After the storm Picking up the pieces
Cultural beauty
Telling stories through dance
Plus
On the Road
DECEMBER 2018
The power of dance to tell a story will forever span the generations. See story on page 10. ABOUT THE COVER Saipan residents take pride in keeping their culture alive through dance. Photo by Chelu Photos
3 Calendar December Events
5-7 Community Typhoon Yutu recovery
10-11 Artist
Glimpses Publications include: Marianas Business Journal, MBJ Life, Guam Business Magazine, Real Estate Journal, Buenas, Beach Road Magazine, Drive Guam, Pocket Deals
ManAntigo Cultural Dance Group
14-15 Fashion Forward The gift of time
16 Recipe
Champorado
22-23 On the Road
Event and reader submitted photos
We’re Online! www.brmsaipan.com
beachroadmagazine
PUBLISHER Maureen N. Maratita BUSINESS EDITOR Meghan Hickey LIFESTYLE EDITOR Jesse C. Babauta REPORTERS John I. Borja Wayne Chargualaf CREATIVE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR Vikki Fong DESIGN & PRODUCTION Conrad Calma Jr. Keisha Marie Gozum Louisa Joy Castro Angelica Eleno GENERAL SALES MANAGER Ken Duenas SALES ASSOCIATE Marlon Regaton MANAGING DIRECTOR Marcos W. Fong Beach Road Magazine, December 2018. Entire contents copyrighted 2018 by Glimpses of Saipan Inc. Beach Road Magazine is published monthly by Glimpses of Saipan Inc. P.O. Box 502080, Saipan, MP 96950 • 2/F Transpac Business Center Gualo Rai, Saipan • Tel: (670) 235-7645 • Fax: (670) 234-1801 • E-mail: saipan@ glimpsesofguam.com. All rights reserved. No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher.
Glimpses of Guam Inc. Mission Statement: To connect people with information.
D
DECEMBER EVENTS As Saipan recovers from super-typhoon Yutu, some events may have been cancelled or rescheduled. Please call and verify if a specific event will proceed. Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Garapan Street Market Location: Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan Time: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy live traditional music and a wonderful selection of local food. Admission is free. For more information contact the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Office at 664-2576.
Dec. 17 Christmas Walk in the Marianas Time: 4:00 p.m. Location: American Memorial Park Join the fun with a Christmas Float Parade and Christmas costume and caroling contests. For more information, contact Mario Espeleta at 322-8770 or email pdiadm@pdisaipan.com.
Dec. 3 5th annual Hell of the Marianas Time: Show time 5 a.m. Go time 6 a.m. Fee: Member: $20/Non-member: $25 The best cyclists from Asia, Hawaii and all over the Pacific are ready to test their skill at the annual Hell of the Marianas bike race. For more information contact Cole Pritchard at Pacific Islands Club Saipan at 237-5148 or e-mail seaexec@picsaipan.com.
Dec. 29 Marianas Strong Year-end Celebration and Mochitsuki Festival Time: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Location: Paseo de Marianas
DECEMBER
HEY! DID YOU KNOW? VACCINATION AND IMMUNIZATION No child shall be enrolled in any public or private school within the Commonwealth unless evidence is presented to the enrolling officer that the child has had all required vaccinations or immunizations: Public Law 6-10
HEALTH CERTIFICATES Any person who desires to work in, or attend, a school/child care facility shall be physically examined by the Department of Public Health or a licensed physician in private practice and shall be issued a health certificate stating that the applicant employee or student is free of pathogens and parasites and other forms of communicable diseases under PL 6-10, article 6 §§ 1161-1165.
IMMUNIZATIONS Every parent of a child already enrolled in a Commonwealth school, public or non-public, whose child’s health records show incomplete immunizations, shall be required to initiate remedial action within two weeks following notification of the immunization deficiency. Failure to comply shall be grounds for suspension of the child from school until immunization standards have been met. Source: PL 6-10 § 1 (§1560).
A DISEASE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT EVERYWHERE.
