By Johnnie Rosario
While you and more than half the island lost your wages and suffer through the economic malaise, the University of Guam gave its spokesman a nearly $20,000 pay raise. Jonas Macapinlac now is paid $105,129 a year - $15,129 more than the governor of Guam.
This is the first in a series of stories Kandit will be covering after UOG disclosed a ream of documents related to pay raises the school has given during the pandemic, while its classrooms were closed.
According to just one of the pay adjustments UOG has given while its classrooms have been closed, the school’s spokesman went from making $88,829 a year to a nearly 20 percent increase to $105,129.
To put this into perspective, Mr. Macapinlac now is the highest paid spokesman in the government of Guam, making $30,000 more than his superior, the governor’s director of communications.
He makes $20,000 more than Lieutenant Governor Joshua Tenorio. Thousands more than the vast majority of the governor’s cabinet. Tens of thousands more than the managers of the police department, and the rank and file of law enforcement who risk their lives. Thousands more than the highest-paid principals in public schools. Macapinlac now makes more than some doctors and most nurses at Guam Memorial Hospital and the Department of Public Health and Social Services.
Macapinlac is part of the classified service in the government of Guam. This means that the only pay raises he should have qualified for are increments of up to three percent every 18 to 24 months based on performance. According to his personnel action, dated April 6, 2021, his 18 percent pay increase is an adjustment “in accordance with BOR Resolution No. 20-02, approved by thee BOR Chairperson and President, adopted February 13, 2020.”
The BOR is the Board of Regents. Its chairman is Liza Provido. The president is Thomas Krise, who is paid $210,000 a year, or about two-and-a-half times more than the governor.
Macapinlac’s nearly $20,000 pay raise was made effective March 29, 2021 following a series of personnel actions. Other highly-paid UOG administrators received outlandish pay raises during the pandemic. The pay raises coincided with UOG’s testimony before senators informing them of an impending tuition hike to pay for personnel and operational costs. Now we know what those increased personnel costs are. Kandit will bring you these stories and more.
By the way, part of Macapinlac’s job is to supervise and maintain the university’s website. In the listing of the members of UOG’s governing body, the Board of Regents, he has referred to its chairwoman as a ‘Mister.’
UOG sure knows how to pick them, almost as tragically as it uses your money to pay them.
