March 21, 2017(Koror, Palau) President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. issued a Presidential Proclamation 17-204 honoring the late Ililau Leonardo Ruluked, expressing sorrow for his passing and conveying deep appreciation of the nation for his contributions to the Republic.

Late Ililau Leonardo Ruluked had had a lifelong successes beginning with his graduation from San Jose High School in the Philippines and continuing on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from Berchmans College in the Philippines in 1963.

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His distinguished career includes teaching at and becoming a principal of Palau High School, where he served for 11 years. Proclamation states, his “experience, expertise and vision for advancing education, was instrumental in the development of Palau High School in its earliest years that became foundations of what it would become today…the largest high school in the Republic”.

After his term as principal of Palau High School, he became the Chief of Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education and ultimately became the Chief of School Management until his retirement in 1995.

Proclamation also states, “ he is one of the greatest educators in the history of Palau High School and one of Palau’s greatest innovators for education development of the Republic of Palau”.

Late Ililau Leonardo Ruluked’s other accomplishments include being a Palauan Language Teacher at the University of Hawaii in Molokai from 1966 to 1968, serving as on-call instructor for the U.S. Office of Equity and Diversity Program from 1978 to 1986 and certified instructor for USIU to teach Palau History to teachers working for their Bachelor’s Degree.

Furthermore, he was “instrumental in implementing the U.S. Geological Survey in Palau as Palauan Names Researcher in 1970 and creating the framework of Ethnohistory of Palau along with completing three volumes of “History of Palau” with the Palau Community Action Agency”.

He also was “appointed by the first President of the Republic of Palau, His Excellency Haruo I. Remeliik, to serve as the Special Judge for Criminal Cases in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Palau, where he performed his duties for 26 years until the Jury Trial System was introduced and implemented through legal regulations in 2011.”

His accomplishments include his active role as traditional leader representing his clan with title of Ililau of the Ngara Oldiang of Ngchesar States since 1984.

Late Ililau Leonardo Ruluked is survived by his wife Dirremetecherang Takaka E. Ruluked and his children, Leo Ruluked, Jr., Lolita Ruluked, Terrence Ruluked, Russell Ruluked, Laureen Ruluked, Kadoi Ruluked and Reva Ruluked; and proud grandfather to his eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Olikong Polycarp Basilius, Severino Ruluked, Mitsko Basilius Walter, Aaron Basilius and Lentcer Basilius, and his nieces and nephews and members of his extended family. [/restrict]