The confirmation hearing for the nomination of Leah Beth Naholowaa as the Director of the Department of Labor heated up yesterday with several activists opposing her nomination because of statements she allegedly made to the media that indicates her favoritism for local Filipinos.
Local resident Ronald Laguana was among those who opposed Naholowaa because he believes her statements were insulting.
He cited two statements she made to the media; one stating that her first priority as head of DOL was to provide employment to foreign H2 workers immediately after the military buildup was completed and the other statement that she would one day campaign to have a Filipino governor on Guam.
œSuch a public statement is clearly indicative of her initiatives that would benefit her particular ethnicity and not for the people as a whole, Laguana said.
Chamorro rights activist Trini Torres said she fears Naholowaa is attempting to override the Chamorro population with Filipinos.
œKnowing that the island of Guam is not more than 212 square miles and out of the present population of people on Guam, the Filipinos already make up 40 percent of the entire Guam population, Mrs. Naholowaa appears to want the Filipinos to replace our Chamorros from our island as evident in her own words, Torres said.
But, others showed support for Naholowaas nomination, particularly referencing her background as the career development officer at the University of Guam.
Monito Co, General Manager of Benson Guam Enterprises, said having worked with Naholowaa during job fairs, her experience and work attitude while at UOG will be a fantastic asset to Guam as DOL director.
During the hearing, Sen. Tom Ada questioned Naholowaa to elaborate as to the status of a discrimination lawsuit she had filed against UOG last year.
œI applied for a position which I thought I was qualified for and I wasnt chosen twice, but what could I do. I still continued my work despite that, she said as tears streamed down her face.
Naholowaa said she had went on and was thrilled when she learned that Gov. Eddie Calvo appointed her as his cabinet member.
If confirmed as DOL director, Naholowaa said she will ensure the department collaborates with local businesses, policymakers, educators and all stakeholders in the community.
In addition, she said in light of the impending military buildup and the number of skilled laborers it would require, she will ensure opportunities and challenges will be met diligently.
œIn order to ensure that our people benefit from this buildup, our people must be the first priority in the jobs that will be available, she said.
The confirmation hearing for Mariquita Taitague as the director of Department of Agriculture was also held yesterday.
Talofofo Mayor Vicente Taitague said he supported her nomination because of her ability to serve the people of Guam and contribute to the economic growth of the agricultural industry.
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Article source: http://mvguam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16459:confirmation-hearing-turns-into-race-issue&catid=59:frontpagenews
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Halo Sobat, Nama Saya Sofyan Syah, Memulai Dunia Blogging Sejak Nov 2011, Meskipun Masih Baru terjun di Dunia Blogging, Saya tidak patah semangat Untuk menjadi Yang terbaik dari yang Terbaik, karena saya yakin, Tidak ada hal yang tidak Mungkin.Buat saya Blogging Is My Life.Senang rasanya jika sobat sudah Berkunjung di blog ini.
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