Josie Fitial

Fitial, who is nicknamed Josie, was born Josepina Padiermos, in 1962 in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines. She was the oldest child of four children of a poor family. She earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of the East in Manila.

Padiermos moved to the Northern Mariana Islands in 1983 to financially support her family in the Philippines. There she met her future husband, Benigno Fitial, a politician, while working as a waitress on Saipan.{{cite news |first=Gemma Q.|last= Casas |title= From waiting tables to meeting 3 US presidents |url=http://www.mvarietynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16698:from-waiting-tables-to-meeting-3-us-presidents&catid=1:local-news&Itemid=2 |work=Marianas Variety|date=2009-05-05 |access-date=2009-07-18}} The couple later married and had two children, Patrick and Christina, in addition to Benigno Fitial's four children from a previous marriage, Jason, Cathy, Junella and Julie.

Benigno Fitial would later serve as the Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and the Governor of the CNMI beginning in 2006. Josie Fitial became First Lady of the Northern Mariana Islands when her husband took office on January 9, 2006.

Fitial has placed emphasis on programs and initiatives relating to education, health care, recycling and the environment, as well as children, students and the elderly. She has been named an honorary goodwill ambassador of the Red Cross, CNMI Chapter, and is a former member of the CNMI Lions Clubs International.

Fitial has established the Vision Foundation, which promotes charitable causes within the Northern Mariana Islands. A focus of Fitial's foundation has been the donations of books and other literature to CNMI public schools.{{cite news|first=Marconi|last=Calindas|title=First Lady Foundation donates Japanese books to MHS|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=65810|work=Saipan Tribune|date=2008-05-18|access-date=2009-07-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220100056/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=65810&cat=1|archive-date=2007-02-20}} Among Fitial's contributions through her organization has been the contribution of more than 500 books to the Dandan Elementary School{{cite news|first=Marconi|last=Calindas|title=First lady delivers 500 books to DES|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=65516|work=Saipan Tribune|date=2007-02-18|access-date=2009-07-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221112713/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=65516&cat=1|archive-date=2007-02-21}} and Japanese-language books to Saipan-Marianas High School. Fitial has also used money raised to fund senior citizen and children's programs, as well as beautification programs within the CNMI.{{cite news|first=Rianne|last=Pangelinan|title=Foundation gets $15K donation|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=74085|work=Saipan Tribune|date=2007-11-08|access-date=2009-07-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224073951/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=74085|archive-date=2012-02-24}}

Additionally, Fitial has pushed recycling programs, as waste disposal is a major problem afflicting the CNMI.{{cite news|first=Liberty|last=Dones|title=First lady shows interest in recycling project|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=54783|work=Saipan Tribune|date=2006-02-12|access-date=2009-07-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224074000/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=54783|archive-date=2012-02-24}} She has also promoted the role of the Filipino community within the Northern Mariana Islands as First Lady.{{cite news|first=Agnes E.|last=Donato|title=Filipinos on Tinian form new group|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=21&newsID=57870|work=Saipan Tribune|date=2006-05-27|access-date=2009-07-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224074014/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=21&newsID=57870|archive-date=2012-02-24}}

On November 12, 2008, Fitial issued a letter to the First Lady of the United States Laura Bush. In her letter, Fitial appealed to Bush to ask President George W. Bush and the federal government to halt the designation of the proposed Marianas Trench Marine National Monument in the Northern Mariana Islands.{{cite news|first=Nazario|last=Rodriguez Jr.|title=Josie appeals to Laura not to push marine monument|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=85447|work=Saipan Tribune|date=2008-11-20|access-date=2009-07-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224073540/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=85447|archive-date=2012-02-24}}{{cite news |first=Emmanuel|last=Erediano|title=NMI first lady asks Mrs. Bush to oppose monument bid|url=http://www.mvarietynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12771:nmi-first-lady-asks-mrs-bush-to-oppose-monument-bid&catid=1:local-news&Itemid=2 |work=Saipan Tribune|date=2008-11-20 |access-date=2009-07-18}} The designation was opposed by Fitial, the government of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Carolinian Affairs Advisory Committee and the Guam Legislature. All feared harm to the local economy and cultural practices if the national monument was created. In her letter, Fitial wrote that the monument designation was avoidable and appealed to Bush, "We are simple Americans, a globally responsible Commonwealth of the U.S. We honor and uphold a long tradition of coexistence with Mother Ocean. Island heritage passed down from our elders teaches us that we and nature are one." Despite the appeals, President Bush created the national monument on January 6, 2009.{{cite news |title=President Bush Creates Three New Pacific Marine Monuments in U.S. Pacific Insular Areas |url=http://www.doi.gov/oia/press/2009/01062009.html |work=Office of Insular Affairs |publisher=Department of the Interior |date=2008-01-06 |access-date=2009-07-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808080000/http://www.doi.gov/oia/press/2009/01062009.html |archive-date=2009-08-08 }} Both First Lady Fitial and the Governor were present for the ceremony.

In a 2009 interview with the Marianas Variety, Fitial noted that she had risen from an immigrant and waitress to having now met three U.S. Presidents - George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

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{{succession box|title=First Lady of the Northern Mariana Islands|before=Diane Babauta|after=Dolores Inos|years=January 6, 2006 – February 20, 2013}}

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Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:Filipino expatriates in the United States

Category:First ladies of the Northern Mariana Islands

Category:Northern Mariana Islands people of Filipino descent

Category:People from Nueva Ecija

Category:People from Saipan

Category:University of the East alumni

Category:21st-century American women