Best Sunshine, NMC tie up on ‘People’s Survey’

Best Sunshine Ltd. is collaborating with the Northern Marianas College and the Community Development Institute to conduct what it calls a “People’s Survey” that will seek the opinion of Commonwealth residents on economic and social issues.

In a news briefing held yesterday at NMC, Best Sunshine chief operating officer Terence Tay said the People’s Survey is an opportunity for the CNMI community to speak freely about economic and social issues.

Best Sunshine Ltd. is one of two Hong Kong-based investment groups bidding for the exclusive license to build a minimum $2-billion integrated casino resort on Saipan.

Tay said that Best Sunshine wants people “to be frank and honest” in the survey and tell them what they really need.

Northern Marianas College president Dr. Sharon Hart, center, addresses the media while Best Sunshine International Ltd. chief operating officer Terence Tay, left, and Ipsos Loyalty executive director Hao Xu, right, look on during yesterday’s news briefing at NMC on Best Sunshine’s planned “people survey.” (Haidee V. Eugenio)

He also said that if they were to build the integrated resort, they are looking into setting up training institutes and expanding the current programs at the college.

“We believe that if we build the integrated resort, there will be a lot of training to be taken into account and this is likely to start before the opening,” he said.

Tay noted this would empower the people of Saipan to be able to meet the requirements for the integrated resort.

“Another aspect is to focus on community outreach and scholarships for graduate students from NMC when they go overseas to study for their masters,” he said.

Tay said that Best Sunshine is willing to look into scholarships for residents to empower them so that they can return to the CNMI after their studies and contribute to the community “like what the community and NMC has done for them.”

NMC president Dr. Sharon Hart said they are glad Best Sunshine approached them for help in conducting research and analysis to provide the necessary data that will enable the integrated resort project to move forward.

“It is always very important that the institution is always involved in and has an opportunity to sit down with any investor that wants to come in and look at trying to become a part of this community, to invest our resources here because one of the things that the college has been able to do is to sit down and come up with a training and workforce plan from training level to providing a workforce,” Hart said.

Community Development Institute acting director Floyd R. Masga said they are always excited to help investors, “especially those that would like to invest within the community.”

Best Sunshine chose to cooperate with CDI because they believe CDI would be an “honest, responsible, and efficient partner” for the survey to “ensure the quality of the results.”

The survey will use a random sampling method, which gives every adult the opportunity of being selected, so access to CDI’s local resources will ensure the reliability of the survey.

Best Sunshine is also cooperating with IPSOS, a world-leading independent third-party research institution with a good reputation and rich experience in social affairs and public opinion surveys. Resource director Xavier Su represented IPSOS at the news briefing.

On a side note, Best Sunshine offers its heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Mayor Donald Flores, who passed away yesterday, and wishes them peace to bring them comfort in their thoughts and prayers.