For more information contact the CHCC’s Immunization Program
SAIPAN: 236-8745 TINIAN: 433-9233 ROTA: 532-9457 or visit www.cdc.gov.vaccines
COMMUNITY
Photos courtesy of Susan Book
UNITY IN CHAOS
HELP COMES FROM ALL QUARTERS By John I. Borja
The devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yutu created months of hardship for the residents of Saipan and Tinian, but the strength and resiliency of the people show that as a community, they are more than ready to move on.
DECEMBER 2018
5
COMMUNITY
Named as the strongest typhoon of 2018 and one of the strongest ones in history, Yutu on Oct. 24 wreaked havoc on the Northern Mariana Islands, hitting Tinian dead-on and ravaging the southern and central portions of Saipan. Roofs were ripped off houses, windows were blown out and static cars collided as winds reaching up to 178 miles per hour swept the islands for what felt like hours. For Saipan resident Esther Lizama Muña, it was an experience like no other. She endured past storms, including Typhoons Mangkhut, Soudelor and their predecessors, but Yutu was a reckoning she never expected. Muña is the CEO of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and oversees the NMI’s only hospital on Saipan. Because of her role, she was one of the very first officials to take action once the typhoon passed. This meant assessing damages on the hospital and the health centers on Saipan and Tinian. “Our staff was hysterical, but thankfully we were all safe,” Muña says. “The buildings had minor damage, but some of our staff found that their homes were damaged.” The first day after the typhoon was a busy day for hospital staff. Muña says the hospital had treated more than 100 injured individuals, mostly lacerations either from the impact of the storm or from clearing away debris. While the hospital treated patients, another team set out to conduct mobile clinics, especially those who were far from the hospital. “In the aftermath, people can’t travel. Some people’s cars were destroyed. We wanted to make sure everyone got the help they needed, so we drove to them,” Muña says. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization and other health groups assisted the NMI staff in treating the wounded. Some doctors and nurses from Guam also flew to Saipan to lend a hand, she says. “The support that’s been coming in has been tremendous from Guam, the region and globally. … It’s very hard for me to say how much it means to receive this support from all over. I don’t think we would’ve survived without the help,” she says. It wasn’t just physical injuries Muña was concerned about, though. She worried about how people would react to the traumatic experience of the storm and losing their home and possessions. Yet, even with images of disaster in every direction, the people stood strong. “I’m so humbled by the resiliency of the community. … People are living in their homes even if it’s not livable because they just want to be with their family.” Photo courtesy of Susan Book
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DECEMBER 2018
COMMUNITY
Photo courtesy of Esther Muña
Isla Montessori School teacher Susan Book is one of numerous volunteers going around the island and helping people in need. With a group of her colleagues, students, friends and even strangers, she aids those who need help clearing debris from their home. “I have watched people go into emergency mode and assess what is a need and what is a want. From day one, everyone was checking on each other and rallying to go where needed,” Book says. The group initially was formed by a call for help from two of her friends who needed help clearing their homes. Her friends created a Facebook event page to get a couple of volunteers, but Book says the outcome was extraordinary. “The next thing I knew, we had teachers, students and random people showing up to help these older individuals who cannot take care of the situation on their own and it was just overwhelming,” Book says. Inspired by this act of kindness, the group took things further and starting going around helping other residents. Thus, the group named itself the Dominating Island Recovery Team — volunteers who couldn’t yet go back to work because of the conditions, but still wanted to make themselves useful. Isla Montessori School was in dire need of fixing, so some volunteers had donated power generators, water and their time to restore the school. DIRT enlisted the help of various businesses and organizations, including Skydive Saipan, the CNMI Rugby Team, the Saipan Swim Club and teachers from the Isla Montessori School to bring things together. Now in better shape, the school serves as a charging station and a place of help for nearby families, Book says. Even the little ones played their part in the overall restoration of the NMI. Eight-year-old Georgia Baetge was one of the young volunteers who helped put together care packages for those in need. She and her peers also cleaned their rooms to find items to donate. “Anyone who lost their house deserves to be helped and I want to be one of those people who help,” Georgia says. As the community picks up the pieces of their homes and looks onward to better days, Book says it’s important to have care for oneself and for others. The storm has left people tired and stressed, so everyone needs to first look within to make sure they are okay. Offer help where help is needed, she says. “Remember, we are all in the middle of chaos, so having empathy and patience with others is a must.”
