Give Me A Chance...

Cliche as it may seem but this was the phrase that key officials of the CNMI government used and told hundreds of nonresident Filipino workers this week, that is to give the Reform Law a chance.

According to the news written by veteran labor reporter and former Marianas Variety assistant editor Haidee Eugenio, these officials said that the Public Law 15-108 is better than any law one could find in the world, including the United States. "…This is the best system there is," said Deanna Siemer, a volunteer attorney, told the Filipino workers, adding that guest workers should “give the new law a chance."

GMA News TV - Key officials of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) government told about a hundred representatives of various Filipino groups on Saipan to give the new labor reform law a chance.

In a three-hour open forum on Tuesday night exclusively covered by GMANews.TV, the CNMI officials said Public Law 15-108 or the Commonwealth Employment Act of 2007 still allows foreign workers to transfer jobs through administrative orders and not necessarily through the filing of a labor complaint against their current employers.

The officials said the new law allows foreign workers to have part-time jobs of up to 32 hours a month, and provides more protection to guest workers than the current system.

Federalization vs Federalization

Our top reporter, E.E. is at it again informing the CNMI public that what it reported earlier about the Governor's special adviser's comments on federalization. It was reported that the adviser believed that guest workers are required to leave the island in two years after the federal takeover of the immigration system.

Now, the paper reports that someone from the federal committee is contradicting the adviser's statements earlier.

What raised my brows again is that the reporter did not name the source and reported it. I guess the source is too reliable to counter the adviser's statements. However, this is E.E. reporting....

Hmmm...

The Reveler

Headline Times Four?

I haven't been checking the printed newspaper lately especially the Marianas Variety. Browsing through their website I noticed the headline story last Friday (at least online) was about "Japanese investors trying to help the CNMI." What baffled me was the "Part 4" written after the title. Of course, I had assumed that it was the fourth part of the written story.

If this were the case, all I can is that Emmanuelle Erediano must be serious with his job now? I can't imagine a daily newspaper would have to cut their headlines into four publication dates? If it were a special report, that's understandable for me.

Do you actually believe what this guy writes?

You tell me....

The Reveler

Counting the Blessings

Today, Rep. Joe DL Guerrero held a Catholic blessing ceremony of his new office up at the Legislature. He's just occupied the former room of Rep. Cinta Kaipat where she held office for two years.

Rep. Guerrero quipped that the reason why he had to have the room blessed is because all (mostly) that occupied that room in the past didn't win the succeeding elections...

It was remembered that Manny Brown and Kaipat held office in that room.

The current Lt. Governor also held office there, btw.

The Reveler

Pawn Da Replay

My friend and I were scouring the pawnshops on Saipan for a great deal on some digital cameras my friend needs, when we saw this TV set being sold there. Notice the stickers on top of the monitor frame?

It says DLNR-DFW. Hmmm...our nasty thoughts played once again...

The Reveler

150 vs 1,000 ++

Now this is interesting. Yesterday the Tao Tao Tano CNMI Association led a rally in response to the Unity March held in December. The two newspapers on the island made the event the headline today.

Marianas Variety is claiming that the group that wants nonresident workers out of the CNMI was able to gather "thousands" of community members and its members to rally against federal takeover. The Saipan Tribune, on the other hand, reports that only 150 including government and business officials participated in the group's march yesterday.

So, I guess this discrepancy is not like what we had before regarding the Unity March, where we were debating if it was over 10,000 or only 3,000 people attended. At least in this case the people were debating on a thousand basis.

Is it 150 or over a thousand? It's like MV vs ST? "Witch is Witch?"

The Reveler
(Photo: Tacder/ST)

Film Revue: Clobber-feel on Cloverfield

As I write this my head pounds like crazy due to a unexpected migraine attack. I'm used to having this migraine every week since I was younger. However, I was feeling better two hours ago before we went to see the newly released flick "Cloverfield."

It's Blair Witch Project comeback with a different genre. This time with a "ginormous" character wreaking havoc in midtown Manhattan. So, when I mentioned Blair Witch Project, I'm sure you got the drift about the point of view of the movie that comes from the lens of a digital video camera?

The movie is gripping; makes you feel you are one of those people screaming and running for their lives in New York City. Some absurdities of course but in general the movie was very well done.

One word for you: nausea.

