NMI to join Micronesian Pavilion at Olympics

The Marianas Visitors Authority board of directors approved yesterday the MVA management’s request for $10,725 to fund the CNMI’s participation in the Micronesia Pavilion of the Pacific Asia Travel Association at this year’s Tokyo Olympics.

MVA managing director Priscilla M. Iakopo explained during yesterday’s board meeting that the idea is for the CNMI to participate in a PATA Micronesia Pavilion under the Oceania Village Tokyo Pavilion at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

She said she met with representatives of the CNMI’s neighboring islands last December, during which the idea of setting up a pavilion at the Olympics was discussed. The MVA is a member of the PATA Micronesia Chapter.

“It was a discussion of us getting together to have our presence there,” Iakopo said.

She said the budget for this Micronesia Pavilion is not included in MVA’s fiscal year 2020 budget, hence the need for the MVA board to approve a separate allocation.

The managing director said they have been in communication with the representative of this Oceania Village Tokyo and that MVA’s estimated costs would be $10,725. The purpose of Oceania Village is to provide a showcase for the culture, history, and the people of Oceania.

The exhibits and workshops will provide an “Oceania” exposure to invited and passing trade guests through visual, demonstration, artefacts, performance and receptions with a general information on history, maps, culture and music for each island.

Iakopo said the $10,725 would include the $2,500 participation fee, set up, air fare, ground transportation, per diem, and miscellaneous.

“We are going to engage MVA Japan to also participate in this,” Iakopo said.

When MVA board vice chair Gloria Cavanagh asked about where to get the $10,725, Iakopo said they are going to ask the board that they reprogram funds from their local Russia office, which has $40,000 that remains unused.

All board members present at yesterday’s meeting voted to reprogram the funding for the Tokyo event.

In a later interview, Iakopo said the Micronesia Pavilion will be a sort of subsection of the Oceania Pavilion, where the MVA will promote the CNMI destination, giving out information, and have performances, among other things.

Tokyo will host the 22nd edition of the quadrennial 2020 Summer Olympics Games from July 24 to Aug. 9.