Eric Ksau Whipps

Whipps was born in Koror, Palau, the youngest son of Surangel S. Whipps, founder of Surangel and Sons Company, and his wife, Marilyn.^[1] He grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family and was actively involved in church and community activities from a young age.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Walla Walla University in Washington state and later completed a Master of Business Administration in Information Technology from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines.^[2]

Whipps joined the family business, Surangel and Sons Company, in August 1998. He serves as Chief Executive Officer and formerly as Executive Vice President, and Chief Information Officer.^[2] The company was founded by his father in 1980 and has grown into Palau’s largest family owned enterprise, with interests in supermarkets, hardware, automotive sales and repair, construction, quarrying, and equipment rentals.^[3]

In 2019, as Chief Information Officer, Whipps announced the construction of Surangel’s Supercenter in Ngetkib Hamlet, Airai State, fulfilling his father’s long‑time dream of building a large store accessible to residents outside Koror. The two‑story supermarket was designed with a cultural motif inspired by the outrigger of a traditional canoe.^[4]

Whipps also serves as President of Surangel’s Worldwide Travel Corporation (since December 2020), Vice President of Socio Micronesia, Inc. (since 2006), and previously held the role of Vice President and Chairman of Eurasia Pacific Lines, Inc. (2001–2010).^[2]

Whipps is the CEO of Ksau’s Motors, a division of Surangel and Sons Company. In October 2021, Surangel and Sons Co. signed a dealership agreement with Atkins Kroll Inc., the Toyota distributor for Guam and Micronesia, making Ksau’s Motors the official Toyota retailer for Palau.^[5]

The new Toyota showroom, located at the Surangel Supercenter in Airai, features a 1,881 sq ft (174.8 m²) showroom and a dedicated vehicle delivery suite. “We want to provide quality vehicles with affordable pricing and terms for the people of Palau,” Whipps said at the signing.^[5][6] The Surangel Supercenter began full operations in 2022, offering over 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m²) of retail space.^[7]

Whipps was appointed Honorary Consul of the Philippines to Palau in March 2013.^[2][8] In this capacity, he has facilitated numerous consular outreach missions to Palau, assisting Filipino nationals with passport applications, voter registration, notarials, and other services.^[9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Whipps coordinated multiple repatriation charter flights for Filipino nationals stranded in Palau, working with the Filipino Community in Palau and Surangel’s Worldwide Travel Corporation.^[10] He has also provided assistance to Filipino seafarers in distress, including the crew of F/B Gene‑8.^[11]

In 2021, Whipps facilitated the distribution of one‑time financial assistance from the Philippine government to eligible Filipinos in Palau, with disbursements held at the Philippine Honorary Consulate Office.^[12]

Whipps has been a central figure in Palau’s chess community. He serves as President of the Palau Chess Federation (PCF), a position he has held since 2012.^[13] In 2021, he successfully passed the FIDE Arbiter examination and was awarded the title of FIDE Arbiter (FA).^[14] He also holds the title of FIDE National Instructor (NI).^[15]

He has served as Chief of Delegation and FIDE Delegate for Palau in multiple international competitions. In 2014, he led Palau’s delegation to the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, Norway, acting as both the delegation head and the women’s team captain. Of the 12‑member Palau team, five were Filipinas, including his wife, Joy Flores Whipps.^[16][17]

Whipps and his son, Ksau Anthony Whipps, were the first‑ever representatives of Palau at the World Youth Chess Championship, held in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, in 2013. Ksau played against Andreas Garberg Tryggestad in the tournament.^[18][19][20]

Whipps’s daughter, Kayah Iblai Whipps, also represents Palau in international chess. At the 2022 World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India, she played on Board 1 of the Palau Women’s Team.^[21]

Whipps is a co‑founder of the Palau Badminton Association (established 2008) and has served as its President. He holds Oceania Badminton Instructor certification.^[22]

As CEO of Surangel and Sons Company, Whipps has overseen the company’s long‑standing support for conservation and community organisations. In January 2022, the company donated US$10,000 to the Palau International Coral Reef Center, continuing a partnership of more than fifteen years.^[23] In December 2021, Surangel and Sons gave US$5,000 to the Palau Conservation Society, marking a 25‑year commitment to environmental stewardship in Palau.^[24]

Whipps has appeared as a guest on the Palau Red Cross Hour radio programme, discussing the private sector’s role in disaster preparedness. The episode aired in February 2024.^[25]

Whipps serves as Chairman of the Belau Submarine Cable Corporation (BSCC), the state‑owned entity responsible for Palau’s international fiber‑optic cable infrastructure.^[26] He has also served as a board member of the Koror Seventh‑day Adventist Church, is the current President of the Palau SDA Schools Alumni Association, and was Co‑Founding Treasurer of Do All Things In Love (Palau), Inc. at the Palau Adventist Wellness Center.^[2][27]

Whipps is listed as a FIDE Arbiter and FIDE National Instructor by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). He holds a FIDE rating and ID number 16600550.^[15]