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Precinct 3 lawmakers eyeing to coordinate relief efforts
Lawmakers from Precinct 3 are planning to set up a coordinating center in Garapan to assist those who do not have the resources to register for federal assistance.
Rep. Anthony Benavente (Ind-Saipan) said the lawmakers will “sit down and discuss” the planned center sometime “this week.”
“The idea is to set up the center, especially for Carolinians. What we can do is get their information and help them register,” Benavente said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still accepting registrants for assistance via phone and online.
However, many are having difficulties registering.
“Most have no phones, no computers, and no way to register,” Benavente said.
Aside from Benavente, other lawmakers from Precinct 3 are Reps. Ramon A. Tebuteb (Ind-Saipan), Felicidad Ogumoro (R-Saipan), Blas Jonathan “BJ” Attao (Ind-Saipan), Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), and Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan).
FEMA, meanwhile, reported that the disaster recovery center at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center is still open for those seeking additional information on federal assistance.
Although the DRC was not initially designed for registrations, it will not turn away those seeking to register.
Call to collaborate
Gov. Eloy S Inos earlier summoned members of the Legislature and representatives of federal and local agencies to collaborate as recovery efforts continue for the CNMI in the wake of Typhoon Soudelor.
“Under the circumstances, I am glad we can still convene and share some updates on our recovery efforts so that we are all on the same page,” Inos said.
He added that “we need to be resilient” and in anything that needs to be done, “we should collaborate” to make the work easier.
One of Inos’ recommendations is to ask the agencies and CNMI departments to coordinate, particularly on information dissemination.
