FEMA lauds contractors’ smooth, timely work

Federal Emergency Management Agency Long Term Recovery Office director Wayne “Randy” Clayton presents a certificate of appreciation to RNV Construction owner/general manager Ruel Villacrusis during a ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the end of the program at the final turnover of the new home in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan, Thursday. (FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

Wayne “Randy” Clayton, the director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Long Term Recovery Office, said Thursday last week that they are impressed with their contractors under their Permanent Housing Construction Program that has benefitted over 200 households on Saipan and Tinian whose homes were destroyed during Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018.

Clayton said they are “absolutely happy” with RNV Construction, which was the contractor of the 179th—and last—newly constructed home, and several other contractors of the program.

“They [RNV] are perfect in the design and engineering now. Perfect in the sense that they had all the experience of the other homes. And you see, the construction is concrete and steel,” said Clayton in an interview shortly after the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the end of FEMA’s Permanent Housing Construction program in the CNMI at the final turnover of the new home to homeowner Joaquina Agulto in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan.

At the ceremony, FEMA awarded a certificate of appreciation “for a job well done” to Ruel Villacrusis, who is the owner/general manager of RNV Construction.

RNV was one of FEMA’s contractors and the full contractor for Agulto’s home.

FEMA also handed certificates of appreciation to Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Public Assistance Office Governor’s authorized representatives Patrick C. Guerrero, Management and Budget special assistant Virginia Villagomez, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., and Bureau of Environmental Coastal Quality.

Clayton said it was not just the construction phase that took a long time but establishing the program in 2018 and getting homeowners qualified for the program. He said it was establishing the program and getting applicants qualified that took a long time to complete.

Clayton said the challenge there as Robert Pesapane, who is FEMA Region 9 acting director for Public Assistance Division, noted was that over 150 homeowners applied for what they call expanded disaster legal services. FEMA had to hire attorneys to help applicants establish homeownership, and that sometimes took six months, Clayton said.

“Construction really is one of the best things with minimal delays—occasional weather delay, occasional changes in the design, or equipment or materials,” he said. But overall the construction was very smooth and timely, he added.

Under the PHC Program, which is a FEMA Program that builds a home completely for free, 165 new homes were built on Saipan and 14 others were completed on Tinian. In total, 101 households (93 on Saipan and eight on Tinian) also received direct repairs under the program.

FEMA approved the PHC Program on Nov. 16, 2018, to support the high demand for housing solutions at that time following Super Typhoon’s widespread devastation on Saipan and Tinian in October 2018.