Photo courtesy of Susan Book
DECEMBER 2018
7
ARTIST
GENERATIONS OF CHAMORU DANCE Photo courtesy of Frances Mary Manibusan Sablan
By John I. Borja Cultural dance and chant groups in the Marianas help perpetuate Chamoru culture by retelling the stories of the indigenous people’s ancestors, passed down from generation to generation. The standard is no less portrayed in the work of the ManAntigo Cultural Dance Group. The group offers its creative versions of Chamoru storytelling to Saipan and Tinian, and also joined Guam’s cultural performers in the Festival of Pacific Arts in 2016. “We’re founded as far back as 1980,” says Frances Mary Manibusan Sablan, senior adviser of the group. “This group is actually the seed of the group I founded when I was in high school — Antigo Cultural Dancers at Marianas High School.” The dancers back then are now the parents of the current generation of performers. ManAntigo has 18 active performers between the ages of 13 and 17, and the dancers typically stay in the group until they reach adulthood, Sablan says. Four advisers train and encourage 10 DECEMBER 2018
the performers, all of whom are experienced dancers from the original Antigo group. This familiarity helps the group rehearse and learn new performances quickly, although ManAntigo does not discourage newcomers from joining. The dancers are primarily recruited in high schools by word of mouth. Sablan says it is better this way because new recruits would have at least one connection with one of the performers, which provides a more comfortable experience. After all, a more cohesive group does well in conveying the message of a performance. “With each of our performances we tend to introduce a historic piece, either through a song or dance. We incorporate that bit of education because we found there was a need for more Chamoru performances,” Sablan says. ManAntigo often shares its performances with Guam song and chant writers such as Johnny Sablan and Benjie Santiago, but the group also produces its own performances that relate to the history of the Northern Mariana Islands. In October, ManAntigo performed a chant written by Frances Sablan about Taga, the historic chief of
ARTIST
Lehenden Taga,” tinige’ si Frances M. Sablan “Legend of Taga,” written by Frances M. Sablan Taga, Taga, Taga Taga, Taga, Taga Maga’låhin Tini’an Chief of Tinian Taga, Taga, Taga Taga, Taga, Taga Mafañågun Guåhan Born on Guam Annai påtgon si Taga When Taga was a child Ha li’e nenin pånglao He saw a baby crab Påpa trongkon niyuk Under a coconut tree Ha bokbok, ha dågao He uprooted, he threw Nina luhan I tata His father was afraid Ha dulalak pau punu He chased (Taga) to kill him Sa metgot na påtgon Because he was a strong boy Malågu puntan tano’ He ran to the end of the island Tuma’yuk para Luta He leaped to Rota Ayu nai sumutteru He grew up there (became a teenager) Ayudånti yan gåtbu A good helper & handsome Mampos bumuchåchu A very hard worker Malak guatu Tinian He left for Tinian Umasuda yan che’lu-ña And met up with his brother
Ma yotti dos palåbra They tossed some words at each other Umadagåo uttimon-ña Eventually, they threw words at each other Ma’kontra manpoksai They competed by paddling Si Taga gi un punta Taga at one end Ya I che’lu-ña And brother Gaigi otro bånda The other side Duru I dos manpoksai The two paddled hard Astaki måhluk talo’ Until it (outrigger) broke in half Malingo nai si Taga Taga disappeared Duru ha poksai lågu He was paddling swiftly to the east Mampos banidosu He was very proud Ha haksa dångkululu He built the biggest Na guma’ higai latte Latte thatch hut Haligin ginen åchu’ Pillars out of stone Dossi haligi-ña Twelve pillars Para kada påtgon For each child Un diha nina manman One day he was surprised Minetgot i mås påtgon At the strength of his youngest child
