A self-taught maverick

Charismatic and adaptable, Daniel S. Buniag is tailor-made for his job.

As the governor’s special assistant for special projects, Buniag is called upon to work on different, often unrelated government programs. There could not be a better position for him. Non-specialization is his specialty.

Born in Tarlac and raised in Angeles City in the Philippines, Buniag came to Saipan to work as a tailor 28 years ago. After only six months on the island, this political science graduate got a chance to put his college degree to use.

In 1979, he began an eight-year stint in public service with a job at the Trust Territory government’s procurement and supply division. He later transferred to the government’s food service program before spending four years as federal program coordinator for a labor training agency.

He started his own business, Mar-Fran Enterprises, in 1987. He owned and managed the construction firm for 16 years. By 2003, he was working as program coordinator for then House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial.

Buniag is one of the four individuals who founded the Covenant Party in 2001 and a major force in earning for Fitial most of the estimated 1,600 Filipino votes in the last gubernatorial elections. This is why it was no surprise that he and his wife rose in government immediately after Fitial won his second gubernatorial bid last year. Buniag’s wife, Remedio, is the governor’s special assistant for women’s affairs.

This tailor-turned-government official attributes his life’s rich tapestry of professional experience to his enthusiasm for learning and his close affinity to his roots.

He says he taught himself pretty much everything he knows. This would not have been possible if he did not take real interest in things. “If you have the will to learn, you can do almost anything. Everything is easy if you put your mind to it,” he said in an interview yesterday.

He also takes great pride in his close relationship with the Filipino people in the islands. One of the few Filipinos who were granted U.S. citizenship at the same time as the Chamorro and Carolinian people, Buniag remains actively involved within the Filipino community.

At the same time, he strives to bridge the gap between his nonresident fellowmen and the locals in every way he can. Besides helping the governor with special projects, Buniag also serves as a de facto special assistant for Filipino affairs—a position held by his compatriot, the late Narciso “Jun” Fidelino, during the administration of former Gov. Froilan Tenorio.

“The CNMI is home to different kinds of people. There should always be understanding between them,” he said.