When you get stuck along Beach Road, better take the Middle Road. This is a website for those who choose to tread Saipan's off the beaten path. * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * +
Feb 3, 2009
Should Airlines Invest on Saipan
A big question?
Reading printed news about the dimming tie up with Philippine flag carrier made me wonder whether any of new airlines should invest here on Saipan. At this time?
What do you think?
16 comments:
Anonymous
said...
the only way an airline would enter our market is if it has potential for growth and they can sustain decent load factors.. There are not enough individuals traveling between the CNMI and Philippines to open up a flight.. if there was supplemental cargo that could fill the belly of the planes, then it would make it somewhat viable with lower load factor, however, there is no way that an airline will enter this market with current conditions.. if anything, we may see more carriers cutting routes.. It is extremely important for the CNMI to market effectively. when times are tough, advertising and getting your product to the forefront our important.. MVA should be given the $$$ necessary to produce effective campaigns to promote the CNMI.. and promotion is not only done overseas but also on island... from the time the tourist arrives to the time they depart.. only tourists who have a special experience and are smothered in island hospitality and culture will return.. we need to address wasteful expenditure and reallocate the savings to promotional activities.. then and only then will we build market demand and give airlines a reason to fly..
Without the NCLEX and the need for US visas, VERY few Filipinos will travel to Saipan when they can travel just as easily to Hawaii, Guam, and San Diego. As it stands now, Filipinos need to fly through Japan or Korea to get to Saipan without a visa for Guam. It's hardly surprising that PAL or Cebu Pacific haven't put in a flight.
With Federalization, there will be even more reduction in flights since airlines airlines can consolidate themselves on Guam.
Near the end of her two-year presidency at the Northern Marianas College, Dr. Carmen Fernandez's popularity seems to be on shaky ground as a number of faculty and employees have expressed problems adjusting to her management style, with some even questioning her decision-making. This has led to a rumored signature drive to oust her even as the CNMI's lone tertiary institution continues to be on show-cause status by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Given the twin burdens, however, of resolving accreditation deficiencies and a budget that's significantly lower than before, Fernandez said she was forced to make some extremely difficult decisions-decisions that may be at the root of the recent grumblings at the college. She pointed out, though, that the college has many channels and means through which anybody may share their views on matters and decisions affecting NMC.
Not everybody is against her, though. Some staff who spoke with the Saipan Tribune expressed their support for Fernandez, saying she is doing the best she can with the resources she has at her disposal. That hasn't stopped others from coming forward to relay their increasing dissatisfaction with Fernandez, saying that her “lack of transparency” and “insufficient respect” toward staff contribute to the declining morale at the college.
An instructional staff said Fernandez's hiring practice has become a magnet of criticism. The staff cited the exit of a number of employees whom they believe were not given “another chance” or proper due process. This list includes ex-NMC employees Howard Cole, Danny Wyatt, Pat Taylor, and Daisy Villagomez-Bier.
The staff said that some questions were also raised on the “capabilities” of some “political hires” at the college as well as the unusual termination spree enacted by Fernandez.
A check with Frank Sobolewski, NMC faculty president and chairman of the college's Social Sciences and Finance departments, confirmed these sentiments.
“Yes, there's a general feeling of fear among them. It is because they believe that when they say things the president doesn't like, there will be some sort of retaliation, perhaps some non-renewal of contracts.which many believe has happened and has been happening,” he told Saipan Tribune.
He cited as example the termination in November 2007 of Cole, a Tinian instructor, when he disclosed the decision to shut down the academic programs on Rota and Tinian.
“That's one instance-the on-the-spot termination of the Tinian instructor in the middle of the semester with no guarantee that there would be qualified instructors to continue those classes,” he said.
Sobolewski believes that, if a survey is conducted today among faculty members, the dissatisfaction level would be high.
He conceded that the college's fast turnover rate of instructors began in previous leaderships but this practice continued through the current management. “It seems like in this decade, NMC is a very popular place to leave voluntarily or otherwise,” he said.
He added that the most important cultural value of indigenous people is respect. “And this respect is inadequate here at NMC,” he said.
Saipan Tribune heard yesterday about a campaign to oust the NMC president via a signature drive but Sobolewski, who also serves as Faculty Senate president, said he is not aware of it.
“I am not aware of any petition drive at this time.but I can admit that there is a feeling of dissatisfaction of her leadership,” he said.
Sobolewski admitted that he is in favor of an “indefinite contract” for instructional staff at NMC. However, faculty members have agreed to push for this after first addressing the college's accreditation problems.
“The general agreement is to push it after the accreditation because we're not in favor of any distraction on the accreditation work being prepared by the institution,” he said.
NMC instructors are given two-year contracts, which could be terminated with or without cause.
“That contract would be basically like what we have.but with no expiration date,” he said.
A similar request died with previous college administrations.
Sobolewski's term is up until the end of this semester.
Fernandez defends herself
Fernandez yesterday addressed the issues about her unpopularity, saying the institution is governed by policies and procedures that she strictly adheres to.
