CNMI PUA Group sets protest rally today at Kilili Beach Park

Members of the Facebook group called CNMI PUA Group will be holding a whole-day protest rally today, June 17, at the Kilili Beach Park, to bring attention to what it says is the “slow or zero progress” in the implementation of the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program that is being administered by the CNMI Department of Labor, as well as many other issues related to this program.

Participants will start assembling at 7am by the Kilili Beach Park pavilion, and is expected to last from 8am to 6pm. Organizers have assured in a press statement that a pavilion has been reserved for this purpose.

In the statement the group released to the media, it cited several issues they have with the PUA program:

1. Lack of communication from DOL to the PUA recipients. None really.

2. DOL has not been present in the weekly “Governors COVID-19 Briefing” for the past six weeks.

3. No status updates on PUA 1 Program: How much has been spent thus far, how many are still waiting, how much is needed to complete this program, and how much money remains to be distributed (plus or minus).

4. The LWA program (Lost Wage Assistance) was to be six-week program. Only three weeks were paid to those who qualified. Currently, according the Sen. Edith Deleon Guerrero’s office during her oversite hearing regarding LWA/FEMA, there is still $2 million that may be sent back to the Federal Emergency Management Agency due to lack of recipients.

5. As per Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan’s weekly update, DOL has $180 million in the bank for the start of PUA 2 (Jan. 27 to Mar. 13). Additional funds will be transferred from the federal government as program proceeds forward. When it proceeds. We want to know when.

6. PUA payments are to be made weekly. Why are payments being sent out in lump sums? Glad to receive it, but the program was set up for weekly disbursements for many reasons.

7. Is DOL working overtime and Saturdays to get this program out to the people?

8. PUA 3 is supposed to cover March 14 to Sept. 4 . It’s June 15 and we still haven’t started this program.

9. As per recent news releases, the governor has created a new office for the expenditure of $481 million over the next few years. A new office to oversee these expenditures.

10. The PUA/FPUA Program will exceed the $481 million criteria set above by the governor. $500 to $600 million is expected to be disbursed.

“How come the PUA Program does not have a new office set up just for this purpose. DOL was the wrong choice for this program. The Department of Finance would have been a better candidate.

“PUA recipients are in desperate need of these relief funds. Our economy is in desperate need of these funds.

“This program was to help the people in need. Families with children, those who lost their jobs due to pandemic, those who had their hours reduced. This program was to help our economy through spending these funds here in grocery stores, school supplies store, restaurants, gas stations and generally needed services.

“Currently many people have had to make decisions regarding power, phone service, car loans, home loans, etc. or put food on the table. Food wins every time. Many people will have to pay reconnection fees to services they lost due to nonpayment, additional strain on these relief funds. The compounding effects of this DOL/PUA program are weighing heavy on the recipients.” (PR)