Felicidad Taman Ogumoro (1 December 1949 – January 2024) was a politician from the

Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...

. She served for some years as a member of the

Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

Early life and career

Felicidad Taman Ogumoro was born into a poor Carolinian family on

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

, 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 The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives ( la, Ordo Beatae Mariae de Mercede Redemptionis Captivorum, abbreviated O. de M.), also known as the Mercedarians, is a Catholic mendicant order es ...

and attended Mt. Carmel High School, a parochial school in Saipan. She then attended the

University of Saint Mary The University of Saint Mary (USM) is a private Catholic university in Leavenworth, Kansas, United States. It is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, who established it in 1923 as Saint Mary College. Though it was originally a sch ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

and earned a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

. She married Francisco Uludong in 1976 and they remained married until his death in 1991. She and Francisco had four children. She was very involved in the United Carolinians Association and participated in its reestablishment in 2020.

First legislative terms

Ogumoro was elected to serve in the 1st Legislature of the Northern Mariana Islands. She was the first woman to serve in the

. 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. In the 1981 general election, Ogumoro, again the Democratic candidate, was swept out in a Republican wave election.

Between legislative terms

After her first tenure in the legislature, she organized Western Pacific Associates, Micronesia's first locally owned public relations and business consulting firm. In the 1990s, she led a small nationalist group called Inetnon Taotao Tano which opposed foreign development in the CNMI. 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. In 2001, she left the Democratic Party and joined former Governor

Froilan Tenorio Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio (September 9, 1939 – May 4, 2020) was a Northern Mariana Islander politician who was the fourth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. Elected in 1993, he served one term from January 10, 1994 to January 12, 1998. ...

in establishing the Reform Party, an affiliate of the

American Reform Party The Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA), generally known as the Reform Party USA or the Reform Party, is a centrist political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot. Perot believed Americans were disillusione ...

. Governor

Juan Babauta Juan Nekai Babauta (born September 7, 1953) is a Northern Mariana Islander politician who served as the sixth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from January 14, 2002 to January 9, 2006. Biography Early life and education Juan Babauta was ...

nominated Ogumoro to the Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors in 2005.

Second legislative terms

In the 2009 general election, Ogumoro was elected to the House for a second tenure. In the 17th Commonwealth Legislature, Ogumoro was chosen to serve as the Vice Speaker of the House. She succeeded Joseph Pinaula Deleon Guerrero who served in the position during the 16th Commonwealth Legislature. In her capacity as Vice Speaker, she served as Acting Speaker when Speaker Froilan Tenorio was off island. Francisco Santos Dela Cruz took over as Vice Speaker for the 18th Commonwealth Legislature. Ogumoro was a member of the House of Representatives when

Janet Maratita Janet Ulloa Maratita (born ) is a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands and former member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. Biography Janet Ulloa Maratita was born in 1965/1966. In her professional life she has work ...

was sworn into office in 2011; the two women, alongside

Teresita Santos Teresita Santos is a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. Formerly a member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, she currently serves as a member of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate. Santos, a resident of the islan ...

, were the first three to serve simultaneously in the House. Among her areas of interest while in the House was a desire to create a Northern Marianas Cultural Center. Originally elected as a member of the Covenant Party, Ogumoro chose to follow Governor

Benigno Fitial Benigno Repeki Fitial (born November 27, 1945) is a Northern Marianan politician who served was the seventh governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. The second longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Fitial was elected on November 6, 2005, assum ...

to the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. 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. After leaving the Legislature, Ogumoro was appointed to the advisory board of the Department of Public Lands.

Death

Ogumoro died in January 2024, at the age of 74.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogumoro, Felicidad 1949 births 2024 deaths Northern Mariana Islands women in politics Members of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands) politicians Republican Party (Northern Mariana Islands) politicians Democratic Party (Northern Mariana Islands) politicians 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians People from Saipan University of Saint Mary alumni Northern Mariana Islands people of Carolinian descent