Preparations for Pagan conference continues

After being stalled by the untimely demise of the former Northern Islands mayor Jerome Kaipat Aldan, current NI Mayor Vicente Cruz Santos has decided to press ahead with a conference that will be held on Pagan.

Aldan had been working on preparations for the Konferencian Dinana Islas Marianas when he suddenly passed away in February this year.

The conference was envisioned to unite all the islands of the Marianas, including Guam, in one conference to discuss their shared historical background, similar customs, and traditions.

Holding it on Pagan would be a first.

The conference was originally set for April of this year but, due to his untimely passing, the preparation for the conference got stalled.

According to a KUAM story, Aldan visited the mayors of Guam to propose that they attend the conference so that participants could enjoy the beauty of the island that hasn’t been visited since a volcanic eruption in 1981.

Many supported the proposal and it was one of the most anticipated conferences of the year, but it had been put on hold.

Yesterday, a meeting was held with CNMI mayors and members of the municipal councils of Rota, Tinian, and Saipan to decide whether the conference would be held on the island of Pagan, as was originally planned, or if it should be held on another island in the Marianas or even in Guam.

Santos raised some concerns during the meeting like the lack of facilities and many others, but Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang and the municipal councils of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota allayed many of Santos’ fears. By the end of the meeting, Santos agreed to host the conference on Pagan.

Santos said his office has already started building a mayor’s office on Pagan, a kitchen that can accommodate visitors, and other structures to accommodate visitors.

The grounds for visitation and ATVs are also ready for visitors who will be attending the conference.

Santos’s main concern is that he hasn’t established a working toilet system yet so he will be depending on portable facilities once participants arrive for the conference.

According to Santos, it should take seven months of preparation before he and the five residents of Pagan are ready for the upcoming conference.

A decision on the matter will be made official at the Association of Marianas Islands Mayors’ meeting on Tinian in October.