‘Peace in Diversity’ as 2015 Liberation Festivities kicks off

The 2015 Liberation Festivities kicked off at the Garapan Fishing Base last night in celebration of this year’s theme “Peace in Diversity,” 70 years after the gates of Camp Susupe were opened signifying the end of World War II for the people of Saipan.

“Seventy years ago, the people of Saipan were allowed to leave Camp Susupe…signaled the end of war…took years and the journey to get here was not an easy one, but here we are 70 years later,” said Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang.

The 2014 Liberation Royal Court and the 2015 candidates for the Royal Court join Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, Lt. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Skywalker Communications Group president Dr. Bo Hu, Fr. Isaac Ayuyu, and 2015 Liberation committee chair Chris Leon Guerrero in the singing of the anthem yesterday evening during the official start of the 2015 Liberation Festivities. (Jayson Camacho)

Aside from Apatang, 2015 Liberation committee chair Chris Leon Guerrero, and Skywalker Communications Group president Dr. Bo Hu also gave their opening remarks.

As well as emphasizing the importance of the opening of Camp Susupe’s gates, Apatang noted that after many years, the community has been independent, self-sustaining, and capable of making sensible decisions to cautiously stay the course.

“Today, we have grown into a mixture of many cultures…our growth in diversity have been gradual over seventy years of staying the course. Regardless of the groundswell of different thoughts about the growth in our island, diversity is here to stay,” he said.

“This year’s celebration will demonstrate how our diversity is molding itself into a single growth,” he later added.

Leon Guerrero, in his remarks, said he was glad to be chosen and given the privilege to be chairman and working with both the 2015 Liberation committee, Skywalker Communications, and the Saipan Mayor’s Office in getting the community involved in celebrating this year’s festivities.

Hu, in his remarks, thanked the support of the community and everyone involved in making the 2015 Liberation Festivities possible.

The opening ceremony also included the introduction of the 2015 Royal Court candidates by the 2015 Royal Court committee chair Laila Younis-Boyer. The 2014 Liberation Queen Pressel Camacho and her Royal Court were also present.

Today, July 1, will be coronation night for the 2015 Liberation Queen and her Royal Court.

Aside from the smooth turnout, the booths were still the same as last year’s and the carnival rides have yet to arrive.

Skywalker Communications’ Elvis Yu said that the booths will be upgraded soon because the shipment of the canopies are already on Saipan and awaiting installment. He said carnival rides, meanwhile, will arrive in mid-July due to delays in shipping from off-island.