[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 66 (Monday, May 19, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E960-E961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         ISLANDERS OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 16, 1997

  Mr. UNDERWOOD Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to 
congratulate Latte Magazine's Islanders of the Year, Mr. and Mrs. Jose 
and Rufina Tainatongo of Piti, Guam. Mr. and Mrs. Tainatongo were 
nominated by other Guam residents for this recognition based on their 
13-year commitment in helping house foster children on Guam. Mr. & Mrs. 
Tainatongo have long been active in their community. In fact, Mr. 
Tainatongo ran a recent campaign for mayor of Piti.
  The following is the text of a story based on an interview with the 
Tainatongos. This story was published in the April 1997 edition of 
Latte magazine.

                   [From Latte Magazine, April 1997]

                       Jose and Rufina Tainatongo

       In 1984, a Child Protective Services worker told Jose and 
     Rufina Tainatongo the agency desperately needed foster 
     parents, and asked them to consider taking in kids.
       Rufina was still deciding on her answer when the worker 
     brought a couple of kids to her door two weeks later. She 
     decided then and there: ``The Lord says let the children come 
     to me. I (couldn't) say no.''
       Thirteen years later, the Piti couple have been parents to 
     47 foster children. In their

[[Page E961]]

     late 50's they also have five kids of their own ranging in 
     age from 21 to 36.
       ``We consider (the foster children) our very own as well,'' 
     says Rufina. Their biological children treated the foster 
     kids as siblings with the usual ups and downs of childhood, 
     she says. It hasn't always been easy; a one time they had 12 
     foster children at once!
       Some of the foster children measure their stay in weeks, 
     others in months, and a few others in years. One 16 year-old 
     girl currently living with them has been with them for 10 
     years. The children all call them mom and dad, and Rufina 
     proudly carries their pictures in her wallet. Some of the 
     foster children now have kids of their own, and the 
     Tainatongo count five of them as their foster grandchildren.
       While they do receive some compensation from the government 
     as foster parents. ``My payment is when the children 
     appreciate what I've done,'' Rufina says. ``The best (part of 
     being a foster parent) is when the kids appreciate and 
     remember you, they talk to you about their experiences.''
       Asked where she gets the patience to deal with all those 
     children. Rufina replies with a beatific smile, ``The Blessed 
     Mother.''
       Mr. Speaker, Latte Magazine should be commended for 
     honoring the Tainatongos and the other finalists for 
     Islanders of the Year. These included the following 
     individuals:
       Tom Ahillen, the general manager for Matson Guam actively 
     serves on the Gift of Life, a non profit organization created 
     to facilitate blood donations for the local hospital.
       Anita Sukola, a local Guam attorney provides pro-bono legal 
     representation to disadvantaged persons, many of them victims 
     of abuse.
       Dr. Carolyn Hilt, a longtime island educator is the co-
     founder of the Micronesian Evangelical Mission and the 
     Evangelical Christian Academy, now a premier educational 
     institution on Guam.
       Sister Eileen Mearns, the director of the Alee Shelter, a 
     shelter for abused women and children on Guam, is unwavering 
     in her support and advocacy for her clients. Many of them 
     come to her in desperation and in need of protection and 
     assistance.
       I know that these individuals serve as fine examples of the 
     generosity and dedication that many in our country still 
     have. I hope that others take notice of their contributions 
     to society and follow in their example. Congratulations to 
     them all.

     

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