Felicidad Ogumoro

Felicidad Taman Ogumoro was born into a poor Carolinian family on Saipan, the daughter of Daniel Rogolifoi Ogumoro and Estefania Taman; she is the eldest of eight children. During her childhood, she trained to become a member of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy and attended Mt. Carmel High School, a parochial school in Saipan.[1] She then attended the University of Saint Mary in Kansas and earned a B.A. in sociology.[2] She married Francisco Uludong in 1976 and they remained married until his death in 1991. She and Francisco had four children.[1] She was very involved in the United Carolinians Association and participated in its reestablishment in 2020.[3]

She was elected to serve in the 1st Legislature of the Northern Mariana Islands.[1] She was the first woman to serve in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives.[4] She was reelected in 1979 as a Democrat. During the 1st and 2nd legislatures, she served as the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Health, Education, and Welfare.[5] In the 1981 general election, Ogumoro, again the Democratic candidate, was swept out in a Republican wave election.[6]

After her first tenure in the legislature, she organized Western Pacific Associates, Micronesia's first locally owned public relations and business consulting firm.[2] In the 1990s, she led a small nationalist group called Inetnon Taotao Tano which opposed foreign development in the CNMI.[7] In 1991, she ran for the House from Precinct IV on a platform to establish a trust fund for future generations, fund housing development on homesteads and private property, improve education, and promote entrepreneurship.[8]

In 2001, she left the Democratic Party and joined former Governor Froilan Tenorio in establishing the Reform Party, an affiliate of the American Reform Party.[9][10] Governor Juan Babauta nominated Ogumoro to the Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors in 2005.[11]

In the 2009 general election, Ogumoro was elected to the House for a second tenure.[12]

In the 17th Commonwealth Legislature, Ogumoro was chosen to serve as the Vice Speaker of the House.[13] She succeeded Joseph Pinaula Deleon Guerrero who served in the position during the 16th Commonwealth Legislature.[14] In her capacity as Vice Speaker, she served as Acting Speaker when Speaker Froilan Tenorio was off island.[15] Francisco Santos Dela Cruz took over as Vice Speaker for the 18th Commonwealth Legislature.[16]

Ogumoro was a member of the House of Representatives when Janet Maratita was sworn into office in 2011; the two women, alongside Teresita Santos, were the first three to serve simultaneously in the House.[17] Among her areas of interest while in the House was a desire to create a Northern Marianas Cultural Center.[18]

Originally elected as a member of the Covenant Party, Ogumoro chose to follow Governor Benigno Fitial to the Republican Party.[19] Ogumoro was reelected in 2012 and 2014. Ogumoro opted not to run for reelection in the 2016 general election and retired after the 19th Commonwealth Legislature.[20] After leaving the Legislature, Ogumoro was appointed to the advisory board of the Department of Public Lands.[21]