Emergency food aid seen as positive booster for local economy as a whole

Hundreds of Saipan residents flocked to the Emergency Food Assistance centers until last night, waiting for their turn to be processed to receive food stamps, which may only be spent until tomorrow, Sept. 30.

The extended deadline to register on Saipan fell on Monday, but the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Nutrition Assistance Program decided to accommodate up to 5,000 applicants that were not processed until the close of the centers that night.

DCCA public information officer Catherine Anderson said the centers—located at the Joeten Kiyu Public Library and the former courthouse in Susupe—would be open until 12 midnight today to process those who have registered to beat the Monday deadline. She said the centers would also close at the same time last night.

With the high number of applicants still waiting to be processed yesterday, the amount of food stamps that are being given out to those affected by supertyphoon Chaba will definitely exceed the over $1.22 million-worth of food coupons distributed to residents of Saipan, Tinian and Rota as of last Monday.

The Department of Commerce views this development as “very positive” for the CNMI’s economy.

“It’s going to contribute tremendously to the sale of the grocery items. That’s the initial impact,” said James Santos, the Commerce Department’s economist. “It’s a very positive infusion of fresh money.”

Anderson said the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service has granted over $2 million in emergency food assistance to the CNMI to heed the Commonwealth government’s request for relief following the onslaught of Supertyphoon Chaba, which led to a presidential disaster declaration covering the islands.

What would contribute to the positive impact of food stamp spending, according to Santos, is that the food coupons would be spent in local markets until Sept. 30.

“You cannot save it. You have to spend it right away,” Santos said. “The food stamp—you have to spend it locally.”

Santos said the government has no accurate measurement of the effect of the food stamp money to the economy, but added that food stamp spending would have a ripple effect. He said the situation would not only benefit retailers, but also supporting industries like shipping and wholesale.

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce shares this view, commending the CNMI government for tapping into the federal program. Chamber president Alex Sablan said food stamps would not only help families affected by the disaster, but also the economy as a whole.

“It’s going to be a good infusion of federal dollars,” Sablan said. “We’re happy that the CNMI government, through the NAP, was able to avail of this program.”

At the San Jose Mart early last night, long lines of customers waited for their turn to tender their food coupons at cashier counters in exchange for food items.

Candy, a cashier, said many customers were using food stamps to shop at the grocery store. “They’re really a lot,” she said tersely, counting the food coupons tendered by one customer.

Pearl Castro, supervisor at the Joeten Supermarket in Susupe, said their sales “improved a lot” with the high number of customers using food coupons for their purchase.

As of Monday, the NAP reported that the amount of emergency food stamps given out to residents of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota from Sept. 18 until Monday totaled $1,223,842. The amount benefited some 6,893 households with about 23,037 members.

The NAP said at least 196 households were denied food stamps—139 on Saipan, 42 on Tinian, and 15 on Rota. The number of households that have withdrawn their applications reached at least 42.

At the emergency food assistance centers yesterday, many residents complained about the long hours for their turn to get their food coupons.

At the Joeten Kiyu Public Library early last night, 46-year-old Joe Gaor said he has been waiting since 7am for his name to be called by a NAP representative so he could claim his food stamps. He said he registered for emergency food relief Wednesday last week, but only got interviewed Monday night.

DCCA’s Anderson said the centers have been entertaining some 1,500 applications daily. She said NAP would process the applicants who registered during the deadline last Monday. The names of applicants whose claims have been processed would be posted at the centers for them to claim their food coupons.

Emergency food stamps could be used to buy food items such as vegetables, fruits, fish, rice, meat, canned foods, baby formula, milk and other daily products, eggs, drinking water, and bread and other bakery products, according to the DCCA.

They could not be used to buy alcoholic beverages, tobacco, soap, detergents, paper products, medicine, cosmetics, toilet tissue, pampers, and betel nut, the DCCA said.

Anderson earlier said applications would be audited and reviewed, warning that the government would look into possible commission of fraud.