PFM Helps Restore Chief Kepuha Statue
- PFM
- May 5
- 2 min read
Beneath Guam’s midday sun, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, and Sen. Sabrina Salas Matanane stood at Paseo Loop with their arms stretched up. They grasped a white flowing sheet and pulled, revealing the return of a chief. On March 31, the last day of Mes CHamoru, a brand new statue of Chief Kepuha was unveiled.
For almost two years, Chief Kepuha Park at Paseo Loop lay empty. In 2016, Boss Bob and family helped replace the original rusted-out statue installed back in the 1970s by then-Gov. Ricky Bordallo. It was revealed just in time to welcome thousands of visitors for the Festival of the Pacific Arts.. However, the statue fell in 2023, a casualty of the devastating winds of Typhoon Mawar.
Upon seeing the damage Mawar had done, Bob Salas claimed it was a problem he knew he could solve, as he himself is a proud CHamoru son of Guam.
Just before the brand new gilded statue’s reveal, the lieutenant governor spoke of how the community of Guam came together to replace the statue through the dedication of one visionary.
“I want to give personal credit to a CHamoru businessman who I feel is such a great example for everybody on the island – Bob Salas,” Tenorio said. “He led the Guam Contractors Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and all the other business organizations… the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association to come together so that we could prepare and partner with the Government of Guam with community leaders and individuals.”
Chief Kepuha was considered a visionary himself. After the arrival of Padre San Vitores and other Spanish missionaries in 1668, the maga’lahi donated land in Hagatna to build a church. Soon after, he became the first baptized adult CHamoru and was appointed as the protector of the new mission. "The statue was returned during a lunar eclipse, which is a powerful symbol in CHamoru tradition," said Salas. "It felt so symbolic, like the island was welcoming Chief Kepuha home."
To see video highlights and learn more about the process of the statue's restoration, click here: