After a five-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sablan Family Reunion took place Saturday at the Plaza de España in Hagåtña, drawing hundreds of family members from Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and abroad.
The event, originally scheduled for 2020, began with welcoming remarks and official ceremonies before shifting to food, entertainment, and cultural sharing. Organizers set up a main food table and welcomed contributions from relatives, alongside displays of family documents and photographs that represented each tent’s lineage or families.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero attended the celebration, noting her pride as a Sablan descendant. She shared her family connection through her grandmother, Maria Manalisay Sablan, and highlighted the family’s legacy of community service, education, and leadership.
Victoria Catahay Rolon, the reunion’s chairperson and a sixth-generation descendant of Manual Sablan, said the motivation behind organizing the long-postponed event was to honor the past and strengthen ties for the future.
“We must not forget who we are as a people. Just kind of seeing the pouring of family coming in, and so happy that they’re able to meet family they’ve never seen before,” said Rolon, “that’s the stuff we want to embed into the generations down.”
David Sablan, a sixth-generation descendant of Jose Sablan, attended with his children and grandchildren.
“It’s very important because family is very important for all of us. That’s where we get our strength. That’s where we get our encouragement, our lives. And so it’s very important to make sure that we’re always united.” Sablan said.
Organizers say they hope the gathering inspires younger generations to preserve their clan’s history and continue the tradition of family reunions.
