More businesses joining beautification drive

Marianas Variety, Wednesday, October 18, 2006
By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE number of participants from the business sector joining the activities of Beautify CNMI! continues to increase.

Besides the five donors and nine others considered partners, four other establishments came forward to support the coalition’s beautification campaign.

The Hotel Nikko-Saipan, Aquarius Beach Tower Hotel, Lao Lao Golf Resort, and the Construction and Material Supply Inc. have submitted their pledge to adopt a spot for the island-wide destination enhancement efforts.

Each business firm has a number of volunteers to clean up a certain part of their surroundings in line with the Beautify CNMI! activities, particularly the 1020 on 10/20 volunteer program. This program hopes to get 1,020 volunteers who will go out and clean up on Oct. 20, even for just an hour. With two more days to go, the program is said to be close to reaching the target.

Many areas on the island, particularly those frequented by visitors, are to be cleared of trash and other eyesores when the volunteers start working on their adopted spots.

The Hotel Nikko Saipan, which has 35 volunteers, will clean the stretch of Pau Pau Beach from San Roque to Aqua Resort, and the stretch of Chalan Pale Arnold from La Fiesta III to the San Roque cemetery drainage.

The 50 volunteers from Lao Lao Golf Resort and Kagman Kumunidat Association will clean the whole stretch of road from the top street down to Kagman. They will also donate drinking water and food.

The Aquarius Beach Tower Hotel is sending 10 volunteers to pick up litter along the stretch of Lally 4 Beach from Sugar Dock to the Pacific Gardenia Hotel. The volunteers will also plant coconut trees along the beach front.

Ten volunteers from Construction and Material Supply Inc. will get rid of eyesores in the vicinity of Gualo Rai intersection, assisting DEQ’s own cleanup team that will pick up litter all the way to the next intersection.

Beautify CNMI! organizers also plan to include businesses among the participants in the beautification campaign.

Those that are listed as Beautify CNMI! partners are Pacific Trading Co. Ltd., Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting, Balli Steel, Triple J. Enterprises, Errico Enterprises, Tan Holdings, Aqua Resort Club and Hyatt Regency-Saipan, while those who pledged to be donors are STAR Water, Saipan Ice Inc., Marianas Ice and Water, Fiesta Resort and Century.

Hotel Nikko Saipan administrative officer Ray C. De la Cruz said in an interview that they believe the business sector has as much of a stake as the government, the community and individuals in destination enhancement efforts.

“We are all stakeholders here,” he said, adding that beautification efforts must involve a personal commitment by people, especially those in the business organizations.

He added that even without the present campaign, the Hotel Nikko Saipan had been doing beautification efforts on a monthly basis.

“We just didn’t go out and publicize what we are doing,” he said.