When asked to comment about employees' fear of expressing their views, she said: “As an institution of higher learning, the staff and faculty are welcome to freely express their views about various issues. We have never terminated anyone because they expressed their opinion. I maintain an open-door policy to all employees so they can approach me directly.”
Additionally, Fernandez said faculty and staff members at the college also have many outlets where they can share their views on important matters and decisions that are considered.
These include the College Council, the Budget and Finance Committee, and other governance groups. Staff and faculty members also have representatives that sit as honorary members on the Board of Regents. They also have their supervisors and managers if they want to air some concerns.
On the indefinite contracts for faculty, she said the issue is under consideration and undergoing due diligent review. It will be considered by the shared governance structure of NMC once it is ready for that process.
“Given the monumental tasks of resolving accreditation deficiencies that date back to 2000 and working with a significantly reduced budget, we have had to make some extremely difficult decisions in the past few months to ensure that we continue to offer high quality programs and services to our students,” she said, adding that some of those decisions may have been unfavorably received by some faculty members or employees; nonetheless they needed to be made.
Despite these issues, she said their resolve in meeting accreditation requirements remains strong and “reaffirming the college's accreditation will be my administration's focus in the weeks ahead.”
Vote of confidence
As what other institutions practice in determining the effectiveness of their leaders, a vote of confidence among staff and employees is being prepared for recommendation to the college's board and leadership.
“The idea is to know whether the leader still has the vote of confidence of her/his peers which is very important in the success of a leadership or organization,” an instructional staff said.
Meantime, Paz Calvo, a nursing instructor who has been with the college for about a year, said she support the NMC president, especially in this time of accreditation problems.
“For me, she's doing a great job especially in trying to find good instructors for students,” she told Saipan Tribune.
An instructor who has been with the college for a year said: “Based on my opinion and experience here at NMC, the president's leadership is doing a good job of finding all possible ways to address concerns.”
why the hell would you attach an article to this post that has absolutely "0" relevance to the topic.... start your own F$%#@! blog or wait for the topic to arise..
16 comments:
the only way an airline would enter our market is if it has potential for growth and they can sustain decent load factors.. There are not enough individuals traveling between the CNMI and Philippines to open up a flight.. if there was supplemental cargo that could fill the belly of the planes, then it would make it somewhat viable with lower load factor, however, there is no way that an airline will enter this market with current conditions.. if anything, we may see more carriers cutting routes.. It is extremely important for the CNMI to market effectively. when times are tough, advertising and getting your product to the forefront our important.. MVA should be given the $$$ necessary to produce effective campaigns to promote the CNMI.. and promotion is not only done overseas but also on island... from the time the tourist arrives to the time they depart.. only tourists who have a special experience and are smothered in island hospitality and culture will return.. we need to address wasteful expenditure and reallocate the savings to promotional activities.. then and only then will we build market demand and give airlines a reason to fly..
Without the NCLEX and the need for US visas, VERY few Filipinos will travel to Saipan when they can travel just as easily to Hawaii, Guam, and San Diego. As it stands now, Filipinos need to fly through Japan or Korea to get to Saipan without a visa for Guam. It's hardly surprising that PAL or Cebu Pacific haven't put in a flight.
With Federalization, there will be even more reduction in flights since airlines airlines can consolidate themselves on Guam.
Your title, 'Should Airlines Invest On (sic) Saipan' raises only a tiny part of the overall question, which is-
Should Anyone Invest in Saipan?
Oops, my error was just pointed out to me. The real question should be-
Why the Hell Would Anyone Invest in Saipan?
Glad you listen to the wife.
Buy me a ticket on an airplane,
I ain't got time to take a fast train,
Lonely days are gone,
I'm a going home.
starship..tooo many drugs from the sixties?
The Box Tops wrote that song.
Home is where the morgage is.....
Joe Cocker also did a cover version of it.
not now.
but this now:
www.koreanpartygirl.blogspot.com
Enjoy-
EJ, you want some sexy time? I am from Pakistan. My name Karpal. I want USA passport. I am sexy!
karpal, pakistan no give u US passport, nO?
ahhhhh if u sexy, i buy u US passport. oK ?
call this number: 010-7577 4355
miss u dirty color skin
NMC's Fernandez faces barrage of criticism
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Near the end of her two-year presidency at the Northern Marianas College, Dr. Carmen Fernandez's popularity seems to be on shaky ground as a number of faculty and employees have expressed problems adjusting to her management style, with some even questioning her decision-making. This has led to a rumored signature drive to oust her even as the CNMI's lone tertiary institution continues to be on show-cause status by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Given the twin burdens, however, of resolving accreditation deficiencies and a budget that's significantly lower than before, Fernandez said she was forced to make some extremely difficult decisions-decisions that may be at the root of the recent grumblings at the college. She pointed out, though, that the college has many channels and means through which anybody may share their views on matters and decisions affecting NMC.
