Overview:
The Silent Majority enters a new chapter. As 2026 approaches, the voice that once confronted power now moves with deeper intention—drawing on Palauan wisdom, lived experience, and quiet strategy. In this opinion piece, Dudalm Kelulau explains why the message remains the same, but the current beneath it runs deeper.
Dear Editor,
From Alonzo Kahalic to Dudalm Kelulau: A Deeper Current in the Silent Majority
In 2025, the Silent Majority found its voice through the writings of Alonzo Kahalic—a voice that challenged power, questioned policy, and spoke boldly for the people of Palau. His words were sharp, his tone unapologetic, and his mission clear: to speak for those who are rarely heard, and to remind our leaders that governance is not about prestige, but about presence.
But as we move into 2026, the tide is shifting. The issues remain urgent—cost of living, education, sovereignty, and cultural erosion—but the approach must evolve. And so, the Silent Majority welcomes a new author: Dudalm Kelulau. This transition is not a change in purpose, but a deepening of it. Dudalm is not just a name—it is a kelulau, a strategy, a philosophy. In Palauan tradition, Dudalm refers to a deepwater fish, elusive and wise, not easily caught or understood. The kelulau of Dudalm is one of quiet maneuvering, observation, and earned wisdom. It is not granted freely. It is guarded, practiced, and passed on only to those who seek knowledge through humility and persistence.
Alonzo Kahalic was the voice of 2025—a year of confrontation, awakening, and hard truths. Dudalm Kelulau will be the voice of 2026 and beyond—a voice that listens deeply, moves carefully, and speaks with the weight of experience. The email remains the same, but the current beneath the words will run deeper. Why this shift?
Because the Silent Majority is not static. It is a living reflection of the people of Palau. And the people are changing. We are no longer just reacting to crisis—we are beginning to ask harder questions about how we got here, and how we move forward. Dudalm Kelulau is a kelulau for this moment. It teaches us to learn from those who carry knowledge—not through loud debate, but through quiet proximity. It is a strategy of conservation, of skill, of relational wisdom. It reminds us that not all knowledge is written in books or spoken in meetings. Some must be earned through observation, praise, and patience.
This column will continue to challenge the systems that fail us. But it will also begin to explore the systems that could save us. It will ask not only what is broken, but what is possible. It will look to the land, the elders, the customs, and the quiet truths that have sustained Palau for generations.
As Dudalm Kelulau, we write not as an expert, but as a witness. For over 50 years, we have roamed and rambled across our islands, learning from the greatest teacher of all—Palau itself. And what Palau has taught us is simple: Relationships are more important than being right. This is the conflict we face today. Western education teaches us to win arguments. Palauan wisdom teaches us to preserve relationships. And in that tension, we must find our way.
The Silent Majority will continue to speak for those who are unheard. But now, it will also listen more closely. It will observe more carefully. It will seek knowledge not just from policy, but from practice. From the taro patch. From the bai. From the stories told at night and the silences held at dawn. Alonzo Kahalic helped us speak. Dudalm Kelulau will help us understand.
Let us move forward—not louder, but deeper. Not faster, but wiser. The Silent Majority is still here. But now, it swims in deeper waters.
Your Humble Servant,
Dudalm Kelulau