Cliff, public parks, and beaches. The Grotto site in Marpi now has new railings at the observation deck and on the stairs going down.

According to Sablan, the idea is to make them significantly better than they were prior to COVID-19 and to help organizations financially with transforming a particular site that they adopt.

“The hope is that we will have, as the governor stated, world-class sites developed after we’ve worked on these transformation efforts,” said Sablan.

He added that they are picking up new partners every week and that the Chamorro, Carolinian, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Bangladesh, etc. communities have been proactive with picking up trash.

As of Nov. 18, the 32 organizations that have signed up for the PPP include the Marianas Association of Filipino Engineers and Architects, International Roller Skates, Tasi and the Ali’is, DiveWish, Loco and Taco Dining Bar, Bibong Corp. (Marianas Lighthouse), P&A Corp., Marianas Racing Association, TanHoldings/Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Kanoa Football Club, Beach Road Tourism Development, Inc., E-Land Group, Bridge Capital LLC, Rotary Club of Saipan, Emon Masonic Lodge 179, Rota Mayor’s Office, FilCorp, Rota Merchandising, DK Brother, Hotel Valentino, Commonwealth Ports Authority- Saipan and Rota, Lions Club International District 204, Region 2, Airport Operators Committee, POI Aviation, Triathlon Association of CNMI, NMI Cycling Federation, CTSI Logistics, Northern Marianas Islands Football Association, United Filipino Organization, Korean Community of Saipan, Kanoa Resort Saipan, and the Chinese Association of Saipan.

Sablan lauded Edna Grace Nisola, TanHoldings public relations officer, and Tatiana Babauta, Marianas Visitors Authority’s product development officer, for helping the organizations get permitting for the projects that they are taking on.

If any organization would like to join the GCEA PPP, they can contact Nisola at 233-8080, where she can help them with their process of joining the program.