WITH only five security guards left, Imperial Pacific International is doing its best to protect its assets from burglars, IPI’s new Human Resource Business Partner How Yo Chi said.
Chi, who has been part of IPI management for years, has taken over the human resource office after senior advisor for HR Redie Dela Cruz resigned effective Saturday.
He said his title, HR business partner, “is more of a strategic position rather than the one tasked to do day-to-day operation.” He said he is now in charge of preparing payroll.
Dela Cruz, for her part, told Commonwealth Casino Commission Executive Director Ander Yeom that she was thankful to the commission for trying to make things work for the best interest of the Commonwealth throughout this difficult time. However, she said she needs to take some time off.
Yeom noted that Dela Cruz “is basically exhausted.”
On Thursday, Chi attended a CCC meeting to answer the commissioners’ questions.
Asked about the IPI employees’ payroll, Chi said IPI is current on payroll for all its employees comprised now of five security guards and six administrative staff, including himself.
Chi said some of the funds they used to pay the 11 employees came from IPI’s parent company in Hong Kong, while the rest of the monies were proceeds from real estate properties on Saipan that IPI’s local subsidiaries have sold over the years.
A document obtained by Variety indicated that these proceeds were deposited “either to the Bank of Saipan account of IPI (CNMI) LLC, or to the China Minsheng Banking Corp., Hong Kong branch account of IPI Holdings Ltd.” In 2017 for example, IPI sold 20 real estate properties on island and wired most of the $14.1 million proceeds to China Minsheng Banking Corp., and the rest to Bank of Saipan.
Casino Commission Vice Chairman Ralph S. Demapan told Chi that there is a need to protect IPI’s unfinished hotel and casino from burglars.
Chi said IPI still has 24-hour security in Garapan.
IPI, however, has been burglarized twice in the past two months: on Nov. 28 and on Dec. 5.
The burglars stole tools and copper wire.
Although IPI has five security guards only, Chi said they are trying to maintain 24-hour security. “That is the best we can do at this point,” he added.
Chi also told commissioners that over the last couple of months, they have been hosting investors from Japan, Korea and China.
He said IPI hopes to see “some fruits that come from those visits.”
He added that IPI will continuously host potential investors. “That is something that is ongoing,” Chi told the commissioners.
Imperial Pacific International Human Resource Business Partner How Yo Chi appears before the Commonwealth Casino Commission during its meeting at Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai on Thursday.
An Imperial Pacific International employee looks at the insulation stripped from copper wire on one of the IPI hotel tower floors on Dec. 5, 2022.
Copper wire is seen on the floor of an IPI hotel tower room.
