FLASHBACK December 5, 2000-2002

Investors defend ‘shooting resorts'[/B]

Foreign investors seeking to establish international shooting ranges in the CNMI hosted Saturday an affair that gathered local leaders, prospective investors, and other guests in renewed efforts to calm fears on the safety of setting up so-called “shooting resorts” on the islands. URS Corporation, a newly-chartered business group that has pledged an initial $25 million for the undertaking, said it was giving the Northern Marianas until the end of December to seize the unique investment opportunity that investors project would boost the local tourism industry.

A survey conducted by a Tokyo-based marketing firm revealed that only 32.2 percent of the 1,000 Japanese surveyed are aware of the existence of Saipanda campaign promoting the Northern Marianas in Japan. Of this, 65.8 percent learned about it through television commercial, 34.2 percent through newspapers and magazines and 16.1 percent through flyers/travel pamphlets. K.K. Creative Assist was chosen by MVA to conduct a marketing survey on the CNMI’s market share in Japan as well as determine the effectiveness of its advertising campaign after over one year of using the Saipanda character.

Military drops ‘heavy equipment’ on Tinian[/B]

The US military has started unloading heavy equipment on Tinian amid reports that it is planning to use its leased land on the island as a holding area for captured members of the al-Qaida network of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, aside from Afghan refugees. Emergency Management Office Deputy Director Mark S. Pangelinan told the Saipan Tribune that they received a message from the US Navy late yesterday afternoon, saying that there will be a “heavy equipment drop” on Tinian for ten days. Based on an EMO advisory, the activity would have started yesterday at 2pm and would have lasted for three hours. Pangelinan said he is not aware as to what heavy equipment the military is unloading on the island.

Citing numerous preferential trade treatments given to other countries by the United States, the Saipan garment industry braces for a stiffer global competition in 2002 amid the continuing economic recession. Saipan Garment Manufacturing Association Executive Director Richard Pierce said the garment industry has troubled waters ahead due to competition brought mainly by the favorable treatment from the mainland US to several countries. Pierce explained that the Saipan garment industry will be forced to compete with factories in other countries that would be able to provide products of the same quality at a better price as a result of these preferential treatments.

NMI youths’ behavior alarming [/B]

Latest analysis from a youth risk-survey conducted last year by the Public School System showed that more teenagers in the CNMI having sex. The PSS’ Selected Results from the 2001 CNMI High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 50.9 percent of the students have had sexual intercourse, and that 34.5 percent had it with one or more people. Among high school students, 8.5 percent of respondents had sexual intercourse before the age 13, while some (5.1 percent) middle school respondents said they first had sex before 11 years old.

The Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee is racing against time to work out the technical aspects of the $19-million loan that the government is aiming to obtain from lending institutions, in the hope of paying off its rebate and refund obligations before Christmas Day. Committee Chair Sen. Jose M. Dela Cruz disclosed yesterday that the Senate panel is coordinating with the Marianas Public Lands Trust and the Babauta administration in this effort. “What will happen is, a lending institution will lend us the money but MPLT will guarantee the loan. That’s how you can borrow the money–with a good interest rate and to make sure that we get the money. MPLT might float the bond in our behalf because they have over $50 million sitting on their coffers,” explained Dela Cruz.