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Community Briefs

MANUMALO AND SOUTH PACIFIC ACADEMY TAKE HIGH HONORS IN MATH COMPETITION

 

For the tenth consecutive year, South Pacific Academy has stomped on the competition and taken off with the overall first place for the high school level in this year’s Island-wide Math Competition.

 

Manumalo Baptist School is the overall winner for the elementary division.

 

This year’s competition included participation from close to 200 students from elementary and high schools who were given 50 multiple choice word problems to solve.

 

FALEOMAVAEGA SUPPORTS MA’AFALA BREADFRUIT PROJECT

 

Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin is in full support of the ma’afala breadfruit project and he is urging the Lolo-Lemanu administration to thoroughly review it as a means for economic development in American Samoa.

 

In a letter to Governor Lolo M. Moliga last week, Faleomavaega said, "Now more than ever, we must explore every possible opportunity to create jobs and diversify our local economy.”

 

The Congressman noted that long before the deadly tsunami of September 29, 2009 and Chicken of the Sea’s announcement the following day that it would shut down its operations in American Samoa, "we have been acutely aware of the need to find new sources of jobs and income for our people."

 

He added that going forward, “the ma’afala breadfruit project will yield tremendous opportunities as a means to diversify and strengthen economic development for our territory.” He told Lolo that prior to the private sector making a major investment in this new industry, the American Samoa Government needs to conduct an immediate review of the ma’afala project.

 

Faleomavaega noted the efforts of Dr. Papali’i Tusi Avegalio and his staff at the Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) at the University of Hawaii, and said there is an abundance of research and expertise available on the ma’afala. 

 

He said that potential benefits of developing the maafala include the growth of the gluten-free market in the U.S and the potential for ulu flour usage in gluten-free products, support of the agricultural industry as well as manufacturing and processing jobs, the related benefits of the soa’a banana and other local crops for similar development, and the usage of breadfruit as a natural source for sustainable food security, disaster assistance and recovery.

 

Copies of Faleoamavaega’s letter were forwarded to Lieutenant Governor Lemanu Sialega Mauga, the Fono leadership, and Department of Commerce director Keniseli Lafaele.