CHC Niay Cut Back on Sonie Health Services

I ,i UNIVEl~SITY Or HAWAII LIBRARY, /i arianas %riet.Yr;~ ( Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ C\VS US bank goes CHC niay cut back on after Tinian Shipping Co. By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff sonie health services A DELAWARE-based banking institution yesterday filed a law By Haidee V. Eugenio place, highly-critical medical ser nurses, has never stopped, suit in [ederal court against Tinian Variety News Staff vices will suffer. Villagomez said. Shipping Company, Inc. and oth CURRENT economic conditions "We may institute stronger aus DPH, together with the Legis ers for alleged non-payment of a may force the government-mn terity measures, including cutting lature and the Attorney General's Commonwealth Health Center to back certain services to the com Office, is also studying whether $7.6 million loan. stop providing certain medical ser munity ... But that's only one of the cut in personnel hours will Debis Financial Services, Inc. vices and to slash its non-medical the options we have been looking also translate to reduced benefits also named as defendants in the staff's working hours, it was dis at seriously. or not. suit Hong Kong Entertainment closed yesterday. '"We are also looking at the pos "It has to be cleared first by the (Overseas) Investment, Ltd., and businessman Kwan Man. Although the Department of sibility of cutting back the hours legislatureorthe AGO ... whether Public Health did not reveal what of the administrative staff from people who work less than 40 Defendants' counsel G. An particular health se1vices may be eight hours to (less) ... One of the hours per week are still entitled to thony Long, when contacted by affected in light of a measly $33.9 first things that the staff have re the benefits that come with it like the Variety refused to comment, saying he has not seen the com mi Ilion budget for fiscal year alized is cutting back on hours is the hours of annual leave," he plaint yet. 2000, this area remains to be one better than bein_g laid off," he said. said. Joseph Kevin Villagomez Debis, through counsel Davie.I of the major options currently Aside from these additional The health secretary said while P. Ledger, sought to recover from being studied. belt-tightening schemes, DPH has projects and the halt to the annual certain services may be sus Tinian Shipping, Hong Kong En Health Secretary Joseph Kevin already observed other measures salary increase. pended, critical medical areas will tertainment (HKE), and Man the Villagomez said unless stiffer like the freeze hiring of adminis However, the hiring of medical be given more prominent atten- entire amount owing under the austerity measures are put into trative staff, suspension of certain staff, particularly doctors and Continued on page 22 promissory note, plus interest. Ledger asked the US District According to report: Court for the CNMI that the M/V Gov't intensifies effort Saipan Express and the M/V Tinian Express be condemned and NMI gov't practically against prostitution sold to pay the claims of Debis. Ledger requested the court to By Aldwin R. Fajardo Mark Zach ares was asked Tues declare that Debis may become a subsidizing industry Variety News Staff day by the governor to maintain . purchaser permitted to credit bid By Zaldy Dandan WHILE stressing that no evi a vigilant policy to track down : any amounts adjudged to be ow Variety News Staff dence has been forwarded yet to possible groups or individuals ing at any sale of the mortgaged THE GARMENT industry's operational impa'ct costs the CNMI verify allegations that foreign in the CNMI engaged in the properties. $3.89 million a year, with alien workers contributing most to this women are being brought to the world's oldest profession. According to the complaint, negative impact, a report commissioned by the US Interior Depart CNMI for prostitution, Lt. Gov. He added there is not any lead plaintiff and Tinian Shipping en ment said. Jesus R. Sablan yesterday dis yet that would establish the ac tered into a loan agreement on The I 90-page report, w}lich was prepared by Robert W. Rudolph, closed that the labor and immi curacy of reports spreading Oct. 8, 1996. M.A. and James C. Nicnolas, Ph.D., said this figure was·based on gration departme!1t has already throughout the United States Under the agreement, Ledger I 997 data from the Department of Labor and Immigration, which been instmcted to look into them. mainland that foreign women said Debis agreed to loan Tinian estimated that there are close to 13,000alien workers employed in 32 Sablan said DOLI Secretary Continued on page 22 garment factories. Continuea on page 22 The repo1t, which came out before the enactment of the "garment ~... addition" legislation, said <!n increase in the numberof alien workers in the industry will lead to a more significant negative impact. · Additional alien workers, moreover, will require additional rev ,-,"",';.'