PALIKIR, Pohnpei—November 23rd, 2021, will be the first annual celebration of Presidents Day. Established on November 24th, 2020, when His Excellency David W. Panuelo—President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—signed Public Law 21-209, which amended Section 601 of Title 1 of the FSM Code for the purpose of formally designating November 23rd of every year as “Presidents Day,” the new holiday is the eighth public holiday for the FSM.
November 23rd was chosen as the date for Presidents Day as it is the birthday of the first President of the FSM, His Excellency Tosiwo Nakayama. An inaugural celebration of Presidents Day will occur on his birth island of Onoun.
“President Nakayama was the epitome of patience and commitment to vision, and it was through his lifelong dedication and efforts, in collaboration with our other Founding Fathers, that our sovereign Micronesian Nation exists,” President Panuelo said in a statement. “Each and every Micronesian owes President Nakayama a debt of gratitude; his birthday is the single-most appropriate date for Presidents Day.”
“Every President of the FSM—H.E. Tosiwo Nakayama, H.E. John Haglelgam, H.E. Bailey Olter, H.E. Jacob Nena, H.E. Leo Falcam, H.E. Joseph Urusemal, H.E. Emanuel ‘Manny’ Mori, and H.E. Peter Christian—committed to serving a cause greater than themselves, and without exception, they have all succeeded in extending peace, friendship, cooperation, and love in our common humanity across our Nation and our World. It is a blessing that our Nation and our citizens have truly been served by Micronesian Presidents, whose loyalty is to the Constitution and whose duty is to the people.”
“Let us celebrate Presidents Day by recognizing and remembering our Nation’s former Presidents, who carried the baton of leadership as the guardian-navigators of this Paradise in Our Backyards.”
Citizens wishing to read the public law behind Presidents Day may find it here: https://gov.fm/files/PL_21-209_-_November_23_as_PRESIDENTS_DAY.pdf
