#ReturnBackOurLand

Original Landowners Matter

Hafa adai and welcome to the Return Back Our Land initiative. We hope you will take a moment to learn about how Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s plan to build a new hospital on federal excess land in Barrigada-Mangilao violates Guam law and dismisses the rights and dignity of original landowner families who’ve been denied access to their land since 1950.

It is our hope to engage our community and connect with the families of the original landowners.  Only through public awareness and organized civil defiance can we prevent abuse and dismissal of original landowners for political gain.  It is in that spirit that we ask for your support.

Proposed New GMH

Experts who have studied Guam’s need for a new hospital agree the new hospital should be built in the Tamuning-Harmon area, closest to the regions of highest population density. Building the hospital in this region would allow for optimal response times from Andersen Air Force Base and from Naval Station, as well as ideal access to businesses that support a hospital, such as radiology services, pharmacies, and medical equipment sales to name a few.  Tamuning is also where over 90% of Guam’s doctors reside.

Instead, Governor Leon Guerrero wants to build the hospital in Barrigada-Mangilao by gaining a 100-year lease from the U.S. Navy, bypassing the original landowners.  This would be an explicit violation of Public Law 23-23, which states:

“It is the policy of the government of Guam that land returned by the federal government to Guam be returned to the estates that held such property prior to the condemnations of said lands by the Federal Government.” (Sub Section 2004).

Click to view Public Law No. 23-23

The property — identified by the Navy as “EMR ARC No.16 Andersen Barrigada Annex I & II Both of these lots(A7a & A7b)” – has eighteen (18) original landowners.  It encompasses 11,825,263 square meters of land in the region of Barrigada, Guam.  It was taken from original landowners in by the U.S. Navy in 1950, and subsequently was determined releasable in 1994, and then transferred to the Government of Guam in 1995 when Public Law 23-23 created the Guam Land Repatriation Commission.

Margarita Tenorio Flores Cabrera Pereira.

Only a portion of the land (where the sign #RETURNBACKOURLAND is located on route 15 across GPA/GWA) was returned to Margarita Tenorio Flores Cabrera Pereira, (Supiano Cabesa) 92 years young.  Mrs. Pereira is a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and widow of Jose Muna Cabrera (Lato) and of Jesus Cruz Pereira (Abing).  She taught at Price Elementary, is a Christian Mother at Santa Teresita Catholic Church, and a survivor of the Manenggon concentration camp, World War II.  She asks only one thing of her Congressman, her Governor and her Senators……….Please, return back my land.

Original transfer of land to the United States Navy.

The Late Governor Carlton Skinner first civilian governor of Guam transferred property to the Navy: June 29,1950 DECLARATION OF TAKING CIVIL CASE NO. CV#34-50. NAVAL GOVERNMENT OF GUAM. for and on behalf of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 11,825,263 Square Meters of land, more of less, in the Municipality of Barrigada, Island of Guam Marianas

Map of Proposed GMH.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero plans for a  medical center of excellence to include a New Guam Memorial Hospital, Public Health and Social Services, Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center Guam and maybe even DSID. She is requesting to lease 100 Acres in Mangilao for four, maybe five agencies. 100 acres?  The current GRMC Hospital in Dededo takes up only 7.9 acres with 130 beds and plans to expand to 350 beds. (PNC 1/26/11) Peter Sgro on the Bob Klitzkie show 11/22/21 stated Oka can be built on, just not on the right side due to a fault line behind the Hilton Hotel. On the Ray Gibson show, Dr. Greg Macaraeg stated that there is a study which exist, of where to build a new hospital, he mentioned the ideal location would be the Crown Lands (GALC) property across the Micronesia Mall. The study includes the response times from AAFB and from Naval Station, and that the location is ideal due to the most populated areas. He also stated why would you want to move away from Tamuning, where 92% of the Doctors live, and other business that support GMH such as Radiology, Pharmacies , Medical equipment sales to name a few, are minutes away from GMH.

EMR ARC No.16 Andersen Barrigada Annex I & II

Both of these lots(A7a & A7b) are in Barrigada. The 218-acre portion (A7a) was identified as releasable by the military’s Guam Land Use Plan (GLUP) ’94. The 92-acre portion was identified as potentially releasable as consolidation of Air Force communications may eliminate need for this portion. Both lots are situated outside the NEXRAD EMR Arc and have not been identified for the use in the FEIS. The 2016 Joint Region Marinas Compatibility Plan indicates that a variety of the military training occurs on this property. However, other Guam locations are used by the military for this training. Approximately 10 acres along Route 15 are used by civilians for a football field (Eagles Field) -**Arc is indicated by the hook like feature. (Guam Economic Development Authority Potentially Releasable Federal Lands June 2019) 

EMR ARC No.16 Andersen Barrigada Annex I & II

EMR ARC No.16 Andersen Barrigada Annex I & II Both of these lots(A7a & A7b) are in Barrigada. The 218-acre portion (A7a) was identified as releasable by the military’s Guam Land Use Plan (GLUP) ’94. The 92-acre portion was identified as potentially releasable as consolidation of Air Force communications may eliminate need for this portion. Both lots are situated outside the NEXRAD EMR Arc and have not been identified for the use in the FEIS. The 2016 Joint Region Marinas Compatibility Plan indicates that a variety of the military training occurs on this property. However, other Guam locations are used by the military for this training. Approximately 10 arcs along Route 15 are used by civilians for a football field (Eagles Field) -(Guam Economic Development Authority Potentially Releasable Federal Lands June 2019) 

Letter to the Governor from Kenneth J. Braithwaite II; Secretary of the Navy, July 2,2020

“Enclosed is a comprehensive list and associated map responding to each parcel identified in your request. I am pleased to report that thirteen of the parcels from your request have already been transferred, or a transfer is in progress. In the attachment, we identify nine additional parcels eligible for return to the Government of Guam. When transferred, the DoD will have transferred 807 acres of terrestrial land and 6,225 acres of submerged land since commencement of the Net Negative policy. Page 1 Parcel name: A7a & A7b Andersen Barrigada Annex 50 Acres, Parcel Number 16 Include on Net Negative Inventory: Yes approximately 50 of 310 acres POTENTIAL TRANSFER Anticipated Transfer Date 2022-2026; Transfer Authority U.S. Public Law 106-504.”