Rota’s Gilita Chamorro Festival on April 21-23

A craftsman weaves coconut fronds at the 2019 Gilita Chamorro Festival. The 4th Annual Rota Gilita Chamorro Festival will be held on April 21-22, 2022, in the Marianas. (MVA)

The 4th Annual Rota Gilita Chamorro Festival will be held on April 21-23, 2022, and will be held at the Chamorro Village Learning Center in Songsong village, featuring food, music, and handicrafts inspired by Chamorro culture.

The event is organized and sponsored by the Rota Mayor’s Office, Office of the CNMI Governor, the 18th Rota Municipal Council, Marianas Visitors Authority, and Aloha Maid, in collaboration with all municipal departments and the Filipino Community of Rota.

“Gilita” is Chamorro slang for “ginen Lut” or “from Lua,” referring to people from Rota.

“We are very excited to reinstate our Gilita Chamorro Festival as we have a diverse group of practitioners with many talents and skills, and we would love to showcase their work to our local residents, friends and neighbors in The Marianas, as well as invite our visitors from other parts of the region,” said Rota Mayor Efraim Atalig. “This is a great way to see the uniqueness of Rota’s ‘gilitas’ and the talents they have learned from their parents and grandparents. We want to ensure that we continue to preserve and practice our Chamorro traditions and promote our Chamorro heritage.”

The festival will open on April 21 from 9a, to 11am with a proclamation signing to signify the revival of the event and to highlight the grant funding received from the Office of the Governor to support and create our Chamorro Village Learning Center. This facility will be used to educate and inform others of the various cultural practices and traditions exhibited by the Chamorro people most specifically how the “gilitas” on Rota have preserved their cultural heritage. There will also be an island tour to unveil new signage at significant sites around Rota.

On April 22, Chamorrita Day will be held from 9am to 2pm, educating youth, residents and tourists with demonstrations and games. Live entertainment and food competitions begin at 6pm.

On April 23, a cultural exhibition will be held from 9am to 1pm, while an evening concert feature Northern Star Band and Jay Selepeo will begin at 6pm.

Demonstrations will include weaving, medicine making, sling shot throwing, spear throwing, arts and crafts, and cooking. There will also be cooking classes available to share the process of cooking local delicacies. Entertainment will feature local artists and bands promoting Chamorro music.

“Part of the MVA’s 10-year Strategic Plan Toward Sustainable Tourism includes more emphasis on indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian culture, so we are very excited about what Gilita Chamorro Festival has to offer visitors in terms of authentic experiences,” said MVA managing director Priscilla M. Iakopo. “It’s going to be an extraordinary three days of protecting, preserving, and promoting some of the key practices of the culture, and the MVA is happy to again support this event.”

Vendors will also be selling food, handcrafts, Chamorro medicine, and other items during the festival.

For more information, contact the Rota Mayor’s Office Program and Grants Division at 1.670.532.9451 Ext. 105. For more information on Rota, visit www.mymarianas.com. (MVA)