Be sure to take motion sickness pill before or after the movie.

The Reveler

Hold Up!

Did you hear about this news two months ago and just recently about a tourist bus that was hijacked by some men on the island and held up some tourists? Our sources said that the tourists were in utter shock to have been robbed inside the bus. The sources also mentioned that one tourist bus that took the back road route was also held up by armed men and took each tourists valuables.

Isn't this the saddest news ever? Oh well...

The Reveler

KRNM Shutdown?

Ruth Tighe made it to today's Saipan Tribune headline reporting the prompting closure of the 10-year old public radio station in the CNMI--KRNM soon. I had the chance to speak with its station general manager before but then it was just mere cost cutting measures that shutting down was not in the picture nor an option. If this were true, I'd say that Carl Pogue has given a great fight to retain the station on Saipan. Believe it or not, I would say there are more listeners to this station than the mainstream ones.

For the complete report, read Ruth's article here.

The Reveler

Chain Mail Chronicles # 1

Click on the photo to read the story. This is hilarious clinton at its best!

Quick Picks: Graded Flags Anyone?

A friend from here sent this link to me and her friends about a website grading the flags of over 80 countries in the world. If you go to the link of those countries and states that failed this is what you're going to see...

The Reveler

Post 300: Ohhh-Taking!

The Saipan Tribune summarized the event yesterday with regard to the oath taking of the newly elected and reelected lawmakers in the CNMI. Under the paper's Reporter's Notebook it summarizes the glitz, the glam and the bits and pieces of what had occurred that day. Below are my favorites...

-Both Speaker Arnold Palacios and Vice Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero came to the oath-taking ceremony with a cold. A visibly sick Deleon Guerrero, who spoke briefly during session, said he “decided to forego the traditional lengthy speech” because of his cold.

-Pledging openness to suggestions and criticisms, Rep. Tina Sablan announced her contact details in her speech. Her mobile phone number is 483-3935. Her email address is tinasablan@gmail.com.

-Rep. Heinz Hofschneider spoke the longest during session. He took the floor for 18 minutes, speaking first in Chamorro and then in English. His speech focused on immigration federalization.

-At the closing of the special session, new Floor Leader Joseph James Norita Camacho said he wants it on the record that all 20 members of the House recognized their respective spouse in their remarks.

-New Senate President Pete Reyes apologized to family and friends of the re-elected senators of the 16th Legislature as well as the 50-60 crowd in attendance for the absence of the inauguration lunch. The lunch usually follows the swearing of new members of the Senate. He said the budget constraints prevented them from holding the traditional event.

-Not one, not two, but three House members had to request another chance on the floor, as they forgot to thank their wives sitting behind them. They were Reps. Victor Hocog, Heinz Hofschneider, and David Apatang. Their defense: they were too eager to get down to business.

The writers said their wives were just behind them and due to their dose of ecstasy they forgot to thank them....

The Reveler

Post Xmas Notes

Ok. Another source. Another church-related post. A resident priest shared his homily last Sunday during mass that despite the merriment during the Christmas and New Year's Eve he was sad that he had to spend his Christmas Eve at the hospital's Emergency Room anointing dead residents in the CNMI due to heart attack and stroke. He said he couldn't believe his eyes that the hospital was full at that time.

He implored in his homily, "Please people watch your eating habits...," he said.

The Reveler

Blind Items: Caroling Accounting

Christmas 2007 flew just like the ITCZ in the Pacific. What's this we heard from carolers on the island about this prominent congressman where at least 20-member caroling group took time to sing at his place and his family gave a sealed envelope of his donation. The carolers didn't open the donations until this week. The members witnessed the accounting of the collected money from the fund raising activity during the Holidays.

When they opened the envelope from the Congressman, the group members' eyes widened when they saw three dollars inside the envelope. One member told Middle Road that this congressman called them back and asked them to sing again at his home. The source said the group was wondering why the congressman was so eager to have them back. "Now we know, because he was embarrassed with his three dollars," the source said.

The group sang to the governor's place and gave them $100. The Mayor, $10 and so on.

The Reveler

(I know that this post would raise some brows of Middle Road critics but in our pursuit to be the next TMZ.Com of Saipan and have variety in our blog, we posted this.)

