Journal Staff
Two new legislative committees aimed at addressing critical issues facing the island —modernizing outdated business laws and revitalizing Guam’s struggling tourism industry — have been established by Sen. Frank Blas Jr., speaker of the 38th Guam Legislature.
The SLBPRC, authorized through Resolution 21-38 (COR), will conduct a thorough review of Guam’s decades-old business laws, many of which Blas described as “confusing, “onerous,” or “outdated.” The committee, composed of business owners, employees, customers, and experts, will assess laws governing taxation, commercial codes, business structures, and local regulations.
“The business community will look at the laws already in place, and let’s look at those and review them. Which of these laws are antiquated? Which of these are amended?” Blas said. “Times have changed.”
The resolution highlights that Guam’s finance, tax, and business laws have never undergone a full review, with updates made “on a piecemeal basis.” This has resulted in regulations that are “unclear, duplicative, overly broad, or impede economic growth,” according to the Resolution.
Blas emphasized the importance of public input, inviting stakeholders from “the person who sells hot dogs at the side of the road” to insurance brokers to share their frustrations with existing rules. He cited examples such as annual health certificate renewals for food vendors, which require fees and retraining he called unnecessarily burdensome.
“Every year, to renew your health certificate, you have to pay a fee, take a course, and pass a test. It’s the same thing you took last year,” Blas said. “If there’s a change in law, put together the class. But why make people repeat this when it’s their livelihood?”
The committee’s first meeting, held on Feb. 18, focused on streamlining permits, expanding transit access, and resolving bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Business leaders urged faster reforms to boost economic efficiency, with Mary P. Rhodes, president of the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association; emphasizing the need to align existing funds with transportation gaps. “Why can’t we subsidize GRTA with money already at DOL?” Rhodes said. “This would help people looking for work and alleviate traffic. It’s carpooling on a large scale.”
She cited a stalled proposal to use federal Department of Labor funds — that could be earmarked for jobseekers’ transit — to subsidize a GRTA-operated “city line” connecting key hubs like Micronesia Mall and Fish Eye Underwater Observatory.
David B. Tydingco, CEO of The Valley of the Latte Adventure Park; criticized the Guam Regional Transit Authority’s inconsistent service, which he said forces employees to miss work when buses don’t run on Sundays or holidays.
Regine Biscoe Lee, co-chairperson of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce; highlighted frustrations with fragmented agency hours, noting residents often waste days navigating conflicting schedules. She praised a temporary trial of Saturday hours at the Department of Revenue and Taxation and the Business License and Permit Center at DPW in Harmon.
“You literally have to sit there all week to get things checked off,” Biscoe Lee said. “Saturday hours from 8 a.m. to noon would be a dream for small businesses and parents.”
Daniel J. Tydingco, executive vice president of GTA, pressed for strict permitting timelines after waiting three years for a property resurvey approval. He criticized “default by default” delays that left landowners unable to address homeless encampments.
“If there’s no (agency) response by a deadline, that should mean approval,” Tydingco said. “We can’t let projects stall indefinitely.”
Meanwhile, the Special Legislative Committee on the Guam Experience, established via Resolution 249-23, aims to reverse the island’s tourism decline by prioritizing visitor satisfaction, community pride, and support for incoming military families. The committee seeks to address a stark drop in tourism from 1.6 million annual visitor’s pre-pandemic to just 582,797 in 2023, coupled with a 60% reduction in tourism revenue.
Blas stressed the need to “clean our house” before marketing Guam abroad, citing shuttered businesses in Tumon and a lack of evening amenities as deterrents for tourists and military personnel alike.
“When we invite people to Guam, what are we offering them? If you’re going to feed them, make sure you’ve got room,” Blas said. “Nobody’s going to come if they feel unsafe or unwelcome. It’s about creating an experience that’s raw, beautiful, and real… Like the Guam my grandparents knew.”
The committee’s first meeting on Feb. 19 outlined plans to amplify cultural authenticity, streamline military-community partnerships, and revive grassroots initiatives. Blas emphasized the importance of bundling Guam’s “raw” appeal — from heritage trails to Chamorro dance troupes — into a cohesive visitor experience.
