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Senate committee hears unanimous support for Ramon De La Cruz’s nomination to CEDA board
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Summary
Senate members and local officials voiced broad support Nov. 14 for Governor David M. Apatang’s nomination of Ramon Munoz De La Cruz to the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority board, citing his decades of public service and agricultural leadership; committee members asked about farm programs, loan outreach and conversion rates.
Ramon Munoz De La Cruz, 73, the governor’s nominee to represent the 2nd Senatorial District on the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority board, told a Senate committee Nov. 14 in Tinian that he brings more than 30 years of public service and a background in local agriculture and municipal leadership.
The Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations opened the public hearing with formal introductions and received oral endorsements from the governor’s representative and multiple local officials, including Edwin Panosius Aldon, mayor of Tinian, and CEDA staff. John Paul B. Regis, special assistant to the governor, introduced De La Cruz and asked the committee for “favorable consideration” of the nomination.
Committee members pressed De La Cruz on his agricultural work and small-business support plans. De La Cruz said the Farm Service Agency has assisted ranchers and farmers through disaster responses and loans and told the committee that “we have... dished out over $3,000,000 to all the ranchers, farmers throughout the Marianas.” He also said he plans to review denied CEDA applicants and examine program barriers experienced by the three islands.
Senator John De Manglona, the floor leader, cited CEDA’s own citizen-centric report to highlight a large gap in application completion: "Back in 2023, there were 69 applications that were started online. In 2024, there were 64 applications that were started online. And of the 64, 17 were closed out, which means they were approved." De Manglona urged CEDA to strengthen outreach and conversion of started applications into completed approvals.
Members discussed pending policy proposals tied to loan authority and guarantees. Vice Chairman Julio Hofschneider and other senators noted a bill under review that would increase the executive director’s microloan approval limit from $25,000 to $50,000 to better serve small businesses. De Manglona also described the SSBCI 2 program, saying the initiative allows loan guarantees that “any individual or any company can loan up to 20,000,000 in which CEDA will guarantee,” a tool senators said could reduce lender risk and expand lending capacity if better publicized.
Endorsements in the hearing included statements from CEDA’s Marie Coleman and board member Frank Borra, who told the committee the nominee ‘‘meets and exceeds the statutory and professional qualifications’’ and would bring ‘‘island-focused and development-minded’’ perspective to the board. Members of the public — including municipal officials, tenant council representatives and residents — offered oral support; committee staff also recorded four written testimonies in favor of De La Cruz.
Chairman Senator Francisco Q. Cruz closed the hearing, noting that all oral and written testimony will be included in the committee recommendation forwarded to the full Senate for final confirmation. The committee did not vote on confirmation at the hearing and took no final action on the appointment; the public hearing was then adjourned.
