‘CNMI has many things to be thankful for’

Whether it’s escaping a major natural disaster, a historic change in political leadership, an improving tourism industry, the service of men and women in uniform, or just being with one’s loved ones through thick and thin on a tropical island, CNMI officials and ordinary citizens say they have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

Gov. Eloy S. Inos, who became governor on Feb. 20 when former governor Benigno R. Fitial resigned days before his impeachment trial in the Senate, said he’s thankful for people’s understanding and patience.

“We’ve been through some rough days in the past even including the recent past. We’re trying everything to address the issues. I’ve been in office for a short period of time and I believe that we’ve done so much with the little resources that we have. We’ll continue to do that. We still have things that we need to address. Hopefully that in my remaining term that I would be able to do that,” the governor said in an interview.

Tourism arrivals have started to pick up, and government revenues are beginning to increase albeit far from what they used to be.

After addressing NMI Retirement Fund woes and a host of other issues, Inos is now preparing to lift the state of emergency declarations for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.

Inos acknowledges that people “wanted something done yesterday” but there’s “no silver bullet,” he said.

The CNMI also saw early this year a change in its leadership, a process that started long before voters elected their leaders in November 2012.

The 18th House of Representatives, led by Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), impeached the former governor for corruption, neglect of duty, and commission of felony. Fitial was the first governor among U.S. territories to step down, days before an impeachment trial.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said he’s thankful “for the friendship and support of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands.”

“I am thankful to our brave men and women in the military and to our military families, to our veterans, to our police officers and fire officers for they risk their lives daily to protect us and to save the lives of others,” he said.

The CNMI’s first and so far only nonvoting delegate to U.S. Congress said he’s also thankful to teachers “who work hard to educate and train our students to prepare them for our future.”

“I am thankful to my critics because they are candid about what they think my faults are. And while their criticism are oftentimes personal and hurtful, the criticism allows me to think harder about my positions, to see if I may be missing something, and thus consequently result in my working harder in service to the people of the Northern Marianas,” he added.

This will be Inos’ first Thanksgiving as CNMI governor, and he would like to spend it with his family.

“I haven’t been spending a whole lot with my family. I hope that this Thanksgiving is going to give me at least some time to spend with my family, to give them thanks for their support,” he said.

Inos also called on everyone to “share a common goal which is to do everything to improve the lives of our people.”

“We should be thankful for what has been given to us and we will not take anything for granted. We’ll continue to work with the people, to serve them the best we possibly could. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully we will come back and make immediate recovery. We’re doing everything so I’m grateful for the time they have given us to work things out and I’m also grateful for their patience,” he said.

The delegate, meanwhile, said on a personal level, he is thankful to his wife Andrea who, “despite that I am away from home over half the year, she continues to hold together our family even during my absence.”

“Finally, I am thankful that I am alive today to celebrate Thanksgiving at home with family and friends,” Sablan added.

Eden Gonzales, an employee at Atom’s Co., said yesterday she’s thankful for family, friends, co-workers, and good health as well as for continuing to have a job in these tough times.

She’s also thankful for the opportunity to be able to volunteer her time and service through health missions, having completed her nursing studies.

“I am also thankful for the improving tourism. The more tourists we have, the more business we get,” Gonzales added.

Danny Buniag of the governor’s office, for his part, said above all, he thanks God for all the blessings he and his family receive, as well as his “good family, with a very beautiful and understanding wife.”

“Third, a beautiful and pleasant environment,” he added.

As the CNMI celebrates Thanksgiving today, Buniag also hopes for the health and safety of the survivors of supertyphoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines. The typhoon claimed more than 5,000 lives and affected hundreds of thousands more.

Former representative and former KSPN2 reporter Tina Sablan, now pursuing urban planning at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said she’s most thankful for her “incredibly loving, supportive, and hilarious family.”

She is also thankful to have been “blessed with truly great friends.”

“As a community member: I am most thankful to have been raised by a community as vibrant, culturally rich, and resilient as ours, in one of the most beautiful places on earth,” said Sablan, who has advocated for an open and honest government.

She said there are “many wonderful and inspiring people make up our community, and the older I get, the more places I visit, the more I appreciate how special our community is.”

“I think of the many dedicated folks in public service and those who volunteer their time to make the islands a better place. I think of this exciting new movement of small business entrepreneurs who are investing in the local economy. I think of our courageous reporters who continue to work diligently to keep us informed and engaged in civic life. I think of our incredibly talented artists who keep us in touch with all kinds of beauty. I think of our brilliant elders and young people and everyone in between who enrich life in the islands with their diverse gifts and wisdom. I continue to be very hopeful for the future of our Commonwealth,” she added.

Today is a legal holiday in the CNMI. Government offices are closed, except for critical service agencies such as the hospital.

All legal holidays in the CNMI are paid under the fiscal year 2014 budget.

House Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan) and Senate President Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), meanwhile, issued a joint memo on Monday granting administrative leave to all employees within the Legislature tomorrow, Nov. 29, “in the spirit of the holiday season.”