Bryan Manabat
Saipan CorrespondentBryan is a seasoned journalist based in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, reporting on regional issues for KPRG News.
He covers a wide array of topics such as local governance, court proceedings, crime, environmental policy, and tourism, focusing on their impact on the Northern Mariana Islands community.
His work often highlights the intersection of local and international interests, particularly for the CNMI's geopolitical relevance, military presence, and economic challenges in tourism and labor.
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World Central Kitchen has partnered with six restaurants on Rota and expects to reach 15,000 meals served across the Marianas following Super Typhoon Bavi’s July 6 landfall. -
Facing mounting recovery costs and the loss of anticipated FEMA advance funding, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Executive Director Kevin Watson is calling on residents to lobby House lawmakers to approve a $40 million line of credit he describes as essential to keeping restoration work moving forward. -
A man long entangled in CNMI criminal and immigration cases was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as an illegal alien. -
With the “All Clear” declared but advisories still in effect, utility crews across the CNMI are confronting fragile systems and storm‑related setbacks as they work to bring electricity and water back online for Saipan, Tinian and Rota. -
Up to half of the utility poles on the island were toppled, and residents can spend six hours in line at the water-filling station. -
Speaking from Rota during a Wednesday phone interview, Sen. Donald Manglona said Typhoon Bavi delivered some of the island’s worst damage in a decade, knocking out water service and destroying up to half of its power poles.
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CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King‑Hinds issued a late‑Tuesday Instagram message reassuring residents that recovery efforts were already underway, shortly after the Commonwealth lifted its all‑clear following Typhoon Bavi’s direct landfall on Rota. -
Rota Mayor Aubrey Hocog confirmed Monday that the Mayor’s Office suffered “major damages” after Super Typhoon Bavi’s eyewall passed directly over the island. -
Flash flooding and extreme winds hammered Rota early Monday as Super Typhoon Bavi passed overhead, prompting urgent safety warnings and driving hundreds of residents into government shelters. -
Federal Coordinating Officer Andrew Grant said Saturday that FEMA is mobilizing “in full force” ahead of Bavi, using lessons from Typhoon Sinlaku to accelerate the CNMI’s federal response.
