Liberation Day may be over, but many are still feeling the high spirit, like here at Guam's Port where we have the GovGuam winners of the 81st Liberation Day Parade competition. 

Driven by the theme, ‘Fanohge CHamoru,” more than 70 floats displayed island pride, unity, and resilience as families lined the streets of Hagatna.

Port Authority of Guam General Manager Rory Respicio and Department of Labor Deputy Director Gerard Toves are proud to take home first place for GovGuam.

“This prize is very coveted. Every year, we compete for the top spot and we know the secret now. We have to team up with the Department of Labor, because we kind of go from 1, to 2, to 3,” said Respicio. 

Behind them, a crowd of employees who spent their time and energy outside of work hours and on weekends 

“The theme ‘Fanohge CHamoru’ represents standing CHamorus, but it also represents pride in service of the GovGuam work force. Both the Port Authority of Guam and the Department of Labor, we see successes in our individual agencies and what it means when our employees take pride in their agencies. Everything on this float is natural, everything was picked by their hands– the bamboo and the lumot, everything,” added Respicio. 

“Un dungkulu and si yu’os ma’ase to General Manager Respicio and the team for having us and allowing us to play a small part in this beautiful float. My team worked diligently to ensure the cohesiveness and to portray the Fanohge CHamoru theme,” said Toves.

At second place is the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority and at third is the Department of Public Works. 

And for the second year in a row, Barrigada takes home first place in the village category. 

“I’m very proud of my staff, volunteers and of course my vice mayor, our artists and our municipal planning council. They put a lot of effort into this float, the design and just the words CHamoru Fanohge. We stand together as a community and we rise together,” said Barrigada Mayor June Blas. 

That community is rising together with the once fallen Chief Kepuha statue.

“That Chief Kepuha was down on the ground and it was all broken up, so we revived him,” added Blas. 

And the children’s faces lighting up at the sight of snow, a visage of freedom. 

“Of course the kids, the crowd, they loved the foam. That was supposed to be the sign of freedom. If you read the narrative of our float and what it represents, that was supposed to represent the freedom we have today.

Malesso’ came in second and Dededo in third. 

The Palau community of Guam won the community/non-profit category. A special recognition went to best tractor unit Ambros who towed for DPW. 

Winning entries will be cashing in $1,200 for first place, $900 for second, $600 for third and $200 for the best tractor unit. 

But no doubt the best prize is the sense of community felt every liberation.