Goodbye, Mariana Resort

Jose Dominador Pineda, left, and Amador Asedillo try to finish some of the work that is needed by the other businesses operated by the Kitami family at their shop at the back of the Mariana Resort & Spa. (Jon Perez)

An eerie silence now greets you at Mariana Resort & Spa.

The usual hustle and bustle of golf carts going around the more than 50,000-square-meter property are gone.

Gone too are the warm and friendly greetings of hotel staff to arriving tourists as they escort them to their rooms.

And the usual noise of children laughing while splashing each other at the pool can no longer be heard.

The Mariana Resort & Spa—including the Mandi Asian Spa, go-cart racing facility, and the Mariana Country Club golf course—ceased operations on Sept. 30, Sunday, officially ending its 40-year partnership with the CNMI.

Amador Asedillo and his other co-workers suddenly found themselves out of work after years of service under the Kitami-owned company that operated the Marpi property.

Asedillo, one of the maintenance crew of the company, said he and the other staff were informed by the owners that Mariana Resort had until Sept. 30.

“It is painful to know that this is the end and that you will be jobless after years of working here,” he added.“I won’t be working here anymore. Kan Pacific still processed my CW1 papers but I was not one of those that they retained. They said that they would help me with my transfer once I find another company where I could work.”

Another maintenance worker, Jose Dominador Pineda, was one of those lucky enough to be retained by Kan Pacific, as his services are still needed at the company’s Zen Teppanyaki restaurant and Mariana Lounge, but he said that he would just finish the remainder of his CW1 visa and would go back to the Philippines. The Kitami family also owns Mariana Grand Services.

“I think it is about time for me to retire and just relax. I’m getting old, plus all of my kids are already finished with their studies, so I plan to go back. I have a small land where I can grow things. I’ll just take care of that,” said Pineda, who started working at Mariana Resort in 1993.

“My wife and I plan to go back to the Philippines next year. I’m also thinking of opening a small mechanic shop,” added Pineda, whose three other sons are also working here on Saipan while the other two are also overseas—in Saudi Arabia and South Korea—while the eldest is in the Philippines.
 
Hoping for IPI

Asedillo said he and some other Kan Pacific workers were hoping and waiting for Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC to take over the operations of the Mariana Resort & Spa. But, as of this writing, the Department of Public Lands has yet to award them the property and allow them to take over the operations of the hotel since they are the lone bidder of both requests for proposals.

The CNMI Lottery Commission has already approved IPI’s request to operate a less than 4- or 5-star hotel facility in order for them to take over the facility.

But the deal needs DPL’s blessing since the Marpi land occupied by Mariana Resort & Spa is now government property as their lease extension had already expired. Saipan Tribune tried to obtain comments from DPL Secretary Marianne Teregeyo but she has yet to respond as of press time.

“I would love to work under IPI when they take over here since this place has become special for some of us. I managed to buy a small property and send my kids to school with my salary while working here. Some of us were expecting that we would be absorbed by IPI when they take over but there’s no assurance,” said Asedillo.

They said that they still have three days left to finish packing and the other things that they are doing before the power and water supply will be cut off, and the entire property is cordoned off.
 
Community partner

Asedillo and Pineda said the management—from the owners to the management team led by former general manager Gloria Cavanagh—were excellent partners of the CNMI community.

“There have been a lot of things that happened in the CNMI, from the economy going down to other businesses that closed here. But the Kitami family, they stayed and continued their operations. Also, after Typhoon Soudelor, we went out clearing the road and cleaning debris with GM [Cavanagh] joining us,” said Asedillo.

“They also hire locals and those who are looking for a job, even though they don’t have any experience. We and the the staff that have been working here before them would train them. Once they learn, they either stay and work here or go to another company. The owners don’t have any problems with that as long as they helped the person,” added Pineda.

Asedillo said Mariana Resort & Spa became the first training center even before the Northern Marianas Trades Institute. “From grounds improvement to housekeeping, kitchen staff, wait staff, golf course, and even drivers. We helped train them.”