Friday, April 29, 2022
GCEA Thanks the Community for Making the Marianas a Better Place to Live
On April 21, the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers’ (GCEA) announced the winners of the Marianas Village Pride (MVP) Campaign that launched in late 2021. Last week, the Council also recognized the Top 15 Public Private Partnership (PPP) partners of 2021. In both experiences, we were humbled by the sense of community that had developed throughout the campaign.
When the Council launched the Marianas Village Pride Campaign, they set out to spark pride in the villages and schools. GCEA’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the Marianas, and the MVP Campaign focused on improving the quality of life at the village level. Instead, we were inspired by their hard work and creativity.
MVP Campaign Winners
Students from the Public School System were gathered at the event eager to learn who won top spots for the MVP contests – the MVP Village Flag Art Contest, the MVP Bus Stop Beautification Contest, and the MVP Christmas Decorating Contest. With the help of our sponsors, we were able to award more than $40,000 in cash prizes to 10 participating elementary, middle, and high schools.
The top school from the middle and high school division was Marians High School (MHS) with a total participation score of 22,205 points! MHS took home the $15,000 cash grand prize donated by our MVP Sponsors.
MHS Principal Jonathan Aguon said something that resonated with all of us – MHS embraced the values of the PPP program and applied them to their school. Their ownership and pride may be the secrets to their success. We hope that all schools participate in future MVP contests as a way to give back to their schools and community. In MHS’s case, it truly paid off.
We thank our mayors for their support of the MVP Campaign and ask that they continue to work closely with us as we prepare to launch MVP 2.0. The launch of MVP 2.0 will include expanded programs under the MVP umbrella – Marianas School Pride and Marianas Business Pride. We will share more details soon.
Adopt-A-Median Partners
When we launched the Adopt-A-Median (AAM) program, we weren’t expecting an influx of inquiries. The AAM program became the shining star of our 2021 PPP projects. Now, when our residents take a drive around the island, they can see a noticeable improvement in the tidiness and visibility of our curbs, sidewalks, and crosswalks.
Schools throughout the Marianas joined in and adopted sidewalks and curbs around their campuses to improve overall safety and visibility. We will continue the Adopt-A-Median program throughout 2022, and our goal is to refresh every median on Rota, Tinian, and Saipan. We were humbled by the sense of community that had developed throughout the campaign. GCEA thanks all AAM partners for their support and welcomes new partners to join this year-round program.
PPP’s Success
To date, the PPP program has improved 82 sites in 26 villages with the direct support of 77 valuable PPP partners – 66 on Saipan, 6 on Rota, and 5 on Tinian. Our partners completed transformation and beautification projects at 21 basketball courts, 20 beaches, parks and community facilities, 11 tourist sites, and 5 sports facilities. In its first year, our community took care of 22 Adopt-A-Median sites!
The Council extends its sincerest appreciation to all who supported the MVP Award Ceremony. Thank you so much to Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres; Mayor David Apatang, Mayor of Saipan; Mayor Edwin Aldan, Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan; Mayor Efraim Atalig, Mayor of Rota; GCEA Council Members; Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred Ada; MVP Sponsors; and esteemed representatives from our partner agencies – MVA, DPL, DPW, DPS, and DFEMS.
GCEA is grateful for their hard work and unwavering commitment. With their support, we are on our way to transforming our beautiful islands one site at a time. Together, We Can!
For more information or to view the full list of MVP winners and Adopt-A-Median partners, visit the GCEA website at cnmieconomy.com. Engage with the Council on Facebook and Instagram (@cnmigov.economy) or contact them at gceacnmi@gmail.com.
By Edna Grace Nisola
Edna Grace Nisola serves on the Governor's Council of Economic Advisers public relations team and manages GCEA’s Marianas Village Pride Campaign and the Public Private Partnership program, which has grown to include more than 77 partners and 82 sites throughout The Marianas. Edna is the Public Relations Officer for Tan Holdings Corporation. The GCEA’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the Marianas for all residents.
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