Food stamps up on Rota, Tinian

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) and Gov. Eloy S. Inos jointly announced yesterday morning a 62-percent increase in food stamps for Rota and Northern Islands residents and 28-percent hike in benefits for Tinian recipients starting May 1, mainly as a result of some $3 million in carryover funds. Saipan recipients could also get a 15- to 20-percent increase in food stamps, depending on the results of the numbers now being reviewed.

Sablan, at the same time, announced that U.S. Food and Nutrition Service administrator Audrey Rowe will be visiting the CNMI as early as spring this year. That would make her the highest U.S. Department of Agriculture official to step foot on the islands.

A family of four on Rota that receives only $444 in monthly food stamps will start getting $719 next month.

A family of four on Tinian that gets only $444 a month in food stamps will get $568.

Prices of commodities on Rota and Tinian are much higher than those on Saipan. For years, Sablan has been pressing the federal government to ensure that food stamps provided to Rota and Tinian households are commensurate to the prices of food and other basic goods on their islands.

A 50-lb. rice on Saipan, for example, is $26.50 to $27.99. The same item on Rota is $37.95 to $38.95.

“This is a very good day,” Inos said in a news briefing on Capital Hill yesterday.

Rota and Northern Islands households will now receive anywhere between $215 and $2,569 in monthly food stamps effective May 1, for household sizes ranging from one to 16 members.

On Tinian, food stamp benefits will be $170 to $2,030 a month depending on the household size from one to 16 members.

Benefiting families, Inos said the food stamp increase will also result in more economic activities.

The governor thanked the delegate, DCCA, NAP, and the Department of Commerce for their hard work in making the food stamp benefit increase happen. Sablan, echoing the governor in commending DCCA, NAP and Commerce, clarified that this is still under the food stamp block grant program.

Sablan said once the CNMI becomes part of the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, families here will get as much food stamps as those in Guam. For Rota and Tinian where prices of commodities are much higher than those on Saipan, the benefits could be much more.

Joining Sablan and the governor at yesterday’s announcement were CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Laura Ogumoro, Nutrition Assistance Program administrator Walter Macaranas, and press secretary Angel Demapan.

“It takes teamwork,” Ogumoro said.

Sablan said funds to pay for the increases are already available in the fiscal year 2014 food stamp grant to the CNMI.

The delegate also thanked FNS’ Rowe “for making the decision that will put more food on the table for families who really need help.”

Fewer beneficiaries

Macaranas also announced that the number of food stamp recipients has been on the decline because of the minimum wage increases, among other things.

He said there are over 8,400 beneficiaries in the entire CNMI, a drop from over 9,000. Of this number, some 7,760 are on Saipan, 297 on Rota, 335 on Tinian, and eight on the Northern Islands.

The governor said the decline means “the program is doing its work by making sure it goes through the screening process” and that people have been finding jobs.

NAP has been working with the CNMI Department of Labor in ensuring that food stamp recipients make efforts to find jobs.

Sablan said there’s “something like $3 million extra in this year’s grant in part because the number of people who need food stamp assistance in the Northern Marianas is going down.”

“Some of that extra money will pay for the Rota, Northern Islands, Tinian increase. Some of the money will go for computer upgrades and other administrative needs at the NAP office,” he added.

Macaranas acknowledged the difficulties Rota residents face when cargo carrying tons of food and other supplies are delayed because of weather and sea conditions, just like what had happened in the past months. In cases like this, he said NAP may give residents two-month benefits.

In responding to the governor’s concern, Macaranas said Rota residents, for example, can use their food stamp coupons on Saipan.

From FNS

The announcement came some five hours after the office of Jesus R. Mendoza Jr., acting regional administrator for USDA FNS Western Region, notified Ogumoro that FNS approved the CNMI’s use of projected fiscal year 2014 carryover funds to increase benefits on Tinian, Rota, and the Northern Islands beginning May 1, 2014.

This is in response to CNMI NAP’s March 14 proposal to implement differential allotments to Tinian and Rota.

“The increase will be re-evaluated as part of the fiscal year 2015 memorandum of understanding negotiation,” Mendoza’s office told Ogumoro in a letter.

Sen. Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) separately thanked Sablan yesterday for pushing for increased food stamps for residents of Tinian and Rota where prices of commodities are “higher” than those on Saipan.

“And we also hope that in the near future, the CNMI will get as much benefits as Guam does,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Since first coming to Congress, Sablan has been pushing for the same level of food stamp benefits for people in CNMI as people receive in Guam and elsewhere in the U.S.

In January, President Barack Obama signed the Agriculture Act of 2014, containing a $32.5-million program that will put the Marianas on track to join the national food stamp program SNAP.

But Sablan has also always kept a focus on the need for even higher benefits for Rota and Tinian. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and its Nutrition Subcommittee, which has responsibility for SNAP, Sablan explained at length to Rowe the cost of chicken and rice and other basics on Rota, when the administrator appeared before the Subcommittee.

Sablan and Rowe also met at his office at the U.S. Capitol last week.

Besides the Rota and Tinian benefit differentials, Sablan continues to push for higher benefits for families on Saipan. About $30.5 million of the $32.5 million in the Agricultural Act is available for benefits, but not until Oct. 1, 2015.