Sablan sees shortfall in food for man’amko, food stamps

Mary Margaret “Maggie” Sablan

This early, the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs expects that there is going to be a shortfall in food for the man’amko (senior citizens), and in food stamps next fiscal year, according to DCCA Secretary Mary Margaret “Maggie” Sablan on Friday.

Speaking during the House Ways and Means Committee hearing for the proposed DCCA 2024 budget, Sablan disclosed that the numbers of man’amko keep going up as many senior citizens are signing up for the Office on Aging program.

She said DCCA is not just about community and cultural matters; it’s also a welfare agency so they serve the community from birth to man’amko.

The office provides free, government-subsidized food and services to the man’amko enrolled at the Office on Aging. Right now, DCCA already expects to see a shortfall in food subsidy.

“And that’s going to be a big deal. We’re trying to figure out how we’re going to do it,” Sablan said.

She said food stamp is going up because the government let go of a lot of employees who were funded by the American Rescue Plan Act money. The secretary said those employees qualify for food stamps, so DCCA is also going to have a shortfall in food stamps.

Sablan said they are now figuring out where to they make adjustments to make sure that the food stamps go a long way.

“Do we adjust the income poverty level? Or do we adjust the benefit level?” she asked.

At the start of the budget hearing, Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan) noted that majority of DCCA programs have federal funds.

Yumul said this is possibly why the Palacios administration’s proposed budget for DCCA cut the operation budget to allow the department to utilize more federal grants.

“We need to be updated as far as what the grants are allowed for, what is not allowed for. Should there be additional funds that we do find in the budget that we can address, then it will be up to the members to decide what will be allotted to DCCA,” Yumul said.

With respect to the Office of the DCCA secretary, Sablan said when the divisions are in dire need of anything, they come to her. She said with zero funding, she does not know how to help them.

“We absolutely have nothing. And I mean nothing. As in zero,” said the secretary, referring to the administration’s proposed zero budget for the secretary’s operations or the “all others.”

Sablan said these austerity measures are going to hurt mostly the poor people.

“I know that in the previous administration, there was an abundance of money [from American Rescue Plan Act]. And [now] I’m hearing that’s depleted. So where do we go from here?” she asked.

The secretary said she does not know whose bright idea it was to put civil service employees on 100% ARPA. “We went crazy trying to figure out how to meet the law in terms of retaining these people. You can’t terminate Civil Service employees so we have to keep them,” she said.

How are they going to keep them if there’s no money, Sablan said, so they just started scrambling, looking into every federal account where they can put them.

“But you know that’s not right. We don’t tailor positions to the applicant. The applicant has to qualify for the position,” she said.

Sablan said lawmakers can help DCCA fix all of that discrepancy now. She cited an example that they have an archaeologist in the Historic Preservation Office who is essential to the grant and was 100% ARPA funded.

The secretary said if they couldn’t hold the archaeologist, they will lose their Historic Preservation funds so they put him on a temporary grant.

Sablan said they also need to be able to match these federal funds. “These are not free,” she said.

The secretary said they cannot serve the man’amko if they don’t have the vehicles to take them out. She said they were able to get vehicles but they’re old and need repairs and maintenance.

Sablan named four essential things they need to survive—pay their power, fuel for the vehicles, pay for repairs and maintenance to fix what breaks down, and communications money or for cellphones.

She said the bathroom at the Man’amko Center needs fixing as it is leaking.

“It’s pathetic!” Sablan said, adding that their federal funds cannot fix structure and renovate.

“So come down, visit us. Come down and use our bathroom. You’ll see,” she said. “It’s one thing to have $1,000 here and there, but, man, zero. How to work with zero?” S

The secretary said she’s very depressed coming to the committee budget hearing because she wants to cry.

“Because what am I defending? Zero!” she said.

Sablan said some of DCCA’s programs have federal money, but they’re earmarked.

She said they cannot just apply for federal money and say they just need to do what they need to do. “No. You have to specify,” the secretary said.

Sablan said they are looking at upgrading, but it’s hard to do that when the department is just trying to stay afloat.

She said the Historic Preservation has a huge grant so they are going to do renovation.

The secretary said she wants to renovate the Man’amko Center with that money, but she cannot because there is a criteria to qualify and the Man’amko Center does not qualify.