Tinian, during the annual festival that commemorates him. Sablan’s chant tells of the rise and fall of Taga, known as a prominent figure in the history of the Marianas. Other chants written by Sablan include “Mu,” a story about a Pacific goddess, and “Lålai i Fa’i,” a playful interpretation of the many uses of rice. “Most of the time, we see that the public doesn’t know the difference between what’s new and what’s in our history. This is how the Antigo clubs were established, to meet that need,” Sablan says. Sablan says she’s thankful that ManAntigo continues to flourish because of interest among the younger generation, but one of the struggles she observed is maintaining
Ha ågang I lahi-ña He called his son Ha puno’ kåntun tåsi He killed him by the beach Sen piniti asagua-ña His wife was so saddened Tumångis put linachi She cried hard because of the wrong Ma sangan na I haga-ña It was said that his daughter Pumuno nai si Taga Killed Taga Ha’ nangga para u maigu She waited until he was asleep Ayu nai duru ha acha’ That’s when she struck him hard Mamodong todu I haligi All the pillars fell Unu ha’ nai sopbla Only one remains Iyon I antin haga-ña Belongs to his daughter’s spirit I sengsong na mu laoya In the village she roams Taga, Taga, Taga Taga, Taga, Taga Maga’lahin Tini’an Chief of Tinian Taga, Taga, Taga Taga, Taga, Taga Un lehende ni na’ manman A legend that’s hard to believe
dancers after they become adults. At this point in their lives, they branch out to pursue their careers and make a living for themselves. One can only hope those dancers will come back one day to nurture the next cycle of performers, she says. Looking forward, ManAntigo continues to perform wherever it is requested, and is raising money to take part in future events occurring in the region. The group is gearing to participate in dance festivities in Taiwan next year. The following year is the 2020 Festival of Pacific Arts in Hawaii, which the group is also excited to participate in, Sablan says.
DECEMBER 2018 11
RECIPE
Champorado (Chocolate Rice)
Total prep time: 30-45 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients • 1 cup rice • 1 quart water • ¼ teaspoon salt • 3 tablespoons sugar • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, sugar, salt and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 2. Stir. Lower heat to and let simmer covered for 15 minutes. Every few minutes stir the mix.
4. While the rice is cooking, combine 1/4 cup boiling water and cocoa powder in a small bowl. 5. Add vanilla extract. 6. Once the rice is cooked, whisk the cocoa mixture into the rice mixture. 7. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the rice absorbs the cocoa powder. 8. Serve with sugar and milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk or half-and-half. Nutrition Facts 1 cup: 213 calories, 0.2g fat (0.1g saturated fat), 0mg cholesterol, 1.7mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (19g sugars, 0g fiber), 2.5g protein
*Recipe courtesy of the Babauta family Submit your recipes with photos to lifestyleeditor@glimpsesofguam.com.
16 DECEMBER 2018
Photos courtesy of Hoopaholics
Non-profit group Hoopaholics have a mission to lift the community's spirits with a movie night and create a comfortable outdoor family atmosphere. The group provides emotional relief by working with families affected by Super Typhoon Yutu.
Photos courtesy of Saipan residents
Damage can be seen here as Saipan and Tinian were hit hard by SuperTyphoon Yutu. In the wake of the storm the community banded together as relief efforts continue. 22 DECEMBER 2018
ON THE ROAD
Photos courtesy of Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc.
Jenny Wu Zhang, student at Saipan Community School, and Christine Viray, student at Saipant Southern High School, were each awarded first place in their age division on Oct. 19 in the 2018 Pacifica Art Contest. Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc. President Shirley Sablan and Marketing Coordinator Samantha Sikayun visited the students at their schools to award them each with a $200 cash prize.
DECEMBER 2018 23