(ASO TO’ONA’I 7 SETEMA, 2024 I LE 6:00 PM MULTIPURPOSE GYM, TUANAIMATO)
O le a mamalu pea ia paia ‘apo’apogatā o le susu o lau Susuga i le Taitai o le Sauniga,
Afio lau Afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo ma lau Masiofo,
Afifio Minisita o le Kapeneta ma outou faletua,
Afioga i le Fa’amasino Taiulu o le tatou Tauvaga ma lou auva’a,
Lau Afioga i le Tausala o Samoa/Tausala o le Pasefika,
Mamalu o Malo Fa’aaloalogia, fa’apea le paia o Samoa ua potopoto,
Ua mae’a ona momoli le tatou taulaga osi e le susuga i le Taitai o le Sauniga, ma o le agaga lava e tasi e fia fa’aleo, e fonofa’apipi’i ai i le fa’afetai lenā, aua o lele ua atoa le faga i laūa, ma ua o tatou aofia i le futiafu e tasi, ona o le Pule Fa’asoifua a le Atua. Fa’amalō le pale, fa’amalō le soifua laulelei ma le lagi e mamā! Vi’ia le alofa o le Atua ua o tatou taunuu mai i le si’ui o le filiina o se Tausala o Samoa 2024/2025, lea o le a fa’amanuiaina ma fa’apaleina i lenei afiafī.
Ua mae’a le vaega muamua o lenei fa’amoemoe lea na fa’atinoina i le po o le Aso Lulu i Matagialalua, o lona uiga, ua mae’a ona tagofia i le saunoaga autu a le Minisita ia Toeolesulusulu nisi o vaega tāua e fa’atatau i lenei tauvaga. Ae tau lava o nai vaega ou te toe fia tā’ua.
O le manatu autū o le tatou tauvaga – Alofa i lau Samoa Matalasi, ma o le alofa ua fa’atusa e fa’apea, e lē o se timu na tō, a o le ua na afua mai Man’ua! O le loloto o lenei tōfā manino, e molimoli mai ai se fe’au taua mo tatou! O le Alofa o se tasi o aga tausili e iloa ai o i tatou o tagata Samoa, e fa’atino i lo outou soifua ma lo tatou ola fetausia’i; o la tatou Tautua e tauala atu ia tatou tu ma aganu’u, fa’apea le galueina, ma le puipuiga o le tatou siosiomaga ma laufanua, lea fo’i e fa’atino ai le tatou Tautua. O le alofa lena i lau Samoa matalasi – e tatou te talatala ai i vaega tupito ia o lo tatou tofi ma lo tatou fa’asinomaga fa’asamoa, o le tatou aganu’u e tatou te fa’amemelo ma o tatou aputiputi i ai. O fa’avae papa ma ma’a tulimanu ia o lo tatou lalolagi fa’asamoa e ao ona o tatou galulue fa’atasi e puipui ma tapu’e, aua tupulaga fai a’e o Samoa, taeao ma le lumana’i. Ia alofa mai le Atua o manuia ma ia atagia le matalasi o lona alofa faifai pea i le taunu’uga o lenei tausinioga, aemaise o se Tausala o le a ia fa’aauauina le galuega ma le Tautua mo le tatou Samoa Matalasi.
The Digicel Miss Samoa Pageant for 2024 concludes this evening with the Crowning of our new Tausala and/or Miss Samoa 2024/2025. The Theme for this year is Alofa i lau Samoa Matalasi, further expressed in our Samoan indigenous reference, E le o se timu na to, a o le ua na afua mai Man’ua. This reference is defined by Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi (2017), “it is not rain which falls but tears of love from Manu’a”. The narrative adopted by Onomea Productions for this theme articulates that – Love in this context exemplifies Life and Sustenance… Endurance and Strength … Our Tenacity and Resolve as communities and more importantly our resilience as a nation despite the challenges we continue to face as part of the Oceania and Pacific region. Samoa Matalasi therefore speaks to our Relational Identity, the importance of our connections and relationships … Our Culture, Our People, Our Land, Our Ocean… Where we are one and where we are united in our Samoa matalasi, Aua e lasi ae e tasi lava la’u Samoa; and as we seek answers and solutions to our multiple developmental challenges, we practice the application of Alofa I lau Samoa Matalasi as part of the strategic positioning of our values, our strengths and our assets as a people of this Ocean continent or the Blue Pacific continent.
This strategic positioning of Samoa through Alofa i Lau Samoa Matalasi, also means that we look at our Samoa with love, a love of our nation that encompasses the community, our communal existence, for we belong to our communities and nation, and they belong to us… the application of which also means our one-ness in our ocean connecting all of our Samoa, from the tai Samasama o le Tuimanu’a, to the lualoto o Nafanua na tauilo ai Malo. As we delight in the sweetness of that “ua” from Manu’a, we say Saō Fa’alālelei, Ua Malie ō, Ua Malie Malō, Malō Afua Ailao Ua Maua, le Igoā Ipu a Nafanua … we express love and appreciation in the practice of gifting our measina our ie toga like we express joy in the words uttered as we recall the legacy of Nafanua. As we celebrate our Samoa Matalasi this evening, we say, O lau Pule Lea Le Atua… Our gratitude and praises to the Almighty for all that we have and for all that we are in our Samoa Matalasi …(Toelupe Tago, 2024).
In closing I want to wish all of our 15 contestants the very best this evening. We trust that your engagement in this platform has provided you with valuable lessons that will continue to build the strong foundations of your anofale so that wherever you may be in this world, you will remember with fondness le Alofa i lau Samoa Matalasi acknowledging the contribution of this platform to your growth as Tamaitai Samoa. As I said to the young women competing for the crown in 2023, whatever the outcome tonight, I am confident that your upbringing as a tamaitai Samoa still holds strong and true where your values and identity remains unchanged and the same values that we all share of love, reciprocity, kindness and compassion and respect to name a few, will ensure that you will continue to be supported in the paths you choose as daughters of Samoa!
My final words this evening is to the outgoing Miss Samoa 2023/2024, Afioga Fuatino Moemoana Safa’ato’a Schwenke. We congratulate you for a successful reign. Thank you for serving our Samoa and our people and thank you for making all of us proud. Your humility and heart of service is appreciated and we offer you our love, our prayers and tapuaiga as you close this chapter and anticipate a new chapter in your journey as a Tamaitai Samoa.
With those final words ladies and gentlemen, as the Prime Minister of Samoa, it is my absolute pleasure to declare the Crowning Night for the Digicel Miss Samoa Pageant 2024, officially open! Have a good evening,
Soifua ma ia manuia!
Photo by Government of Samoa (Leota Marc Membrere)