·.~ ". enue sources to keep pace with the demand for public facilities and "'I . Continued on page 23 .. -·.·,·,,, \ fCuc goes.~gaiiiStf ' ~ illegal water taps I f,j ·":' ,_;<J; >. ,:j after residents and companie,; f:j [1 ::!lit:<>;~ ' ":1 illegally connected to the fl f.' island's water system in an ap- fi rl parent bid to minimize losses h f:] and maintain a stable supply. fl r "There arc some people us- fl fl ing water and not paying CUC, (j ~ they hie.le their connection un- [J ~ c.lcr the ground," CUC Board \, • I Juan Dela Cruz said, in an in tc1vicw yesterday. Dela Cruz said the utilities company is investigating the Juan Dela Cruz matter to ensure that "every By Jojo Dass thing is paid for." Variety News Staff Dela Cruz's statement came THE COMMONWEALTH at the heels of mounting oppo Ready to defend. Many faces looked like this one during the last da:y of a two week long Tandem Thr_ust on Utilities Corp. (CUC) is going Continued on page_2_6 Tinian yesterday. The men and women of the U.S. Forces, Austra/Ja and Canada conducted exercises to increase combat readiness. Photo by Eduardo c. Siguenza THURSDAY, APRIL l, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS.AND VIEWS-3 As C.D.C. officials' visit draws near Food suppliers under watch By MERIT A DHIMGJOKA simply too old or weak to survive By Haldee V. Eugenio vent food poisoning from hap thereby a threat to public health. will assist CNMI's lone epidemi KUKES, Albania (AP) - More the forced journey. Variety News Staff ratory test results done with sent pening since they will be made to These mini-stores - which ologist, Ed Diaz, in pinpointing refugees joined the tens of thou "We've helped them, but we food samples eaten by L&T em FOOD SUPPLIERS operating in comply with existing health and · sells cucumbers, apples, oranges, sands of others overwhelming can't keep them here forever," the cause of the recent food poi ployees last week. the CNMI are currently under sanitation laws. eggplants, among others - are soning incident. Kosovo's neighbors Wednesday Cenaj said. "For the moment, "It may take couple of days to close scrutiny, with some of them "There's only a few food ven often parked outside garment as internatiom;I relief agencies and we've stopped admitting local With the completion of the in take definitive results but prelimi facing possible closure or cease dors here that sell product to the workers' barracks or factories. governments prepar;d to rush people unless it's an emergency.'" vestigation, theCNMiwill be able nary reports show there are or in operations due to contaminated community and if those food sold Some of the mobile stores to determine how best to prevent ;upplies to ease the worsening In Geneva, Kris Janowski of ganisms in all the (food) samples products being sold to the public. are contaminated for whatever would also park on the roadside humanitarian crisis. the U.N. Hil!l1 Commissioner for food poisoning from recurring. that we took, both the water and Health Secretary Joseph Kevin reason, we need to ensure that leading to Capitol Hill where leg Villagomez also expressed hope NATO estimates I 18,000refu Ref ugces said about 550,000 refu food," he said, clarifying that DPH Villagomez yesterday disclosed they are closed down," islators and most government of gees have reached Albania and gees had now left Kosovo since that the CDC representatives will is not out for citation but for cor that there are only few food sup Villagomez pointed out. ficials pass. Kosovo's other two neighbors, Serb-ethnic Albanian tensions already bring with them the labo- rective measures. pliers here that sell local produce Aside from big food suppliers At the same time, DPH dis Montenegro and Macedonia, as a worsened more than a year ago. to the community, making it easier here, there are also more than I 00 closed two epidemiologists from result of a Serbian campaign "We are seeing a very serious to track down their products and 'illegal' mobile stores full offruits the Atlanta-based Centers for Dis against the majority ethnic Alba refugee crisis, which is worsen operations. and vegetables that ply the streets ease Control are set to arrive in nians in Kosovo that intensified ing by the hour," Janowski said. The big bulk of CNMI's food of Saipan everyday, according to Saipan anytime now not only to after allied airstrikes began last "There 1s a campaign of ethnic ·(l supplies come from off-island, Patrick Calvo, member of the help the local government in track Wednesday.

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