15 take oath as new citizens

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, second from left in front, Cinta M. Kaipat, extreme left in front, and Immigration Services officer Aaron Johnson, to Manglona’s left, join 15 new U.S. citizens for a photo after a naturalization ceremony in federal court yesterday morning. (Ferdie De La Torre)

Ernesto Valencia Lacorte, 65, a native of Tagkawayan, Quezon, Philippines, had goosebumps yesterday at the naturalization ceremony in the U.S. District Court for the NMI. After living on Saipan for 32 years and fresh from retiring as chief financial officer of the 7th Day Adventist Clinic, Lacorte said that finally obtaining his American citizenship “is a kind of culmination of what we dreamed of.”

“I think it is kind of validation of my love for this island, my love for this country,” he said in an interview after the ceremony.

Lacorte first came to Saipan in 1987 when he served as an accountant with Basic Construction, before moving to the 7th Day Adventist Clinic as its chief financial officer.

Lacorte, who always tells himself that if he has do “something,” he has to go through all the steps of whatever needs to be done, would have to come up with new plans now.

“I have to plan the next thing I would do,” said Lacorte who was among the 15 persons from the Philippines, South Korea, and China who took their oaths yesterday as new citizens.

For Korean couple Jeamsuk Baek and Daeyoung Huh, yesterday’s ceremony was the culmination of almost eight years of holding green cards as a religious missionary couple.

Huh first came to Saipan as a tourist in 2004. Huh, a pastor, and his wife, Baek, returned as missionaries the following year.

Huh has been teaching Korean at the Northern Marianas College for five semesters now. Huh, 57, and Baek, 52, have one daughter, who was born in Hawaii. The couple are still doing missionary work at the Amen Church in Kagman.

For Elsa Torrecampo Zapanta, she is just happy and proud to be U.S. citizen. Zapanta, who hails from Cavite, Philippines, first came to the island in 1984.

Cinta M. Kaipat, who served as the guest speaker at the ceremony, expressed hope that, no matter where the new citizens would go after obtaining their citizenship, they don’t forget that they always have a home here in the CNMI.

The lawyer, who is also a former lawmaker, said that when the prospective U.S. citizens walked through the doors of Horiguchi Building where the District Court is located, they also walked in with their dreams. They will then be walking out to start living their dreams, she added.

“Because we all aspire to realize our dreams and live our best lives and give back to our community. Love our America, and pledge to make it better so you have to get involved. Make it better and we need to care for each other. Make this world a better place,” she said.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona presided over the ceremony and administered the oath and pledge of allegiance for the new citizens.

The ceremony was held in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

Aside from Lacorte, Baek, Huh, and Zapanta, the other new citizens are Arnel Concepcion Cadiang, Lillian Dalumpines Cadiang, Yueping Guo, Crispulo Bagtas Hilario Jr., Rosalinda Pineda Lizama, Luz Inay Martin, Alfredo Gomez Napo, Ruel Chiu Nava, Manolo Balais Reyes, Bobby Nacario Sanje, and Cherrie Panlilio Villanueva.