Legislature presented with Guam-CNMI ESGR Committee certificate

The Guam-CNMI Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee presented yesterday a certificate of appreciation that honors the House of Representatives and Senate for all the work that they have done to support the ESGR in the Commonwealth.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. (ret.) Renie A. Llaneta, who is the Guam-CNMI ESGR Committee state chairman, handed the certificates to House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan and Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) for contributing to national defense through their “dedication and continuing support for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve Forces during fiscal year 2023.”

Several ESGR committee officials, including David Sablan, also known as Uncle Dave, who was one of the pioneers of ESGR in the CNMI, and other lawmakers were present at the ceremony.

CNMI ESGR area chair Rita Sablan said that, on behalf of the Guam-CNMI state ESGR Committee, she would like to thank, honor, and celebrate their partners in the community—employers in the public and private sectors who work to ensure that service members are taken care of.

“This year, we want to really stretch our arms and say thank you to all of you for really being a support system to ESGR, not just because we are an organization out of the Department of Defense but because of the work that you did to ensure that our service members and our employers are taken care of,” she said.

DeLeon Guerrero said she is a mother of a veteran herself and being involved in workforce employment for veterans is heartwarming.

“In our programs, we consider them as priority,” said DeLeon Guerrero as she noted that Gov. Arnold I. Palacios recently signed into law a bill that gives preferential employment for veterans.