by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Committee chair on Appropriations chair Senator Ben Pangelinan hosted today's special economic services meeting and started it with discussion on the impact of sequestration. The democrat lawmaker said there were three areas where Guam will likely see the biggest impact: they are the local federal civilian workforce, federal programs under Public Health and the Department of Education. According to the senator- in discussions he's had with the federal employee sector in Guam they have already started receiving their furlough notices and the most immediate impact is a 20 percent cut or a mandatory four day work week., which equates to a 16 hour cut per pay period. It was this week the Pentagon announced that civilian personnel at DODEA schools and the defense commissary agency will be affected by sequestration. Pentagon spokesperson George Little said that teachers and support personnel at DODEA schools will be subject to the furlough which will go into effect starting in April through the end of September, unless Congress intervenes. He added summer school will not be affected. Little said it's also likely that the 247 commissaries worldwide will be forced to close one additional day each week. Commissaries are already closed on Mondays. The shortened hours are likely to start at the end of next month.