Friday, October 7, 2022
Rota has earned the reputation of being the friendliest island in the world thanks to the many tourists who have visited the island over the years. Our people and community have always welcomed our guests with open arms, just as a family would welcome their own, and we continue this tradition today.
With the arrival of a new market of tourists, from our longest Asian visitors to our local domestic tourists, we are optimistic that Rota will attract a diverse range of new visitors. We are already welcomed new and returning visitors when we kicked off our annual Bisita Luta festival last week. This event welcomes visitors as well as devoted supporters of our islands' Saint San Francisco De Borja. It began as a festival to welcome visitors to the island, but it has since evolved into a much-anticipated event that our residents and the CNMI community look forward to.
Seeing the community of the island come together to greet our Bisita guests is easily the most memorable thing that I have witness. Last year, we welcomed back local dignitaries and guests to the island of Rota so that they could join the community in commemorating Bisita Luta and the San Francisco de Borja Fiesta. This brought back a sense of comfort and normalcy to our community. I watched as the Rota community came together for an evening of dancing and singing from the Bisita Luta concert; taking part in cultural activities; enjoying the indigenous cuisine; and waiting for the beautiful firework display.
This year, we plan to do the same. On the first day of the event, we started with a ribbon cutting ceremony that unveiled the Chamorro Hut. On Friday and Saturday, we had a variety of events and competitions our visitors enjoyed. A few of our contest were locally focused, and our competitors were able to display their hunting and culinary skills for all our visitors to enjoy.
The ceremony where prizes are given out to the winners of annual competitions like the Bisita Luta Food and Delicacies Competition and the Bud Light Fishing Derby is my favorite event to watch. It brings me so much joy to see our people beaming with pride over the food they have caught or prepared, as well as the sense of accomplishment they feel after winning a competition. I am excited about the new competition that we will be having this year, which is the Bisita Luta's longest cast with spinning rod competition.
I would like to thank all those whose hard work and dedication made this year’s Bisita Luta a memorable one, including our sponsors, the people of Rota, all the visitors who made the trip to the island to participate in the festivities, but most especially the hardworking staff who have pulled this all together.
For those who are not able to come to Rota for this event, I humbly invite you to check out our Bisita Luta coverage on our Rota Public Information Facebook page.
Together, We Can!
For more information visit the GCEA website at cnmieconomy.com. Engage with the Council on Facebook and Instagram (@cnmigov.economy) or contact them at gceacnmi@gmail.com.
By Hon. Mayor Efraim Atalig
Hon. Mayor Efraim Atalig serves as the Mayor of Rota. He leads the municipality’s community programs with the mission to improve the quality of life for all residents living and working in the community.
Marianas Variety:
Saipan Tribune: