Overview:
Should Palau's national highways carry traditional names instead of terms like "Compact Road"? A new Senate bill aims to find out — proposing that PALARIS take charge of naming Babeldaob's highways and standardizing addresses across the country. Senate Bill No. 12-71 passed its first reading unanimously.
By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
NGERULMUD, Palau (July 20, 2026) — The Palau Senate has introduced legislation that would authorize the Palau Automated Land and Resource Information System (PALARIS) to officially name Babeldaob’s national highways and establish the agency as the country’s authority for address standards.
Senate Bill No. 12-71, introduced by Sen. Mariur during the seventh day of the Senate’s seventh regular session, would give PALARIS legal authority to designate names for national highways, require the use of physical addresses, and establish technical standards for addressing systems nationwide.
Mariur said the measure aims to address gaps in Palau’s existing road-naming process.
“During the 10th or the 11th congress, we passed a law requiring all states to designate roads and street names in their own respective states and submit them to PALARIS,” Mariur told the Senate.
However, he said it remains unclear whether those names submitted by the states were ever fully implemented or whether national roads, which do not fall under any individual state’s authority, were properly named.
Mariur said the previous law assigned states the responsibility of naming their own roads and streets but did not provide PALARIS with the authority to name national highways or develop standards for those names.
“Although the states were tasked to name their roads and streets and submit those names to PALARIS, the agency was not authorized by law to name national highways according to naming standards which they shall create,” he said.
Under the proposed legislation, PALARIS would develop standardized guidelines and use those standards to assign official names to national highways.
Currently, four roads on Babeldaob are considered national highways: the East and West National Highways that circle the island, the Northern Highway extending from the Ngaraard intersection to Ngarchelong, and the cross-island road connecting Ngatpang and Ngchesar, commonly known as Koksai Road.
Mariur also shared his personal preference for traditional names rather than the commonly used term “Compact Road.”
He suggested that PALARIS consider naming the highways Keiukl–Babeldaob Highway, Desbedall and Diluches–Babeldaob Road, and renaming Koksai Road as Ollumel ra Rechieb Highway.
During deliberations, Sen. Melairei proposed expanding the bill’s definition of national highways to include additional major roads.
Melairei requested that the definition include the roadway from the Airai side of the Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge through Airai to Ngerikiil Bridge, as well as Ernguul Highway, which runs through downtown Koror.
Senate Bill No. 12-71 was introduced by Sens. Mariur, Kuartei, Pedro, Sungino, Rudimch and Nakamura. The measure passed its first reading unanimously and will proceed through the legislative process for further consideration.