Senate committee holds public hearing on nomination of Sixto K. Iguisomar for Department of Public Lands secretary

The Senate's standing committee on executive appointments convened a public hearing June 12 to consider the nomination of Sixto K. Iguisomar to serve as secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Public Lands (DPL).

Iguisomar, introduced by Oliver Gonzales on behalf of Governor Arnold I. Palacios and Lieutenant Governor David M. Apatang, described his prior service at DPL and outlined priorities if confirmed: increasing homestead access, improving land-lease administration, clearing land-claim backlogs and modernizing DPL's records and mapping systems. "Public lands are not just resources. They are legacy," Iguisomar told the committee, adding that transparency and constitutional compliance would guide his approach.

The hearing drew supportive testimony from DPL staff and municipal representatives. Patricia Grama, who said she worked under Iguisomar in the department, told the committee she had "complete faith" in his leadership and urged confirmation. Irene Torres, identified as a DPL staff member, said, "I wholeheartedly support his nomination or appointment." Lorna Eginoyev, representing the Northern Islands mayor's office, said the mayor endorsed the nomination and expected "positive impact" for Northern Islands residents.

Why it matters: committee members pressed practical and fiscal questions that affect homestead applicants across Saipan, Tinian and Rota, and that will shape whether the nominee can deliver on his plans. Senators and public witnesses emphasized two recurring constraints: limited capital for land-claim payments and infrastructure, and DPL's dependence on revenue from leases and permits.

Key discussion points and details

- Land claims and payments: Iguisomar said land-claims payments have stalled largely because adequate general-fund appropriations are not available. He told senators the land-claims division is preparing a sanitized, vetted list of claims "that are ready to be paid once funding is available through the general fund." Committee members pressed for lists that show which claims have accepted offers and only await payment.

- Budget and reserves: The nominee said DPL currently maintains a reserve of roughly $4 million to $5 million to cover operations if general-fund support is withheld. He told the committee DPL's comfortable operating level is about $5 million to $6 million a year; "anything below $4,000,000, I really don't think we can really survive," he said. Senators asked about remittances to MPOT and whether reserved funds could be transferred to other government entities.

- Lease rates and regulatory amendments: Iguisomar described two components of lessee payments: a base rent set at 5% of appraised value and a business gross revenue (BGR) share that can range from about 2% to 5%. He said an amendment to lease regulations (including BGR/base-rent adjustments) had been filed with the attorney general's office and the registrar and was expected to be filed by June 15; he also said he planned an emergency filing so the amended rates could be used immediately if cleared by the AG.

- Homestead operations, permits and CRM coordination: The nominee said several homestead projects (Ascona, Marble Heights expansion, FNAFAA in Rota) had advanced design and surveying work under his earlier tenure but later stalled, often tied to undelivered ARPA funding or regulatory and permitting gaps. He said DPL has asked the Coastal Resources Management (CRM) agency to clarify the status of Barranca on Tinian and requested CRM consider regulatory flexibility that would allow certain single-family homestead permittees to build with alternative water solutions while longer-term infrastructure is planned.

- Data systems and surveys: Iguisomar said DPL still manages critical inventories in Excel and paper files and described frequent outages or crashes of the locally built homestead system. He told the committee staff had identified commercial land-management/GIS platforms that could automate parcel, lease and homestead records but quoted an annual subscription figure of about $1,015,000 as a challenge. He requested legislative and interagency support to modernize DPL's mapping and case-tracking systems and to increase field survey capacity.

Public support and written testimony

The record includes multiple oral statements of support and four written testimonies submitted to the committee: Lucia M. Borja; the Hon. Mary Anne De Leon Guerrero Tadella, chairwoman of the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council; Hon. Aubrey Manglonia Hawcook, mayor of the Municipality of Rota; and Christine M. Cabrera, resident department head, Department of Public Safety, Rota. Committee staff stated no written opposition had been received at the time of the hearing.

Committee follow-up and directions

Committee members asked for updated, vetted lists of (1) land claims that have accepted offers and are ready for payment and (2) pending homestead revocations/issuances on Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Iguisomar said he had directed DPL offices to finalize those lists and expected to provide them to senators promptly. He also said the division had sent a letter to CRM seeking an explicit determination on Barranca and urging CRM to consider regulatory adjustments for residential homestead permittees.

Votes and formal actions

The committee adopted its agenda at the start of the hearing (voice vote; "motion carries"), and later approved a motion to adjourn (voice vote; "motion carries"). No confirmation vote was recorded during the hearing; the committee said its recommendation and the hearing record would be forwarded to the full Senate for consideration.

A final note: the hearing centered on operational fixes and interagency coordination rather than substantive new legislation. Senators repeatedly pressed for clearer, vetted lists and for steps that would let DPL issue permits and resume homestead progress while safeguarding constitutional and regulatory requirements.