Rhodes proposed integrating military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation apps with local businesses, noting the military’s app currently lists only on-base activities despite years of lobbying to include off-base vendors.
“MWR could make commissions by contracting outside the fence. It’s a win-win,” Rhodes said. “But we need higher-level talks to break this logjam.”
Biscoe Lee urged resurrecting low-cost campaigns like the “Wave” program, where residents “Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically.”
“That cost zero dollars but created lasting memories,” she said.
The committee also addressed the impending arrival of up to 40,000 military personnel and families during the U.S. military buildup. Blas warned that neglecting their recreational and mental health needs risks morale issues.
“These are war fighters. If they’re stressed about their families having nothing to do, their minds won’t be on the mission,” Blas said, noting Tumon’s empty streets after 9:30 p.m. “If residents see closed stores, what do visitors think?”
Ben H. Ferguson, general manager of the Pacific Islands Club; urged reviving past initiatives instead of “reinventing the wheel.” He said, “This committee’s value is collaboration. We’ve sorely lacked that. If we restart old programs that worked, we’re miles ahead.”
He cited Saipan’s 2020 public-private partnership model, where businesses adopted parks for tax credits, as inspiration. While tax incentives would require legislative action, he said structuring such efforts could improve Guam’s public spaces.
Ferguson said the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s new destination management committee, which he will help lead, is focusing on mobilizing businesses to adopt public areas.
Rhodes also emphasized training hospitality workers in CHamoru history and village traditions to improve service. “How many employees haven’t been to Two Lovers’ Point? They need to share Guam’s story,” she said. The Guam Preservation Trust is working to secure and restore historically significant sites across the island. “With our public-private partnerships, we have a lot of work that’s happening right now,” said Joseph E. Quinata, chief program officer of the Guam Preservation Trust. “There’s one big (partnership) that is (in progress) right now, and that is the property of Da’an, where we have the lost pond, with the settlement there.”
He emphasized efforts to acquire and protect cultural sites, including the I’ La’an area, a site currently owned by Polaris, which has plans for development in Tanguison. “They’re going to develop the whole area, and I have to step in because I need to protect what is important to us,” he said. “I have a meeting with them. They like the idea. I want them to also be part of this, so that we can create a gem right there.”
Another major project involves Atantåno, Piti, a site acquired from Shell, covering 74 hectares with a river running through it. “By giving us the property, [it’s] really at the value of 11 million dollars,” Quinata said. “We did our inventory of all the plants that are there. We did inventory of all the cultural resources that are there. We are now reviewing the proposals for a master plan, a conceptual master plan.”
Beyond land acquisition, the trust has also restored historic homes. “The trust also acquired four homes that we’ve already completed,” Quinata said. “Two homes are here in Hagåtña, and two homes in Inalåhan. And so, we’re hoping to restore and reinvest in these homes and have them available for organizations that are willing to contribute.”
Sinajana Mayor Robert Hoffman emphasized the importance of integrating CHamoru traditions into everyday life and education.
“The recipe is there,” he said. “But we all stop practicing it in our workplace, in our communities, in how we talk to each other. If we teach our people about our core values, that harmony will just flow out.”
Hoffman said, “All of those (tourism revitalization) reports always said we need culture. CHamoru, it's not like anywhere else in the world. So it is, it's Respetu, it's Fangnginge’, it's Mamåhlao it's Chenchule’, it's Che’lu, it's Påtgon. Those are key things that the kids need to know in school.” Hoffman said, “Our core values as a people… we lost it, and to be authentic, it's going back to that. We need to do that kind of curriculum that is being taught at the schools and bring it to the tourism community.”
Both committees will continue to meet regularly throughout this legislative term, with the Business Policy Review Committee focusing on statutory changes and the Guam Experience Committee drafting a plan to combine existing attractions, solicit visitor feedback, and engage communities in tourism development.
David Tydingco said, “This is about tearing down walls between government and the private sector. He said, “We’re at the table to make Guam work better.” mbj