Maureen N. Maratita
Publisher
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On one of the walls in my office is a detailed map of the Pacific with its islands and atolls. I have the same map in one of our guest rooms at home — the idea at the house being that our visitors from outside the islands can see where they are.

I estimate I have visited about half the major islands and some smaller ones in the Pacific. I began doing so long before I came to live in Guam — though that was to the South Pacific.

Since I have lived in Guam, both business and pleasure have taken me throughout the Micronesian region, and most frequently to the North Pacific islands.

Our “beat” at Glimpses Media includes not only Guam, but the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, and we are fortunate to have correspondents in the Asia-Pacific who bring news to you on a regular basis — also for the magazine’s sister publication — the Marianas Business Journal, and to include Japan.

I still would like to visit the Northern Islands of the NMI and I have not visited Kosrae. But I have ventured outside of Majuro to see other islands, outside of Weno to explore the wide lagoon, and to Peliliu in Palau — all by boat. I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to appreciate what the islands have to offer. Each of them has a distinct identity and culture, as well as their own successes and issues. Their leaders and residents have been generous through the years in explaining the facts of life to me, and to our news team.

When Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, commander of Joint Region Marianas, mentioned Kapingamarangi Atoll and its channel in the Southern-most part of the FSM to me, I had never heard of it. I spelled “Kapingamarangi” with his help, and there it was on my maps.

The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard went to Kapingamarangi to clear the channel — just one way that the U.S. has found to demonstrate the value of its relationship with the islands of Micronesia.

The relationship has never been more in discussion in high places than recently. Security issues in the Asia-Pacific have come to the fore and the Compacts of Free Association are being re-negotiated. We explore many aspects of these issues in “Pacific Pivot” in this magazine.

The leader of the Federated States of Micronesia recently had the spotlight all to himself. President David Panuelo wrote to the governors and speakers of the FSM when he realized he would not be president, following elections in the country. Just days ago, that extraordinary letter was reported on by the Diplomat magazine.

A source forwarded the letter directly to us. I believe we are the only two media anywhere that can quote directly from the letter.

That extraordinary letter and its contents and ramifications prompted a pivot of our own in the coverage in this magazine. And what Panuelo wrote shows his own Pacific pivot and his thoughts on what the pivot of the FSM should be.

The president is at ease with media. He has been interviewed by Guam Business Magazine and the Journal, and by other news organizations around the world.

For this feature, the interview with him did not eventuate. We assume that Panuelo was devoting his energies to that letter, and really his words and its contents could quite possibly supersede anything he might have told us.

He is also a prolific letter writer when he believes the occasion calls for it, and the March letter is not his only one recently.

The letter we received in March is courageous and eloquent.

Panuelo is also astute and may have speculated that the letter would see the light of day beyond its intended recipients.

Outside of that, our planned coverage of the FSM contains additional information that we hope will contribute to your own understanding of the country, as well as the wider picture in our region as we report what other island leaders had to say and more.

Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Publications at Glimpses Media include the Marianas Business Journal, MBJ Life, The Real Estate Journal, Guam Business Magazine, Beach Road Magazine, Buenas and Drive Guam.