KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HONORABLE PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF TOURISM FIAME NAOMI MATA’AFA FOR THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 34TH TEUILA FESTIVAL, 2024

Lau Susuga i le taitai o le Sauniga, Susuga i le Taitaifono a le Laulau o le Fonotele a le Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano o Samoa, Faifeau Toeaina, Tunumoso Iosia.

Afio lau Afioga, le Ao Mamalu o le Malo ma lau Masiofo

Afio le Sui o le Fono o Sui Tofia ma lou faletua,

Susu lau Susuga a le Sui Palemia ma lou faletua,

Minisita o le Kapeneta ma o outou faletua ma alii,

Sui o Malo mai Fafo (Diplomatic Corps)

Faauluuluga o Matagaluega ma Faalapotopotoga a le Malo

Sui o le Aufaipisinisi,

Mamalu o Samoa ua potopoto,

• A fa'atau silimea le si'aga ale tautai alii, ona utu sagisagi lea o le lupe lele malie, ae faaifo i le malae o le toto'a. A fa'ataupuea foi le si'ugafa o pesega e pale feagai ai le atu tialologo, e masuiga lava ina ua tōtō le muati'asa i le vai o Galoa.

• Ae ua tepa nei i ula ae tago i ula ua futifuti fa'amanuula lenei aso taupoina o le lona 34 ai nei o tausaga o le Faaaliga o le Teuila i Samoa. Ua togo ai nei le malama i Saua ae ua fotu pule le faiva o tama, aua o lea ua tatou aulia ma le manuia le faamoemoe o lou atunuu ma ona tagata, e ala i le toe tapu'eina o au tu ma au aganuu Samoa, o ou faiva alofilima ma lau anava, ina ia aua nei mavae pe se'e ese faai'a o tai loloto au measina e te faamemelo i ai.

• O le faaliga o le Teuila o se faamoemoe autu lea i le kalena o mea e tutupu a le Pulega o Tagata Tafafao Maimoa Mai talu ona faavae mai i le tausaga 1990.

• O le tausaga ua tuana'i atu sa faatino ai se suesuega e tālia ai le finagalo o le atunu'u lautele,faapea le mamalu o tatou tagata o loo aumau i atunu'u i fafo, e faatatau i le faaauau ai o le faaaliga o le Teuila.

O le faaiuga o lea suesuega sa faamaonia ai le lagolago e le toatele o tatou tagata o le faaauauina o lenei Faaaliga.

• O le Faaliga o le Teuila e taua tele i le faatosina mai o tagata maimoa i lo tatou atunu'u,aemaise lava o tatou tagata mai atunu'u i fafo e toe fafagu ai o latou sootaga e ala i la tatou aganuu, e pei ona iai ausiva faaleaganuu e 3 ua malaga mai fafo e auai ile Faaaliga o lenei tausaga.

• O le Autu o le Fa'aaliga o le Teuila 2024 e faapea, "Faatamaoaiga lou Siosiomaga, Taofimau lau Aganuu". O lenei autu o loo ta'ita'ia ai le Pulega o Tagata Tafafao Maimoa Mai, i a latou taumafaiga e faataua ai le puipuia o lo tatou siosiomaga ma le tatou aganuu aua le atina'eina ma le fa'aauauina pea o lenei atina'e i le lumanai, mo le lumanai o si o tatou atunuu.

O le vaiaso atoa o le Teuila o le a faasaina ai le faatauina ma le aumaia i totonu o le mea o le a faatino ai lenei Faaaliga o ni faguinu pa'u poo plastic bottles. Ae o le a faatutuina ni masini vai i tua o le Friendship Park ma le Cultural Village a le Pulega o Tagata Tafafao Maimoa Mai e mafai ona faatumu ai fagu vai taumafa a le atunuu lautele o le a maimoaina lenei faaaliga.

E tatalo atu ai i le tatou atunuu ina ia lagolagoina lenei taumafaiga a le Pulega.

• O le atina'e o Tagata Tafafao Maimoa Mai, o se matafaioi e tausoa ma tauave e tagata uma o lo tatou atunuu. O lea e taua tele ai so tatou sao ma sa ta'ua galuega e faatino, e ala i le faamatagofieina ma le faamamāina o o tatou laufanua ma aai. E pei ona i ai le faamoemoe o le faamatagofieina o afioaga uma o le atunuu o loo faagasolo nei.

E aofia ai foi le puipuia o le saogalemu o tagata tafafao mai, aemaise o le faaali ma faailoa atu o la tatou tu ma la tatou aganuu e pei ona i ai le faamoemoe o faaaliga eseese o le Teuila o le a molimauina i lenei vaiaso atoa.

• O le faamoemoe o lo tatou Malo, ia siitia le auaunaga i totonu o lenei ala manuia o Tagata Tafafao Maimoa Mai ma siitia ai pea le tatou tamaoaiga.

• E taua ai lava le galulue faatasi ma le pulupululima o i tatou uma e fesootai ma lenei alamanuia, ina ia faatumauina lo tatou ta'uleleia ma tumau ai la tatou anavatau tauave - SAMOA LALELEI - BEAUTIFUL SAMOA - ma ia laualuga ai pea le Alofa ma le Faamaoni e faatino la tatou pito laau.

• Ia faamanuia mai le Atua o Samoa i lenei vaiaso o le Teuila.

Ma ou te faasilasila atu, ua tatalaina aloaia nei le Faaaliga lona 34 o le Teuila mo lenei tausaga 2024.

Talofa Lava,

• I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all to the opening ceremony of the 34th Teuila Festival.

• Teuila Festival continues to be the premier event in the Authority's events calendar, and this was further reaffirmed by a forum held last year, where an overwhelming majority of our local people and our overseas diaspora voted in favour for the Teuila Festival to continue.

• It is an event that attracts not only visitors but our own people that reside overseas to reconnect with their roots and culture as evident with the 3 cultural dance groups travelling over for this year's event.

• Our Teuila Festival theme for this week "Enrich our Environment, Embrace our Culture"

was adopted in line with the Samoa Tourism Authority's continued drive for a sustainable industry, and in recognition of the vital role that our environment plays in promoting our destination.

• To emphasize our theme, this year's event would be plastic free in efforts to reduce plastic waste with water refilling stations available for free throughout the week.

Our plea to the general public is to try and utilize these alternatives when attending the Teuila Festival, and refrain from using single use plastics.

The Teuila Festival Registered food stall operators have also been advised to comply with using only biodegradable materials to serve their products.

• It is also pleasing to see and we acknowledge the efforts by all respective villages that are involved with our National Beautification Campaign. Please ensure that we continue with these initiatives whereby it is not just an exception but becomes the norm moving forward

• Tourism is everyone's responsibility and not just those directly involved in the industry and as we amp up our preparations for the upcoming CHOGM meeting, let us all lift our game and take pride in the service we provide for all our guests to ensure their safety and a memorable experience in our country.

• Let our Heavenly Fathers Blessing and Grace be upon us all as we prepare for the week ahead culminating with the crowning night for our Miss Samoa Pageant on Saturday.

I now officially declare the 34th Teuila Festival open.

SOIFUA MA IA MANUIA.

Photo by Government of Samoa (Leota Marc Membrere)

September 16, 2024

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.