On Sunday Oct 10, Guam’s Palauan community gathered at Paseo’s Statue of liberty for their own celebration, the 16th Independence Day of the country.
Sen. Joel Toribiong also graced the celebration and accompanying the president is the First Lady Valeria Toribiong.
There are over 3,000 Palauan living in Guam.
The Guam Legislature during the celebration also presented Resolution No. 447-30 at the Sunday’s celebration to the Palauan Community Association and the Palauan community of Guam in recognition and commemoration of their independence.
Recently the government announced that the Palau Consulate office on Guam will remain open .
Guam as the entry point to the U.S. for Palauan citizens is also is a convenient location for Palauans to seek passport and immigration services, and employment authorization forms. Without the Guam office, Palauans would have to seek consulate services at the Palau Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The government said that the military buildup, is among the reasons to keep the consulate office in Guam open.
Other considerations cited as reason for continued operation of consular functions is the strong Palauan student presence at the University of Guam, the region’s only fully accredited university.
