189 Tinian families can now start building their homes
For the first time in at least a dozen years, 189 homestead lot permits were issued Friday on Tinian so that families can now start building their future dream homes at the West San Jose Subdivision. The Department of Public Lands said at least 348 more homestead permits will be issued in about eight to 10 months for two other subdivisions on Tinian.
Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider told Saipan Tribune on Friday that the long-awaited distribution of homestead permits for close to 200 families some 12 years after the last permit issuance was the result of hard work and collaboration among agencies under the current administration.
The project was stalled for years over public safety, environmental, cultural, and financial concerns.
“What the homestead permit distribution means is that families can now build their dream homes at the subdivision. They have three years to do that. After DPL determines that they comply with the requirements in building their homes, these families can then get the deeds to the property. Things are looking up for Tinian,” Hofschneider said.
The lieutenant governor, who hails from Tinian, urged lot owners to “do your best to comply with the requirements,” given that land is limited on Tinian. Two-thirds of Tinian lands are under lease to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz, in his prepared remarks at the ceremony, said it’s been “a long journey” for those who received their permits on Friday.
The mayor also gave credit to some of the many other people who contributed to making the homestead permit distribution possible, including some who already passed on.
Dela Cruz also praised DPL Secretary Pete A. Tenorio and DPL Tinian director Ray Cing and staff “for finally issuing the permits.”
“To all of you homestead permit [holders], you may now legally enter the site of your future dream home. I encourage you to take the time to put your best efforts into building your lifelong dream of having your very own home,” the Tinian mayor added.
Patricia Rasa, DPL Planning Division director, separately said Friday that besides the 189 homestead permits issued for the West San Jose Subdivision, there will be 137 more that will be distributed for the Kanadan Magpo subdivision and 211 for the Marpo Heights area “in about eight to 10 months.”
The homestead permit distribution came five years since the fall 2009 drawing of lots and some 19 years since the project started.
The Tinian mayor said the long period it took to finally give the permits to deserving families had to do with addressing potential issues of World War II hazardous waste sites and the location of certain historical artifacts, among other things.
Each homestead lot has a size between 700 square meters and over 1,250 square meters.
Buenas Mr. Mayor of Tinian,
The Homestead Act that you stated was created to help individuals in Tinian have their own House Lott and no where in the act states that the families and friends of the elected officials like you have priority. It is so sad that people who had tons of land in Tinian were being afforded more lands. Individuals who had not set foot on the island of Tinian were being issued Lott, while others being denied because they left the islands for educational purposes and military services. The different between the two categories of individuals above was one has the political connection and the other just ordinary people or commoners.
Is Manuel P. Villagomez is the owner of Tinian? According to the records and minutes of the now defunct MPLA and the former directors of Public Land in Tinian, he had stated that we were not illegible, because we are not from Tinian. The so call former Board Member of the MPLA denied us our rights from the Tinian Homestead Act and put our records away from being active or the applications were put aside, but at the same time friends and families of connected few were being afforded homestead and some never set foot on the island of Tinian. Our root is from Tinian and we continued to maintain our voting rights In the Second Senatorial District, because we would be returning to our island of Tinian in the near future.
We as society need to distance ourselves from people like you and Mr. Villagomez, because you only think of yourselves and at the end result you careless about the people of Tinian. It was a blessing in disguised for Mr. Villagomez to deny us our rights of being the people of Tinian, because he had forced us to start speaking up for the voiceless commoners. And thanks to him, he had made us resilient and that is why we are voicing our opinions on the wrong that you and others had put upon us who we call Tinian home. Please tell your buddy the former Senate President to refrain from threatening our livelihood in the CNMI.
Si Yu’us Ma’ase
Wow!. Mr. Jun, whoever your are…You hit it right on the head of the nail. Can’t believe that, those serving in the military and attending college in the US were denied homestead. Man, you guys have problems in Tinian. I hope the people of Tinian votes for the right person for Mayor this coming election. Thank You…