Kalayaan Inc. marks silver anniversary with beach bash

Kalayaan Inc. marked its 25th anniversary by hosting a special beach party and mini sportsfest from 8am to 3pm last June 15 at San Isidro Beach Park in Chalan Kanoa.

The festivities were attended by employees of Kalayaan Inc. and their families, business partners, friends, as well as special guests, according to the local catering company’s president Eleanor Alinas.

Among the VIP guests in attendance were Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, House Speaker Edmund Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Manny Castro (Ind-Saipan), Division of Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose Mafnas and his wife Gerri, Rep. Blas Jonathan “BJ” Attao (Ind-Saipan), Northern Marianas Housing Corp. deputy corporate director Jennie Mafnas, special assistant for Management and Budget Virginia Villagomez, and Saipan Select co-owner and former Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services commissioner Clyde Norita.

During the anniversary bash, Kalayaan Inc. received a couple of legislative resolutions that thanked the company for its years of service to the island community.

The first was a Senate resolution introduced by Sen. Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) and the second was a House resolution presented to Kalayaan Inc. by Apatang, Villagomez, and Castro. Both commemorative resolutions congratulated and commended Kalayaan Inc. on the occasion of its 25th anniversary as one of the top food manufacturing companies in the CNMI.

“We are grateful to the Public School System and the CNMI community for providing a platform for small businesses like ours to thrive and grow. Kalayaan Inc. has experienced challenges that threatened the very survival of our existence, but we persevered because we were blessed with team members who cared for and along with the company, persevered. We want to thank all employees, past and present, for being a part of the company’s growth over the years. We also want to thank all the school children whom we have served over our 25-year history. We are blessed to have been given this opportunity,” said Alinas.

She admitted though that like all businesses in the CNMI, Kalayaan Inc. has been greatly affected by the external forces the Commonwealth has been facing.

“The economic slump, coupled with inflation, has been crippling to most businesses. To mitigate these risks to our business, we had to find ways to cut costs and trim excesses in our operations.”

She then shared the company’s secret for success in navigating the local economy’s challenging terrain the past 25 years.

“Our organization’s core strategy is to adopt a customer-centric approach to business. This has pushed our team to be adaptable, resilient, and innovative—traits which benefited the company’s overall health success. Kalayaan Inc. will continue to be a competitive force in CNMI’s food service industry, but will also pursue opportunities brought about by technology and other business models.”

For instance, Alinas said Kalayaan Inc. has affiliates which are exploring hydroponic and aquaponic farming, construction, and food manufacturing. “Hopefully, this will allow us to increase our business presence in our community.”

Aside from the formal presentation of twin commemorative resolutions from the Legislature, employees also formed groups and competed in a mini sportsfest (cheering, tug of war, relay, and volleyball).

A total of six teams—Purple Viper, Black stallion, Blue Knights, Yellow Canary, Orange Tiger, and Red Dragon—took part in the games with Orange Tiger winning the overall championship. Best in Costume went to Blue Knights’ Joey Cueto, while Best Muse was Lourdes Loja of Orange Tiger.

Everyone also enjoyed the sumptuous spread offered all day long.

“Kalayaan Inc. team members and guests were treated to food provided by Shirley’s Catering. The highlight of the meal service was the live hot station which featured favorite dishes from Max’s Restaurant. By late afternoon, La Mesa Restaurant in Garapan offered delicious Filipino-Mexican fusion dishes,” said Alinas.