HPO still moving forward with projects even with resignation of director, archaeologist

The Historic Preservation Office is still moving forward with its projects even if the HPO director and an archaeologist resigned around at the same time last September, according to acting Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Francisco M. Rabauliman.

Rita Chong resigned as HPO director on Sept. 26, soon followed by HPO archaeologist Ben Guzman, who resigned at the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30.

“So the two most senior people at HPO resigned around the same time,” said Rabauliman in an interview on Friday.

Rabauliman himself was appointed acting DCCA secretary when Mary Margaret Santos Sablan resigned last August. Rabauliman is currently a member of the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority board of directors.

Rabauliman said he appointed Lufo Babauta as acting HPO director.

Rabauliman said with regards to the archeologist, they were fortunate in that there is an archaeologist, Jeremy Freeman, with the CNMI Infrastructure Recovery Program. He said Freeman’s contract with IRP was expiring because his position’s funding source, American Rescue Plan Act, was running out.

Rabauliman said they were asked if there was room for the archaeologist’s lateral transfer to HPO.

“I thought it was a godsend. Then we didn’t have much downtime with regards to additional technical staff,” he said, adding that the paperworks to get Freeman on board are now being processed.

He said he does not know why Chong resigned while he believes Guzman was offered a job in Guam.

With Babauta serving as the acting HPO director and Guzman, through IRP, helping them out, Rabauliman said the HPO is still moving forward with many of its projects.

He said one of the projects is the renovation of historical buildings on Capital Hill.

Rabauliman said three main technical staff are supposed to be manning the HPO—a staff historian, archaeologist, and an anthropologist.

He said his understanding is that HPO has had an archaeologist that, for all intents and purposes, has done archaeological work as well as anthropological work.

“So it is my understanding that, with their training, they pretty much overlap,” he said.

As for a staff historian, Rabauliman said, the position has been vacant for some time and that they are also looking at trying to recruit one.

“We’re working closely with the National Park Services,” he added.

Francisco M. Rabauliman