CUC Rehire Ire

After laying off 20 non resident mechanics and engineers at CUC, at least 7 of them were ordered to be retained under the public law. However, according to an insider these rehiring has been blocked by its personnel management officers. So far these nonresident workers who helped maintained the power plants for several years are jobless as their entry permits here will expire in August (some of them).

These 20 engineers and mechanics remain vigilant to find employment.

Saipan Tribune 11/2007: "Under Public Law 15-103, CUC will be able to retain all seven directly-hired nonresident engineers on its payroll, but only eight of the 20 power plant mechanics and operators hired through a manpower services agency. The law will expire on Sept. 30, 2008."

The Reveler

Aftermath of Reform

After the last week of scrambling to the Labor Department in San Antonio to beat the deadline before the PL 15-108 took effect, nonresident workers seemed to have met the deadline and hope to continue working here in the CNMI.

Some people have been asking the Middle Roaders what comes next after all the barrage and the march where they aggressively participated last month. Some say they can't bear the thought of seeing the grins of the local administration that blocks federalization of the immigration and labor system here. Some asked what would happen to their children when they are supposed to exit the islands after three years?

I have asked the nonresident workers' prominent lawyer about this and he said, "The present situation is 'a maze of mirrors and broken glass." This is like one of those paperweights that refracts light in all directions."

Will there be light at the end of the tunnel to these nonresident workers?

RN = Rejected Nurses

I met a former colleague when I swung by McDonald's yesterday for a quick snack with a friend. This former colleague opted to take Nursing courses at NMC almost three years ago because it was then proposed by the Public Health that all Nursing graduates from NMC would be absorbed automatically to the hospital since there have been a shortage of local nurses in the CNMI. The CNMI hospital has hired foreign nurses mostly from the Philippines for a long time now.

My friend passed the NCLEX last month and she's now a registered nurse practitioner. She was so excited to get into the hospital, however, was disappointed that the Personnel Management Office has frozen government hiring until appropriate budget is allotted to the Health Department.

She said she was assured that as soon as there are budget for additional nurses, her file would be retrieved from the active files.

The Reveler

A Fruity Treat

As the session was about to end the ever controversy cum expose hungry Rep. Stanley Torres gave away his fruity treats to lawmakers up at the Legislature according the paper today.

How significant the gift was as the orange fruit in its unripe stage was given to each lawmaker. The photo on the paper shows outgoing House Speaker Oscar M. Babauta smiles as he holds the fruit in his hand.

Yep. The green fruit will soon turn to orange....

Question is, will the fruit taste sweet soon?

The Reveler

Middle Road's Top Comments of 2007

There have been several excellent and sensible comments in this blog, but below are just The Reveler's top comments that made us laugh, as well as think. It was a challenge to read all through the comments especially from the posts that gathered over 100 comments. From us, we thank you for your comments for the past year.

Now for the list:

KAP said...
If I was a better artist, I'd just put up a poster of a nut. Why bother with language? (March 2007 on Betel Nut for Sale)
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Anonymous said...
I am appalled that you would take a tragedy like this, and turn it into a joke. Clearly, this man was troubled. I am glad no one else was injured, and I pray that this man will recover soon. (April 2007 on Relight My Fire)
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The Reveler said...
dog style position - my favorite and when i wake up, i bark.

Anonymous said...
and what do you dream about while sleeping that way?
(April 2007 on Best Sleeping Position)
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bigsoxfan said...
As if there weren't enough difficult issues floating around. I suppose, the CNMI is uniquely located for legalization to be a possibility. What a concept to inspire total alienation from the mainland US. Let's see; Sweatshops inspire salivating and censure from the left and maryjane would surely produce the same result from the right side of the spectrum. Has the government really weighed in on legalization? Or, as the tribune reported recently, has the AG's office merely been consulted on the legal aspects of hosting a conference sponsored by the pro side.
Tempest in a tea pot or fire in the hole?
(June 2007 on Marijuana Islands)
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Anonymous said...
This is one to write down in your diary... the "church", or it's leadership anyway... doing something intelligent.
(June 2007 on Saipan’s Pontiff Has Spoken)
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bradinthesand said...
i don't understand how people are due citizenship for working here under the terms of their respective contracts, but i think that going out of our way to deny it sounds more than a bit ungrateful.

