Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — House Representative (Faipule) Fagaima Larry Sanitoa’s request to Congresswoman Uifa’atali Aumua Amata for urgent assistance to help the territory obtain deadline extensions for ARPA funds through legislative help did not include specifics about the ARPA-funded projects that are at risk.

The projects are facing a looming December 31, 2026 deadline — to be completed or lose the remaining funding. 

Samoa News has learned that one of the projects Fagaima has been asked to help, is the Department of Health (DOH) Behavioral Health, Drug and Rehabilitation Center Project, being built in Tafuna (in the old Tafuna Housing area).

The DOH ARPA Senior Projects manager, on behalf of DOH director Dr. Saipale Fuimaono, prepared a summary report for Fagaima, and provided photos to verify the construction site’s progress or condition to help its request to get an extension.

The report, dated October 13, 2026, an excel document, shows that the overall project is 70% completed. It indicates that delays have been due to shipping, Acts of God, and weather conditions, and lays out that the project’s Phase 6 through 11 are scheduled to be completed in May 2027. 

DOH ARPA Senior Projects Manager Falanai M. Ala includes a professional observation or opinion of the construction work. He writes:

The Silva Group has been working very hard at moving this project to its completion. They have worked 7 days a week, and utilizing night shifts when they pour concrete during the Foundation, Slab on Grade, and Brick Laying phases’ many days.  

They have been averaging approximately 65 to 75 workers on site daily and sometimes 100 workers  during big concrete pours.  They also have a night crew working on an "as needed basis" during the concrete pours, brick laying, and other construction phases.

The Silva Group is definitely one of the best Contractors the DOH has on its ARPA Construction Projects.  This project is progressing according to schedule, despite all of the difficulty in shipping, work force, and weather delays. This project is approximately 70% overall complete. 

The Silva Group has not submitted a single change order as of 10/14/26, considering the fact that this project was design by a third party Architectural Firm name, Jacob Cubitt Architects (JCA) in Australia, through PIOA Consultants.

This is very un-usual and rare for contractors in American Samoa to construct a building this far into the construction process without submitting any change order for the project.

The only change order we are anticipating for this project is the purchase and installation price for the stand-by generator for the BHS Facility. This was not included in the Request for Proposal (RFP) and Scope of work (SOW). 

The Silva Group is a company with integrity and high moral character, they treat their employees very well. 

He concludes that “the DOH ARPA Team is extremely proud and happy to work with the Silva Group on this project.“  

Reported elsewhere in today’s edition, Congresswoman Amata, who is now in Washington D.C. is an update of her efforts to extend the deadline for ARPA funding legislatively, and includes writing a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent asking for his support.

Gov. Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula made his own request in October 2026 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for a six-month extension to complete the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects. 

Amata in her comments on the issue, reminded Samoa News that this is the second time an extension for completion has been requested for ARPA funding, the first request occurred in 2025, which led to the current deadline of December 31, 2026.