Overview:
Ngchesar State has honored the late Chief Buk Desengang Emil Ramarui for a lifetime of service as an educator, public servant and traditional leader, recognizing his lasting contributions to Palau and his home state.
By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
NGCHESAR, Palau (Oct. 30, 2026) – The Ngchesar State Government has honored the late Chief Buk Desengang Emil Ramarui through Resolution No. 12-2, recognizing his lifelong service to Palau and to Ngchesar State.
The resolution highlights Ramarui’s many years of dedication to Palau’s education system and his wide-ranging service to the nation.
Ramarui was born on March 25, 1939, to Ramarui Ngchar and Ngitchob Erbai-Ramarui. He attended Ngchesar Elementary School, Emmaus High School, and the Pacific Territories Teacher School (PTTS) in Pohnpei. He later studied at the University of Guam from 1959 to 1962 and at the University of Hawaii’s East-West Center in 1970.
He began his career in education as a homeroom teacher at Emmaus High School. He later served as principal of Ngchesar Elementary School from 1962 to 1969.
From 1968 to 1970, Ramarui served as Teacher Supervisor for East Coast elementary schools under the Ministry of Education. He then became Assistant Supervisor of Public Elementary Schools from 1970 to 1981. In 1981, he was appointed Supervisor of Public Elementary Schools, a position he held until 1985.
From 1985 to 1999, Ramarui served as Chief of the Division of Public Elementary Education and Chief of the Division of School Management.
Beyond education, Ramarui served Palau in many public roles. He was a member of the ABC Board, War Claims Commission, PCAA Board, Palau Election Commission, Ngchesar State Flag Commission, and Palau Red Cross Society Board. He also served on the Palau Civil Service Pension Plan Board and became its chairman from 1996 to 1997.
Ramarui served in the House of Chiefs of the Sixth Palau Legislature from 1976 to 1977. He was also Chairman of the Ngchesar Development Authority and served on the Palau Community College Board of Trustees, the WCTC Board of Directors, the Palau Coral Reef Board, the Palau Code of Ethics Commission, and the Palau Parole Board. He became chairman of the Parole Board in 2005.
In traditional leadership, Ramarui was appointed by senior female members of Imengel clan to hold the fourth-ranking chief title, Buk, of the Ngara-Oldiang Council of Chiefs in Ngchesar beginning in 1984. On December 23, 1997, he was appointed by Ngermeketii clan and installed as Chief Desengang, the first chief of Ngeraus Hamlet in Ngchesar.
Following his passing, cultural observers note that the Ngara-Oldiang Council of Chiefs has lost three of its four top chiefs within a few months this year. The council has lost First Chief Ngirakebou, Second Chief Rechesengl, and Fourth Chief Buk. Many Palauans describe the loss of three senior chiefs in such a short period as rare and unprecedented in recent memory.
Late Chief Buk Desengang Emil Ramarui passed away on October 11, 2026. He was one of eight siblings. He and his late wife had six children, 14 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
Ramarui will be laid to rest today Friday, October 30. His long life of service—as an educator, public servant, and traditional leader—leaves a lasting legacy for Ngchesar State and the Republic of Palau.