Over 88 businesses attend JRM’s MWR presentation

Over 88 businesses in the CNMI attend the Joint Regions Marianas presentation on its Quality of Life program at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center yesterday. (KIMBERLY B. ESMORES)

The Joint Regions Marianas presentation of its Quality of Life program, which essentially gives local businesses a chance to partner with JRM to sell its products and services to military personnel in Guam, has piqued the interest of over 88 local businesses in the CNMI.

According to Kim Camacho, executive director of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the presentation at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center turned out great, with dozens of local business owners showing their interest in the launch of military tourism in the CNMI.

“Today’s presentation, I feel, was a very big success. We had over 88 participants to hear from the JRM representatives and learned the different opportunities these businesses can avail with the JRM’s [Morale, Welfare, and Recreation] program,” she said.

Camacho said this is the perfect time to open up these discussions with local businesses as about 5,000 military personnel have been deployed to Guam and are looking into availing of new experiences with their families on their leisure time.

“These military personnel do not have the time to travel to the mainland to visit their families, so a lot of these individuals are looking for an alternative choice. Through this MWR program, military personnel based in Guam can learn about all the things the CNMI has to offer,” she said.

Camacho believes that the CNMI embarking on military tourism is a “great opportunity for our economy to grow,” given the recent decision made by Gov. Arnold I. Palacios to pivot away from the China market.

“This is an alternative to Gov. Palacios’ pivot from the China market. This is a great substitute to that loss. I think this will really help us build back our economy,” she said.

Daniel Aquino, Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs special assistant, is hopeful that, after this presentation and the amount of support received by JRM, he hopes plans for military tourism will soon come into fruition.

“We hope on the military’s end, we can see something fruitful from this presentation. Meanwhile, businesses and the community should get prepared to welcome more military personnel. We encourage everyone to give the governor’s initiative for military tourism a chance,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of concern other members of the community may have about having a strong military presence on Saipan, he said the MWR will promote the CNMI as a family destination, in hopes of keeping CNMI locals, as well as military tourists, safe.

“There’s always that problem everywhere you go; it’s not just Guam. I think that’s why one of the points of the MWR is to promote the CNMI to military families,” he said.