(a) The first Monday of March in each year shall be known as Guam Discovery Day and is hereby made a legal holiday in the territory of Guam in commemoration of the discovery of
Guam by Europeans. The Governor is authorized and requested to issue annually a proclamation calling upon the people of Guam to observe Guam Discovery Day by displaying their flag at their homes or other suitable places.

(b) Those days commencing on the first Monday of March and ending eight days later in each year are hereby designated Chamorro Week, a week to examine and reflect upon Guam’s beautiful but fast disappearing culture and to review and assess the trials and tribulations behind the creation and development of Guam’s civil government and political system, and to renew commitment of the people of Guam to the ideals of a free political system. The first day of Chamorro Week shall be set aside for commemoration activities of Guam Discovery Day. The Governor is authorized and requested to issue annually a proclamation calling upon the people of Guam to observe “”Chamorro Week”” with appropriate cultural and civic activities expressive of the public sentiment befitting the occasion.

(c) The Governor is further authorized and requested to appoint annually a committee to plan and make appropriate arrangements for the observation of Chamorro Week. Said committee shall be composed of members of patriotic, educational, religious and other civic organizations joining together to plan appropriate cultural and civic activities that will demonstrate continuing interest in the study and preservation of the Chamorro culture and continuing commitment of the people of Guam to the ideals of a free political system. In lieu of such committee, the Governor may designate one or more such civic organizations as sponsors to plan and make arrangements. Any net proceeds shall be donated to a worthy public cause or causes as the committee and sponsoring civic organization, as the case may be, shall determine. The government of Guam may furnish a suitable site, if needed, but shall not otherwise participate.

SOURCE: GC § 229, 230 and § 231.

2021 NOTE: P.L. 32-145:1 (Apr. 28, 2014) amended 1 Guam Code Ann. § 1000 to designate the first Monday of March of each year as Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day. P.L. 32-145 did not address this provision, specifically, subsection (a) which designates the first Monday in March as Guam Discovery Day.

NOTE: Prior publications of the GCA included the following comment from the previous Compiler of Laws:

COMMENT: Two duplicate sections relative to Discovery Day exist. Former Govt. Code § 229 merely established the Day. Former Govt. Code § 230 enacted by the same Public Law 12-71, created both the Guam Discovery Day and Chamorro Week. There is no need for two such sections to exist simultaneously and, therefore, the two have been merged into this one Section. Further, the Law Revision Commission has added the words “by Europeans” after “… Discovery of Guam…” as a fair description of whose discovery is celebrated. Obviously, Discovery Day is not celebrating the discovery of Guam by the original inhabitants, who were present to greet Magellan upon his arrival at (discovery of) Umatac Bay.