Tinian man’amko center shuts down due to power cuts

The Tinian Office on Aging, also known as the man’amko center, has shut down and is expected to remain closed for the rest of the week due to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation cutting their power off early yesterday morning.

Yesterday, Saipan Tribune obtained a disconnection notice that was addressed to the Tinian Aging Center and Department of Finance informing them that power at the Tinian man’amko center has been disconnected.

According to the notice, the power to the man’amko center was disconnected yesterday as the center’s meter is prepaid and load had not been purchased to load the meter.

In an interview with Tinian man’amko center director Ana Marie San Nicolas, she emotionally shared that due the unfortunate circumstance, she had to close the center’s doors yesterday morning.

“I was at the center preparing the [elderly’s] food at around 5am and at around 6am, the power was shut off. I had to close the center because we don’t have power and I honestly think we will remain closed for the rest of the week,” she said.

Saipan Tribune learned that the last time load was purchased for the man’amko center’s utility meter was back in October.

The center uses approximately $1,500 worth of load a month to power the center.

San Nicolas explained that the Tinian man’amko center depends on its counterpart on Saipan for its utilities as the Tinian center does not have a utilities budget of its own.

She said she learned that as of yesterday, load had not been purchased for the center to keep their utilities on despite efforts they have been making in the past months to bring their power consumption down.

“We love our man’amko here. We ask that the government help us here on Tinian, and even on Rota. We really need their help,” she said.

Currently, the Tinian man’amko center has 75 congregates.

Of the 75, she shared about 45 go to the center on a regular basis while the remaining 30 are homebound and center staff visit them regularly to provide them with food.

San Nicolas said the Tinian’s elderly who utilize the center were saddened by the news that the man’amko center was close yesterday and will remain closed as many of these individuals are home alone while their children and other family members are out at work or school.

“Most of our congregates wait here for their family. They pray here, they pass the time with bingo, they have lunch here, and then we either take them home or their children pick them up,” she said.