New business include Bank of Guam, Japanese home goods, AI consulting and Thai food
BY SKYLER OBISPO
Journal Staff
Daiso, the affordable Japanese household goods retail store, hosted a grand opening at its new location inside the Guam Premier Outlets on Sept. 27.
Donovan Paulino, director of Daiso Mid-Pacific, said at the ceremony that the new location will continue to offer the same assortment that customers have enjoyed since the Daiso opening at the Village of Donki in 2024.
Daiso held a grand opening for its GPO location on Sept. 27. Photos by Skyler Obispo
Daiso Guam’s selection of items numbers anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000, depending on the season. Paulino said that 90% of all goods in the store could be purchased for $2.
“This celebration is not just about a new store, it’s about being a part of this community, building connections, fostering relations, and creating memorable experiences,” he said.
Norma Villanueva, general manager of Daiso Mid-Pacific, told the Journal that the GPO location’s selling space is about 500 square feet smaller compared to its former Donki location, but it gives them the ability to reach more of its customers.
“Since moving here and opening last week, we’ve seen a ton of new customers that have visited our store for the first time. So we’re very excited about the move,” she said.
The build-out for the store was quick. Opening roughly 20 days after the announcement of the move on Sept. 7. Villanueva said that the GPO location “already had good bones” and credits her team for accomplishing the move quickly despite never doing that before. “I was surprised, something that I thought would take a week, took a day and then we kept moving up our opening date,” she said.
(From left) Norma Villanueva, general manager; and Frances Aguoun, store manager, both from Daiso Mid-Pacific. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Villanueva said that the store had been talking about moving for more than six months. The original intention of opening a Daiso location in Guam was to capture the local value shopper and the company found it challenging over at its former location. “Here at GPO, we’re literally right across Ross, which is looking for the same type of customer that we are. When this space became available, we jumped at it.”
However, in the year Daiso has been on island, it has also captured the market of teachers on a budget, party planners and decorators, and the manamko’ through its clubs program and services.
The company plans to expand in the future. Villanueva said within the next six months a second Daiso location is planned to open in Mangilao in February 2026 and the company is looking for a location in the north. She said that the planned Mangilao store and GPO location does not offer the right amount of space for a flagship store, and she hopes the location in the north will fill that role.
Bank of Guam hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new northern branch alongside the Brigadier General Ben Blaz Memorial Highway in Dededo.
Joaquin P. L.G. Cook, president and CEO of Bank of Guam, said at the ceremony, that this branch stands as a symbol of the bank’s resilience and transformation and also a fulfillment of a promise to return to the village after its Dededo and Harmon branches closed in 2021.
Bank of Guam hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for its Northern full-service branch on Sept. 30 in Dededo. Photo by Skyler Obispo
The new 6,250 square foot branch will sit on a 45,000 square foot lot across Guam Regional Medical City and will feature retail and business services areas, with three drive through ATMs and two walk up ATMs available 24/7. Additionally, the branch will also include retail and business service areas and meeting spaces for both banking and community use.
Cook said that the new branch “blends the warmth of personal connection with the power of modern banking,” which is in line with Bank of Guam’s Branch of the Future design model that focuses on self-service and leveraging modern banking technology.
Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects are the architects for the project along with JIC Join Corp. as contractor. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.
BorjaMarissa Eusebio Borja is the founder of Pacific AI Media & Communications, a first-of-its-kind consulting firm centered around guiding organizations in Guam and the Pacific on the use of artificial intelligence.
She told the Journal that her journey to open the businesses began through happenstance. In late 2023, she saw an opportunity on social media to earn a scholarship to the University of Oxford. In 2025, she graduated from Oxford’s Saïd Business School with a postgraduate diploma in artificial intelligence. While earning her diploma, she obtained her business license on July 23, 2024, officially jumping into the industry a month later.
Borja said that there are plenty of opportunities for the use of AI in Guam and Micronesia.