Jeff said…
Brad, take a look at those barracks. There is a reason you don't live there. You wouldn't. There isn't free health care. They work for it. They aren't robots and they clearly can't pay hospital bills on 3.05 and corporations benefitting from these workers would get a free ride if health benefits weren't required. They'd eventually get sick and stick it to the government. A health plan of some sort is a basic benefit of a western society. The U.S. is the only rich country where you can't even get to see the doctor. I had Take Care last year, needed to see a gastro in the states, and when I finally found one who'd see me paying out of pocket, it was $500 for an initial consulation. If you weren't given any medical benefits that is indeed a good question. The fact that contract workers get covered to whatever degree is irrelevant to the issue. The issue is why you aren't covered.
(July 2007 on Stop Don’t Shoot!)
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The Saipan Blogger アンジェロ・ビラゴメズ said...
...and present, ongoing corruption. People have a right to boycott any business they want. If I want to boycott McDonalds until they finally build a playplace, I have every right to do so. Deal.
(July 2007 on I Said Don’t Shoot What the…)
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Boni said...
No one really cares about cleaning up the Garapan area. At least not the government. I was once at the Gov's office and asked some legislators what they planned to do to make the paseo more family and tourist friendly. They all gave each other sideways glances and crooked smiles and started chuckling. Please, cops get free tabs at some of those places and I can point out in my head a few mistresses that work around that area too. Che'chu lahi. One day I'm going to open up a secret surveillance company: Ma Gatcha Hao! (September 2007 on Prostitution Rings on Saipan?)
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Nahal said...
Ai adai... I've been anticipating this and here it is...Folks... I'm not saying I agree with the message of the commercial or that I'm voting repulican. I haven't been doing much acting since I moved to Saipan and I was looking to cushion my acting resume before I return to reality. If you want to know my real political beliefs you can ask me. I'm pretty verbal about them.

Nahal said...
PS The rooster thing was totally traumatizing to film as I am a vegetarian and also afraid of angry roosters flapping in my face. Again... it was acting. And no roosters were harmed in the filming of this commercial.

Nahal said...
PPS Brad we didn't ask you to be in this commercial. That was another commercial that we haven't shot yet. Call me if youre still interested.

Anonymous said...
Acting or not, associating yourself with Republicans Nahal. Cmon now.
(October 2007 on Nahal on TV)
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Pragmatic Plato
PS: Start a blog you louse. Your sporadic comments without a blog attached to them are not of the same worth as mine. (BTW, this was a shot at sarcasm. Everyone should comment anytime they want on any public blog IRREGARDLESS [wow, Microsoft Word also thinks this is a real word. No squiggly line under it. Go figure] of whether they use an alias, have a blog, wear clown make-up, support acts that would further gov't waste and corruption, etc.)
(November 2007 on Poll: Will Tina Make It or Not?)
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Anonymous said...
...summary of candidates...

Cinta - Woman (won't win)
Hofschneider - He's disappeared
Oscar Babauta - two faced (switches parties in order to win a seat)
Waki - He's disappeared as well
Mike Sablan - Too straight, won't get anything done
Stanley - complains so much he looks crazy
Juan N. Babauta - Ideas too ahead of CNMI's current mentality
Chamber Guerrero- dumb
Angelo - upstart transient
(July 2007 on Poll: Governor to be or not to be?)
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Anonymous said...
Like I-10 in the thick morning fog of Louisiana, so to can our judgement be clouded by friendship Grasshopper. - Master Po, fictional episode 147, Kung Fu.
Biba CNMI! Biba Empanada! Biba permitting long-stay workers the right to remain! Biba the force! and Biba Stanley Torres!

bradinthesand said...
Biba people who say Biba!
(July 2007 on Poll: Governor to be or not to be?)
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The Saipan Blogger アンジェロ・ビラゴメズ said...
Rev, you should really delete comments like the one from "anonymous." From personal experience, It is not fair to the people getting attacked on your blog to not know where the attack is coming from. Harry, Jeff, and several other bloggers, including myself, feel this way. The only people hammering on about the importance of anonymous blog comments are the ones who are making them.
You are better than this, allowing others to use your forum to unfairly hurt good people.
If it hasn't been specifically asked of you before, please stop allowing people to make outrageous and unfair anonymous statements on your blog!
When you do that, I'll put you back in the "Recommended" category on The Saipan Blog...because you really do have an excellent blog, you've just got a troll problem.
(November 2007 on Kudos on Tina Sablan)
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Pragmatic Plato
The reasons people attack you is simply because you issued the first attacks. It may not seem "fair" to you that the retaliation may be far greater than your initial onslaught but tough.
If a person strikes someone in the face and the reaction from the victim is to beat him senseless, I would still say that the initiator was at fault and the attacker got what was coming to him.

