I ATMONEDA

Åtmoneda in Chamorro means "auction."  The word is borrowed from the Spanish word almoneda.

Exclusive licenses from the government to run games and profit from them were auctioned, or opened up for bidding. The highest bidder would win and the government would benefit from the money put in for the bid.

In the late 1950s in Saipan, two bids were opened to run the gayera (cockfight) and bingo. Bingo was an American import so Chamorros don't have any other word for it than "bingo."

Here are the results of those two bids :


RESUTTAN I ATMONEDAN GAYERA (Results of the Cockfight Auction)

1. Joaquin C. Guerrero $1257

2. Efrain B. Matsunaga $1200

3. Francisco S. Pangelinan $1025

4. Manuel F. Aldan $900

5. Juan S.P. Cruz $80



The bingo auction seems to have been divided into districts on the island.


RESUTTAN I ATMONEDAN I BINGO (Results of the Bingo Auction)

Distrito 1

1. Ana S. Aldan $250
2. Juan S.P. Cruz $218

Distrito 2

1. Jose P. Tenorio $600
2. Vicente B. Lizama $556
3. Margarita A. Ayuyu $503
4. Baldomero Concepcion $486
5. Maximo S. Concepcion $465
6. Anselmo Iglecias* $400

Distrito 3

1. Francisco S. Pangelinan $255
2. Jose SN Ada $60

* In Saipan, the last name is spelled Iglecias. On Guam it is spelled in the original Spanish way; Iglesias.


There would have been a third auction, for båto, a game where one tries to knock down a stick or objects on a stick. But it was postponed for reasons described here :

NOTISIA

(NOTICE)

I atmonedan i båto ma kana' asta ke u fonhåyan i Otdinånsia Munisipåt annai para u ma na' guaha i legåt na probision gi areklon este na åtmoneda.

(The båto auction is postponed until a municipal ordinance is completed wherein a legal provision organizing this auction will be enacted.)