Commentary - Observations - Palau

Palau - is the healthiest of all the Micronesian island I have visited (outside of the Marianas). Most of my time was spent of Korror, however I did travel for on day to Babelthuap. Unfortunately it rained almost all the time I was on Palau, which reduced the number of people I could find working around their houses and those I could come up to and just begin a conversation.

Korror -

Where the majority of the population reside, is one crowded island, it seems there is no space left, however I saw lots of new building going on. The people were extremely friendly and sociable (un-like Yap).

Tourism of course is their major source of income and seem healthy ( the flight from Guam was packed and 90+% got off there only 15 continued on to Yap). There several great hotels and plenty for attractions for the tourist. The International Coral Reef Center is a significant academic/tourist facility which UOG should consider establishing a like facility. Similarly the Belau National Museum is significant and the only thing Guam has that rivals it is the National Park War museum and Underwater World. Palau is also gearing-up for the 2004 Pacific Arts Festival, which promises to be a great tourism investment.

The population of Korror seems to be active and gainfully employed, during my 6 days of walking down almost every street on the island I seldom saw people at home or 'hanging around'. A GCC graduate who I connected with (whose daughter is currently enrolled at UOG) Belechel Ngirangebdangee - has four stores, a bar, restaurant, a gas station, a poultry - egg farm and runs a tourist boating business with three boats (he is also a village traditional chief from Babelthuap).

The one problem I see developing on Palau is the heavy use of foreign laborers (mostly Filipino and Korean). (Belechel Ngirangebdangee employs 49) It appears (like Saipan) that most of the entry job and labor jobs on the island are held by foreign workers. This often results in two major problems: 1) local youth don't get these position and don't get the skills and chance to learn 'working skills' need for their future. The parents expect the youth to step into management level of operation without pre-cursor development experience; and 2) the society becomes too dependent of these foreign workers to achieve their standard of living and as their population grows looses its cultural/social dominance.

Korro also had a large number of private schools (I counted at least 7) and both public and private students ware uniforms. Students seemed better behaved and on task than their counter parts here on Guam. I visited the Palau Community College and was impressed with the atmosphere and academics I saw.

Babelthuap-

As you probably know Palau is building a new capital on northern Babelthuap and the roads to make it useable. It appears to be their hope than when the roads are finished that a large bulk of the population with move to the northern island. While the are expecting the road to be ready by 2004, it looked to me that it will take another 3+ years. The new capital building is design to be similar to the US Legislative building and is quite impressive.

Villages on Babelthuap are much more traditional to Micronesia, on the oceans edge with a church and school at the village center. Villagers tend to live on a fishing-farmer economy, but have both cable TV and optical fiber telephone connection to Korror. Until the completion of the new roads most travel/shopping to Korro is carried out by boat on a biweekly or monthly basis (almost every home I saw had at least one boat in the yard). Most of Babelthuap was not developed, and it appear the internal island was still un touched jungle. I should note that Palau was is the only Micronesia island I have seen with lumber mills and produced large amounts of local lumber. This is also reflected by most houses being build out of wood (I was also told Palau seldom get hit by Typhoons - the last being 10 years ago). Palau had the most diverse types and style of housing I have ever seen in Micronesia - most of which are built on stilts above the ground (however this maybe be the only dominant similarity).

I was told that the traditional role of the chiefs was disappearing. That they had little influence outside of the local village and that was on the wane. Some of the people I met were also concerned that once the road was completed opening Babelthuap, that more of the traditional culture of Palau will be lost.