HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Efforts to replace the Chief Kepuha statue in Hagåtña are underway.
One of the devastating results of Typhoon Mawar in May 2023 was the collapse of the Chief Kepuha statue in Hagåtña.
While the statue was confirmed to be removed by the Department of Parks and Recreation and has been in the agency’s possession, a press release from the Islandwide Beautification Task Force issued Tuesday confirmed collaborative efforts are being made to replace the statue.
“The journey to replace the Chief Kepuha statue began almost five years ago due to the community members raising the issue of the statue’s overall look. Many felt that the new statue was not proportionally accurate and altered the look dramatically in a way that no longer represented the CHamoru chief,” IBTF administrator Stephanie Flores said in the release.
“Over time, it became apparent that the new statue was rapidly degrading and not holding up to the elements. With the statue’s collapse due to Typhoon Mawar, the desire for a replacement was elevated,” Flores added.
The task force is collaborating with DPR, the Department of Chamorro Affairs and the Young Men’s League of Guam to replace the statue with the objective to “commission a replacement statue that will be more representative of the original,” the release stated.
So far, the process of creating the scope of work, which will outline the proportions and design of the statue in detail, has begun. The cost of the new statue is estimated to be more than $400,000.