“In healthcare, AI could help clinics ease the workload on providers — for example, allowing patients to have vitals read through AI-assisted kiosks to shorten the waiting process,” she said. Borja also said businesses can leverage the use of AI for productivity tasks like drafting emails, summarizing reports, or for marketing teams to design ads or plan content.
In terms of government use, she said that many are already adopting the technology into their workflow and applications in defense and security are likely being worked on.
However, she said that human oversight is an essential component when using AI tools.
Currently, the main concerns from most of her clients vary from cybersecurity to data privacy, to missed opportunities or concerns that they are falling behind by not adopting AI sooner. Pragmatically, she said, the most pressing issue on Guam is establishing the right governance for the technology.
“Establishing clear legislation and potentially creating a role such as a chief AI officer with a dedicated team, will be critical for accountability, enforcement, and helping businesses adopt AI responsibly,” she said.
Borja said, AI is not a fad. She said the technology is already reshaping how governments, businesses, and societies function, but she emphasized the importance of clear and effective policies.
Pacific AI Media & Communications
“AI is here to stay — but whether it becomes a driver of opportunity or a source of risk depends on how quickly governments like Guam's move from ad-hoc adoption to a clear, inclusive, and well-governed national framework,” she said. “We have a unique opportunity to build this governance structure right from the start — embedding digital literacy, CHamoru cultural values, and community trust into our AI strategy from day one.”
When the Journal visited Dokkoon Thai Restaurant in the Northpoint Commercial Center in Yigo, the restaurant was busy at 4 p.m., with both dine-in and take out customers. One departing customer said how much he had enjoyed the food.
The Dokkoon Thai Restaurant opened in the Northpoint Commercial Center. Photo by Maureen N. Maratita
Cheerapom Akkasriworn co-owns the business with her husband, Troy Hutchinson, and she leads the team of employees as its chef. Hutchinson, who works in construction, renovated the property himself.
After renovating, Akkasriworn said, “We opened on my birthday — June 29.” Since then, the restaurant has seen a steady flow of customers.
Akkasriworn uses a variety of spices in her cooking — including lemon grass, Thai ginger, hot peppers and basil. “I grow them at my house, and I pick them fresh every day,” she said.
Appetizers range from $8 to $15 and include fresh and fried spring rolls and Thai Papaya Salad. Main dishes range from $14 to $18 and include Tom Yam soup, Pad Thai, and a wide variety of curries, including red and green Thai curries. Dokkoon offers a variety of meats, fish and seafood, including clams. The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Takeout can be ordered at 671-989-9225.
(From left) The owners of Dokkoon Thai Restaurant are Troy Hutchinson and Cheerapon Akkasriworn. Photo by Maureen N. Maratita
Originally from Thailand, Akkasriworn spent 31 years in Saipan working in various industries from the garment industry to the beauty industry, before she and Hutchinson moved to Guam. They plan to add to the restaurants offerings in the future. mbj – Maureen N. Maratita contributed to this story. mbj
The village of Chalan Pågo-Ordot marked a historic milestone on Sept. 15 with the ribbon cutting of its long-awaited Multipurpose Emergency Shelter, the island’s first designated emergency facility built outside Guam Department of Education schools. Two other ribbon cuttings have been held through the years at the facility.
A $400 million hotel project by Honhui Guam LLC, featuring 824 rooms, a CHamoru-themed water park and other first-class amenities for visitors — as well as parking with busing for its approximately 800 employees — could go before the Guam Land Use Commission in October.
The Guam Economic Development Authority’s Destinu Guåhan Venture Capital program has approved funding for four local business projects valued at roughly $6.3 million in matched venture capital funding.
The military’s request for proposals for housing outside of existing military bases does not have to lead to a crisis in housing prices, said Carlos V. Camacho, executive director of Micronesia Community Development Corp. He said that narrative doesn’t have to be the reality, but that requires good policy and proper and timely implementation of a federal program.