Not everybody is against her, though. Some staff who spoke with the Saipan Tribune expressed their support for Fernandez, saying she is doing the best she can with the resources she has at her disposal. That hasn't stopped others from coming forward to relay their increasing dissatisfaction with Fernandez, saying that her “lack of transparency” and “insufficient respect” toward staff contribute to the declining morale at the college.
An instructional staff said Fernandez's hiring practice has become a magnet of criticism. The staff cited the exit of a number of employees whom they believe were not given “another chance” or proper due process. This list includes ex-NMC employees Howard Cole, Danny Wyatt, Pat Taylor, and Daisy Villagomez-Bier.
The staff said that some questions were also raised on the “capabilities” of some “political hires” at the college as well as the unusual termination spree enacted by Fernandez.
A check with Frank Sobolewski, NMC faculty president and chairman of the college's Social Sciences and Finance departments, confirmed these sentiments.
“Yes, there's a general feeling of fear among them. It is because they believe that when they say things the president doesn't like, there will be some sort of retaliation, perhaps some non-renewal of contracts.which many believe has happened and has been happening,” he told Saipan Tribune.
He cited as example the termination in November 2007 of Cole, a Tinian instructor, when he disclosed the decision to shut down the academic programs on Rota and Tinian.
“That's one instance-the on-the-spot termination of the Tinian instructor in the middle of the semester with no guarantee that there would be qualified instructors to continue those classes,” he said.
Sobolewski believes that, if a survey is conducted today among faculty members, the dissatisfaction level would be high.
He conceded that the college's fast turnover rate of instructors began in previous leaderships but this practice continued through the current management. “It seems like in this decade, NMC is a very popular place to leave voluntarily or otherwise,” he said.
He added that the most important cultural value of indigenous people is respect. “And this respect is inadequate here at NMC,” he said.
Saipan Tribune heard yesterday about a campaign to oust the NMC president via a signature drive but Sobolewski, who also serves as Faculty Senate president, said he is not aware of it.
“I am not aware of any petition drive at this time.but I can admit that there is a feeling of dissatisfaction of her leadership,” he said.
Sobolewski admitted that he is in favor of an “indefinite contract” for instructional staff at NMC. However, faculty members have agreed to push for this after first addressing the college's accreditation problems.
“The general agreement is to push it after the accreditation because we're not in favor of any distraction on the accreditation work being prepared by the institution,” he said.
NMC instructors are given two-year contracts, which could be terminated with or without cause.
“That contract would be basically like what we have.but with no expiration date,” he said.
A similar request died with previous college administrations.
Sobolewski's term is up until the end of this semester.
Fernandez defends herself
Fernandez yesterday addressed the issues about her unpopularity, saying the institution is governed by policies and procedures that she strictly adheres to.
When asked to comment about employees' fear of expressing their views, she said: “As an institution of higher learning, the staff and faculty are welcome to freely express their views about various issues. We have never terminated anyone because they expressed their opinion. I maintain an open-door policy to all employees so they can approach me directly.”
Additionally, Fernandez said faculty and staff members at the college also have many outlets where they can share their views on important matters and decisions that are considered.
These include the College Council, the Budget and Finance Committee, and other governance groups. Staff and faculty members also have representatives that sit as honorary members on the Board of Regents. They also have their supervisors and managers if they want to air some concerns.
On the indefinite contracts for faculty, she said the issue is under consideration and undergoing due diligent review. It will be considered by the shared governance structure of NMC once it is ready for that process.
“Given the monumental tasks of resolving accreditation deficiencies that date back to 2000 and working with a significantly reduced budget, we have had to make some extremely difficult decisions in the past few months to ensure that we continue to offer high quality programs and services to our students,” she said, adding that some of those decisions may have been unfavorably received by some faculty members or employees; nonetheless they needed to be made.
Despite these issues, she said their resolve in meeting accreditation requirements remains strong and “reaffirming the college's accreditation will be my administration's focus in the weeks ahead.”
Vote of confidence
As what other institutions practice in determining the effectiveness of their leaders, a vote of confidence among staff and employees is being prepared for recommendation to the college's board and leadership.
“The idea is to know whether the leader still has the vote of confidence of her/his peers which is very important in the success of a leadership or organization,” an instructional staff said.
Meantime, Paz Calvo, a nursing instructor who has been with the college for about a year, said she support the NMC president, especially in this time of accreditation problems.
“For me, she's doing a great job especially in trying to find good instructors for students,” she told Saipan Tribune.
An instructor who has been with the college for a year said: “Based on my opinion and experience here at NMC, the president's leadership is doing a good job of finding all possible ways to address concerns.”
why the hell would you attach an article to this post that has absolutely "0" relevance to the topic.... start your own F$%#@! blog or wait for the topic to arise..
Lil Hammerhead has been revealed as Mrs. Roberta Guerrero.
http://turbittj.blogspot.com/2009/02/lil-hammerhead-outed-roberta-guerrero.html
"Lil" has deleted dozens of comments making this same claim from her own blog, and has launched a separate post on her blog attacking Jeff Turbit.
Looks like Lil needs to get the traffic count back up. That $2 per month she gets is an important part of her income.
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