Clamor to repeal 3-yr. limit grows

Former Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Joe C. Ayuyu believes the CNMI economy would be crippled if government would not take action to repeal the three-year limit law.

In an interview, Mr. Ayuyu said the implementation of Public Law 11-69 would lead to the mass departure of nonresident workers from the Northern Marianas, leaving businesses practically unmanned .

“I can understand the government wants to encourage local people to participate in our economy. It’s a very sound policy but as leaders of these islands, they have to be practical about the reality of the situation — the CNMI still has a very limited labor pool and we still need contract workers,” Mr. Ayuyu lamented.

Instead of going through with PL 11-69’s implementation, he suggested that the government and the business sector come up with a sensible and practical long-term approach to tapping local residents.

Such a measure would eventually lessen the CNMI’s reliance on nonresident workers.

Mr. Ayuyu noted the efforts of Labor Director Alfred Pangelinan whose department he credited of training local residents and developing them to enter the labor force.

“They’re (Division of Labor) doing an outstanding job in terms of placing local people to the job place. In fact I have many referrals from them and hired many,” he said.

He added that the Labor Division’s success only proves that with proper training and motivation, a program to infuse local residents into the economy could become successful.

Mr. Ayuyu said, “What perhaps is needed is to encourage more legislation rewarding companies that train local residents to get into the job market.”

But before lawmakers could map out such plans, Mr. Ayuyu impressed on them to repeal PL 11-69 first. Aside from the three-year limit being impractical and unrealistic, he also said the environment when the law was crafted is different from today’s.

“Three years ago there were a lot of talks on federal takeover. But now, things are different. We have a new leadership in the Republican Administration and they are more into leaving the states and territories alone. They’re goal is to see them take more responsibility for the things they do,” Mr. Ayuyu said.

PL 11-69 was signed by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio in March 1999. It obligates nonresident workers to exit the CNMI after working here for three consecutive years. Nonresident workers can only return to the Commonwealth and seek reemployment after a six-month waiting period.