30 RP mayors back out of Saipan confab due to A(H1N1) fears

GARAPAN, Saipan – Some 30 mayors from the Philippines cancelled their trip to the US island of Saipan for the 2nd Annual Pacific Mayor's Conference due to A(H1N1) flu (“swine flu") fears. Saipan has no reported case of the flu, but reports of the infectious disease spreading across the globe has resulted in a fewer attendance, organizers said on Thursday. Less than 100 mayors and municipal council members turned up for the four-day conference, which started Thursday. Last year, some 300 local executives attended. The delegates came from the CNMI, Guam, Kosrae, Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Philippines. Of the 70 mayors who signified intention to join this year’s conference, almost half backed out at the last minute. The Philippine mayors and councilors who attended arrived hours late for the opening ceremonies. They are from the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan and Zambales. The Department of Public Health of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) on Tuesday assured the public that there was no truth to text messages being circulated about the flu spreading in Saipan and other islands. Rumors swept Saipan since Tuesday afternoon about unconfirmed reports of cases of A(H1N1) virus in Guam. Paul M. McDonald, president of the Association of Pacific Islands Local Government, regretted the travel cancellation of the mayors from the Philippines. McDonald, who is the Mayor of Agana Heights on the US island of Guam, said there were also 19 Guam mayors who originally wanted to come but seven also cancelled at the last minute because of the flu scare. Mayor Marissa Garcia Reyes of Balete, Batangas, said she, too, heard about the rumor through text messages but found out that it was a hoax. Promoting tourism Reyes, along with three other mayors from Batangas, said they hope to promote local tourism in their towns among conference participants, and at the same time learn about job opportunities available in Guam. “The main goal is to uplift employment of my kababayan and second is to promote Balete’s tourism … Did you know that Balete is the easiest way to go to Taal Volcano? It’s only 45 minutes to one hour from Manila," she told GMANews.TV. Jobs in Guam Guam currently needs some 30,000 workers for projects connected to the military buildup. McDonald said because of federal work visa requirements, Guam’s construction industry can only tap construction workers from the Philippines, and not China. One of the resource speakers at the mayors conference was US Navy Capt. Ulysses O. Zalamea, deputy director of the US Department of Defense’s Joint Guam Program Office, who talked about the military buildup in Guam and the work and economic opportunities that go with it. Olongapo City Mayor James “Bong" Gordon Jr., in an interview, said he expects to learn more about jobs in Guam that are available to residents of Olongapo, which also hosted a US military base just like Guam right now. “There are about 8,000 available former base workers in Olongapo City and it would be good to learn if there’s opportunity for them to work in Guam," he told GMANews.TV. Philippine Consul General to the CNMI Wilfredo DL Maximo said it’s heartening to note that the nations representing the conference have chosen to focus on the positives, rather than on the negative consequences of the global recession now affecting the region to varying degrees. “Indeed, we in this subsection of the Pacific face unprecedented opportunities for further growth and development, not the least through the military buildup in Guam," he said. Obstacles McDonald said another obstacle faced by mayors and municipal councilors from Guam was their lack of US visa. US Immigration does not allow non-US visa holders to transit via Guam so most of the Philippine delegation members went through Japan or Korea before arriving in Saipan and spent about $800 instead of only $300 if they pass through Guam. CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial told conference participants about the negative social and economic consequences of the impending implementation of federal immigration in the CNMI, including removal of foreign workers within five years if they do not qualify for federal work visas. The CNMI is home to some 10,000 overseas Filipino workers and Filipino-Americans. The delegates will be going to another CNMI island, Tinian, where they will stay at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino on Friday and Saturday. A trade fair will also be opened at the hotel on Saturday morning and at noon, the mayors will be treated to a cockfight derby. The delegates will have the opportunity to tour the island before departing back to Saipan on Sunday. - GMANews.TV