Jan. 30, 2001
MOU ratifies presence of US ships
Commonwealth and US officials formally sealed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday, reaffirming an agreement between local and federal governments to sustain the presence of naval pre-positioned ships at the Saipan lagoon. Governor Pedro P. Tenorio, Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan, Ports Authority Board Chair Roman S. Palacios, and US Navy Commander Tom Fellin have affixed their signatures to the MOU, setting renewed cooperation efforts that allow US naval ships to anchor on CNMI waters for military purposes. Aside from accommodating the US vessels' presence on CNMI seas in exchange for military protection, the agreement also calls for both camps to collaborate on coastal and environmental concerns that may arise.
Continental named ’Airline of the Year’
The Air Transport World Magazine has named Continental Airlines as "Airline of the Year," the second time it received the recognition in five years. In 1996, Continental also bagged the honors awarded by the aviation industry's leading monthly trade publication, citing the airline's "employee-friendly culture." "It is no accident that Continental has the best labor relations of any US major hub-and-spoke carrier," the magazine noted. "Continental has defied the odds and continues to excel in every aspect of the business. Small wonder that other airlines have had to pull seats out of their planes to compete with Continental, which continues to generate a unit revenue premium versus the industry," said the magazine on its February issue.
Jan. 30, 2002
$193-M budget predicted in ’99
Three years ago, in 1999, the Department of Finance had projected that General Fund revenues would plunge to $193 million. No surprises there. The CNMI Fiscal Outlook report prepared by the Office of the Governor said as much when it projected the Fiscal Year 2001-2002 revenues to descend to that level. The irony, however, is that the finance department was expecting the revenue plunge to happen in 2004, when the garment sector leaves the CNMI in the wake of the worldwide implementation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. This means the revenue plunge came a moment too soon. Two years too soon, and largely brought on by cataclysmic forces happening beyond the shores and the control of the Commonwealth.
Solar eclipse as MVA come-on
The Marianas Visitors Authority has started sending out flyers and promotional materials to its key offices abroad to lure tourists to visit the Northern Marianas in June this year to witness a rare Annular Solar Eclipse. The Annular Solar Eclipse can be seen from Saipan, Tinian and Rota on June 11 around 8:10am, when the moon’s antumbral shadow reaches the southern end of the Northern Mariana Islands chain at 10:10pm on June 10 Universal Time. An annular solar eclipse is different from a total solar eclipse in that the Moon obscures 100 percent of the Sun’s disc during a total solar eclipse. At an annular eclipse, a ring (or annulus) of sunlight is left uncovered and this surrounds the dark Moon.
Jan. 30, 2003
DPS crafting plans to protect tourists
Police Commissioner Edward Camacho disclosed plans to regulate tourist areas to deter the continued rise in crimes perpetrated against visitors. Camacho said a comprehensive plan is now being mapped out on effectively putting a stop to crimes against tourists, which noticeably occur in beach areas and other tourist spots. Also, the commissioner proposed a dual-task job for park personnel, who would be serving as security guards during open hours. “We are proposing that several areas be closed if there are no security guards on duty,” said Camacho. He added that part of the plan is to fence off several tourist areas, rendering them off-limits unless during regulated schedules.
DLNR loosens embargo on chicken imports
More than three months after banning the entry of birds and poultry coming from the U.S. mainland due to the West Nile virus scare, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources modified the emergency regulation to allow the entry of chickens over four weeks old into the CNMI. Before this, DLNR Secretary Tom Pangelinan declared that only hatched chicken eggs and day-old chicks could enter the Commonwealth. The embargo does not apply to birds and poultry originating from Guam, except when the virus is actually detected. The exemption from the embargo of over-four-week-old chickens from the U.S. mainland-including Alaska-comes with stringent requirements for importers. Pangelinan stressed that quarantine officers would refuse the entry of chickens if requirements are not complied with, putting the burden of disposing them on the importers.
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