Once the ultimate globalization success story, the island of Saipan now faces one of the fastest economic collapses in history. After suffering a harsh history of military struggles, as well as a temporary economic boom after becoming a U.S. commonwealth, the island now stands devastated.
Saipan's economy exploded as U.S. garment manufacturers such as the Gap, Wal-Mart, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren took advantage of cheap labor and absence of shipping quotas. In 2005, the World Trade Organization lifted these international shipping quotas, leaving Saipan with scores of empty factories, rotting shopping centers and former factory workers turning to the sex industry for survival.
Adam Yamaguchi visits Saipan to document the rise and sudden collapse of a tiny piece of America.
"Vanguard" airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. "Vanguard" pods are also available on Current.com/Vanguard.
WELCOME TO EMERALD OCEANVIEW PARK CONDOMINIUM A new jewel is on Guams horizon! Emerald Oceanview Park Condominium is a 280 unit planned residential community offering 128 three bedroom, two bath units; 124 four bedroom, two bath units; 8 penthouses; and 20 villas. The project will be located along the cliff line in Tamuning, Guam, providing spectacular ocean, coastline, and city views from every unit.
Emerald Oceanview Park Condominium will offer a wide range of amenities for those fortunate enough to share the unmatched lifestyle. Some of the benefits of living at Emerald Oceanview Park Condominium will include gated underground parking and storage; secured entry to all buildings; landscaped grounds; picnic areas; playgrounds for children; basketball court; tennis court; swimming pool; private fitness center with indoor driving range; and numerous walking trails.
Click above for an extensive photo gallery of the on-going construction and sample apartments and villas.
CLICK for the Verace site for detailed information with architect drawings.
Younex ... At the Leading Edge of Opportunity
The Younex group of companies is laden with local and international resources poised to play a significant role in the US DOD’s massive expansion program on Guam. Younex is a powerful combination of:
• International Financial Commitment • Local Leadership • Island Acumen • Geographic Advantage
A GROUNDBREAKING ceremony was held yesterday for the $100 million Emerald Oceanview Park Verace Guam development which will rise in the center of Tamuning.
The groundbreaking ceremony was for the installation of water and sewer infrastructure to support the project, the Guam Memorial Hospital, Perezville, Jonestown, and the neighboring community.
The ceremony was held at the project site in Tamuning, adjacent to Guam Memorial Hospital and the Jonestown cliffside area known as Saupon Point.
On hand to participate in the event were Gov. Felix P. Camacho, Consolidated Commission on Utilities chairman Simon Sanchez, and officials of Younex International and Hanil Construction Co., Ltd., developers for the project.
Residents of the surrounding community were also invited to attend.
During the Guam Land Use Commission review of the project, commission members and residents urged the developer to first address infrastructure needs of the neighboring community prior to obtaining occupancy for Emerald Oceanview Park.
In keeping with its commitment, Younex International has initiated, as Phase I of the development, the installation of new water lines to improve water pressure and service to the area, and sewer lines for those residents who currently do not have this service at a cost of approximately $1.3 million.
Mr. Kil Koo Yoon, president and CEO of Younex International, stated that for the development to be successful, the quality of life and value of the surrounding neighborhood must be enhanced.
He said installing badly needed infrastructure to serve the existing and future needs of this community is the first step to making these goals a reality and it is the intention of Younex International to continue adding value to the neighborhood.
The new $100 million luxury condominium and villa project will add up to 280 residential units to the village of Tamuning.
Younex International Inc. was given the green light to proceed with its project by the Guam Land Use Commission at its special meeting on Nov. 29.
Kil Koo Yoon, a 22-year resident of Guam, is hoping that this project will serve as a model for other developers who will invest on Guam.
Younex International is expected to invest over $100 million in Emerald Ocean View Park, with two 15-storey and two 18-storey towers that would provide panoramic views of Tumon and Hagatna Bays.
The property will include 3, 4 and 5 bedroom units ranging from 1,500 square feet to 2,900 square feet.
Seventy percent of the property will be open and green space, with parks, overlooks, and other amenities for residents in the area to enjoy and only 30 percent of the 10.5-acre property will be used for actual building space.
Western Blvd area of Jonestown, Tamuning, before development
by Janjeera Hail Guam - Serious concerns were raised at this morning's roundtable meeting as government and healthcare leaders met to discuss how the military buildup will impact healthcare in the coming years. This morning representatives from the island's major health departments met with the 30th Guam Legislature's Health Committee to discuss their concerns on how the military buildup will impact care on Guam.
Key staff from DISID, Mental Health, Public Health and the Guam Memorial Hospital spoke about the challenges that would come with the buildup, particularly that Guam is already struggling for resources based on the current demand for services. GMH Administrator Peter John Camacho said, "We think about the buildup and some of that is already happening, we're faced with that every day now. And so we're looking at how we can adjust to meet those needs now and still looking ahead to 2014."
In order to serve a growing population, the island will need to attract more qualified healthcare professionals. But according to Public Health Chief Public Health Officer Marylou Loualhati, even the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is underestimating just how many will be needed and Guam is already faces challenges with recruiting.
"It has to do with compensation. We have a difficult time recruiting even though we're considered and classified as a health professional shortage area we still do not have the number of doctors that we need to have in our community health centers," she said.
Mental Health Clinical Administrator Dr. Andrea Leitheiser says that although the military has its own health services, the buildup will still be a strain on her agency because there may also be a large number of servicemen coming to Mental Health to avoid alerting their commanding officers. Like her colleagues at other agencies, she felt that the DEIS just didn't have enough information.
She said, "My personal opinion no. we do need more utilization rates. We need to know for the incoming serviceman just what occurred. What were the diagnosis, what was the treatment, what was the outcome. We also need to know what they did in the community. We also need to know about the debriefing."
Today's roundtable emphasized a lot of the existing concerns associated with healthcare and the military buildup, but also stressed the importance of the need for more information.
Video Gallery More info needed into troop transition's health impact
Last Updated: 8 hours 19 minutes ago Guam's Governor's office has rebuffed suggestions he wants to delay the move of US troops from Japan to Guam because of gubernatorial elections later this year.
Governor Felix Camacho revealed last week he had lodged a request to delay the troop movement from the scheduled 2014 deadline.
Guam residents have voiced concern at the scale and speed of the proposed US military build up.
The Governor's spokesman, Shawn Gumataotao says the request to postpone is because of financial and planning concerns.
"As we are still in a drafting environment impact statement phase, which we do continue to push on, quite frankly the Governor has recognised that the 2014 deadline would be too much for the people of Guam to bear," he said.
"By stretching out beyond the 2014 deadline much of the impacts to our labour force, to healthcare, to our utility system and infrastructure would be better suited to have it extended beyond that."
VIDEO from Australia Network News US president to visit Guam to discuss the proposed military build-up
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