I surfed the blogs and came up with multitude of poorly placed and unprovoked comments from you. That is your prerogative. What upsets myself and many others is that you are hypocritical. You make snide remarks and cut people down and then turn around and claim to be a person that is trying to unite the community and enhance blogging in a "We Love Saipan" effort. You can't do both.

Look within yourself and decide who you are and stick to it. Be an ass and hold true to that or be a nice guy and stick to those guns.
(December 2007 on Unity March)
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Bruce A. Bateman said...
Against my better judgment I will address the two wingnuts, pee pee and monkey picture (related by more than both being wingnuts) who so bravely step forward to boycott Porky’s, from under their rock….
(December 2007 on Unity March)
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Saipanboonieman said...
Ed, have we slept together before? how do you know i wear panties?
(December 2007 on Unity March)
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The Saipan Blogger アンジェロ・ビラゴメズ said...
Hilarious because I quoted myself?
What can I say? I never went to journalism school.
...at least I know I got the quote right.
(December 2007 on Unity March)
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The Saipan Blogger アンジェロ・ビラゴメズ said...
I have never had sexual relations with Brad Ruszala
(December 2007 on Unity March)
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Marianas Pride said...
There is no need to bash Greg. What he needs is some deep soul-searching and prayer from everyone. I wish Greg had more love in his heart.
(December 2007 on Unity March)
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Lil_hammerhead
That long-term non-residents undercutting short-term non-residents is simply an argument created by the TTT batch to try to divide the non-residents. It's an idiotic argument that is perpetrated by idiots.
And now for my fig leaf.. Merry Christmas!
(December 2007 on Highs and Lows of the March)
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Anonymous
The A to Z about Greg Cruz, president of Tao Tao Tano

Anonymous said...
New Poll:

How insane is Greg Cruz, leader of Taotao Taya?

A. More insane than Saddam Hussein.

B. More insane than fluoridated water.

C. More insane than Legislators passing a gambling bill right after the CNMI rejected Casino Gambling.

D. More insane than an edumacated haole.

E. More insane than marrying a first cousin.

F. More insane than saying "I have over 2,500 members in Taotao Taya, but I only got 150 votes in Kagman because the election was fixed."

G. More insane than having a ghost writer writing for him because he writes at a fifth grade level.

H. More insane than attacking Tina Sablan because he is so sore from getting spanked in the elections (150 votes? Jack Angello got more votes than Goru).

I. More insane than saying he is not predudiced or racist, but in the very next sentence saying "to all you so-called educated mainlanders, mind your own business and stop meddling in our local affairs."

J. More insane than a person who has no degree or special skills but decides to become a videographer and scientist by checking out all the water companies.

K. More insane than a person who wants CUC to lower their fuel surcharge immediately without offering any alternative solution or finding alternative money.

L. More insane than a Rotanese speed bump.

M. More insane than a "persona non grata" writer.

N. More insane than 150 of his cousins who actually voted for him.

O. More insane than a person who contradicts himself with every sentence his ghost writer writes.

P. More insane than a PL15-108 supporter.

Q. More insane than a PL15-108 author.

R. More insane than Legislators believing Taotao Taya actually had 2,500 supporters.

S. More insane than going to Porky's. Boycott Porky's!

T. More insane than bloggers against PL15-108

U. More insane than an idiot BigSUCKSfan who lives in Mongolia and threatens to shoot someone.

V. More insane than a boulder.

W. More insane than fluoridated water mixed with pugua.

X. More insane than Taotao Taya followers.

Y. More insane than politicians supporting Taotao Taya.

Z. A through Y.
(December 2007 on Highs and Lows of the March)
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The Saipan Blogger

…this blog is dead to me…

The Reveler

Congratulations Tina!

Congratulations to Tina Sablan for being Saipan Tribune's Person of the Year!

Truly you deserve the recognition.

The Reveler