15 complete third cycle of PCF

Pacific Century Fellows vice chair Alex Sablan, far left, Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog, Gov. Ralph Torres, and PCF chair Jerry Tan join the PCF graduates in a group photo at the 3rd cycle PCF graduation ceremony at Fiesta Resort & Spa on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. (Demalynn S. Pagarao)

Members of the third cycle of the Pacific Century Fellows capped their nine-month program last Saturday with a graduation night at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan’s Hibiscus Hall.

The 15 graduates were added to the 30 other PCF Fellows, as they are usually called, who are mostly young leaders committed to creating solution for the challenges the CNMI is facing today.

In his message to the new batch of PCF Fellows, PCF vice chair Alex Sablan expressed hope that their experiences with the program will give the new graduates a greater appreciation for the issues affecting the CNMI and the Pacific region.

“We have created a ‘think tank’ of alumni to collaborate together to tackle issues affecting our community. We now have 45 solution-driven alumni in our Marianas chapter,” said

Sablan also read the remarks of former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann, who started the PCF program in Hawaii, as he was not able to make it to this year’s ceremony. Hannemann, who congratulated the graduates, told them that being in PCF means they have taken on a lifetime commitment of being a mentor to one another.

One of the new PCF Fellows, Janice Castro of the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, said she learned a lot from joining PCF.

“The biggest takeaway, as far as career [is concerned], is learning about the developments in Waikiki. About the infrastructure needs and how they are trying to address employment and tourism. Tourism is one of their main economy drivers, just like here. They deal with double what we deal with because they are a bigger place. With new development happening, PCF taught me that it is all about learning to balance, taking care of our economy, but most importantly, taking care of our people. They come first. With more tourists coming and using our…resources, it is important for us to go out into the community and educate others about maintaining the beauty of our island,” said Castro.

Another PCF Fellow, Brad Ruszala, gave the welcoming remarks. He said that being a PCF graduate is only the beginning of great responsibilities. “We will use our partnerships that we gained through this program with our operations and our coworkers at every level,” Ruszala said.

Alexis Cabrera of Imperial Pacific said: “The greatest thing about PCF is the networking. When you bond with your fellow classmates, you know that when you need someone, when you need help in a community project, the ease is in the fact that we have made connections with people of the community who will be there to help you.”

PCF chair Jerry Tan said his biggest reason for doing the program is to help others with networking.

“We try to broaden their exposures. It is the people who make the islands a great place. PCF helps nurture and grow brighter, young future leaders. I would like to thank the employers and families of our graduates for making them take time off to do this program,” Tan said.

PCF is now accepting applications for the 4th cycle. Applications can be picked up at the PCF Marianas Chapter Office on the second floor of the JP Center, Beach Road, Garapan. You can also download the application form at www.pcf-marianas.com. Deadline for applications is on Feb. 17.