Vice-Prime-Minister inaugurates Auditorium “13 de Março” of the Dili’s Portuguese School
Vice-Prime-Minister, José Maria dos Reis, and the Portuguese Ambassador in Dili, José Pedro Machado Vieira, inaugurated, on July 28th, 2020, the Auditorium “13 de Março” of the Dili’s Portuguese School – Portuguese Language Teaching Centre Ruy Cinatti.
The name chosen for the auditorium is to recall the day when heavy floods hit the city of Dili, causing substantial material damage in several parts of the city, which affected more than 4,500 families and also caused severe damages in this school, leading to the classes’ suspension.
The Ruler, in his speech, stated that “the VIII Government is committed to elaborate a national development plan, so that in the future, impact of natural disasters like this can be minimized, not only in Dili, but also in other areas of Timor-Leste, which have also been affected”.
José Maria dos Reis stressed “the solidarity and dedication that was shown by the entire community of the Dili’s Portuguese School, from teachers and staff, to parents and students”, “that came in response to the events of that day” and “that allowed us to be here, today, together, remembering the flood day as an unexpected but it overcome challenge”.
Vice-Prime-Minister expressed “a deep gratitude” to the School and the Portuguese Government’s continued commitment towards education in Timor-Leste, which is demonstrated once again by the construction of this auditorium, with a capacity for 100 people.
José Maria dos Reis also mentioned that “this school has been, since the first moment, a strong training centre, that many Timorese children have enjoyed so far. In addition to being the main instrument of Portuguese Language teaching, one of the two Official Languages of Timor-Leste, it has been also an effort to improve the quality of education, which prepare students to be able to compete inside and outside Timor-Leste”.
The Ruler highlighted that “the Dili’s Portuguese School was created in 2002, as a response to an existing need in Timor-Leste to affirm the will of the Timorese to make the Portuguese Language, one of our official languages” and recalled the words of the “late President Nicolau Lobato, ‘We chose the Portuguese Language as the National Language of Timor-Leste’”, adding that “this choice was a determining factor for the independence and sovereignty of Timor-Leste”.
The Vice-Prime-Minister ended his speech, recalling the “invisible enemy called COVID-19”, regarding which, despite “we have no active cases and therefore we managed to get back to normality within the country”, “we must maintain the necessary care and adapt to the ‘new normality’ and to what we need to implement for this”. He also reaffirmed that “the Government continues to make all the necessary efforts to minimize the risk of new infections, but the collaboration of all institutions and all individuals is necessary”, appealing “so that, together, we can continue to collaborate in the continuous success of preventive and combat measures to the COVID-19, and thus, ensuring the well-being of all”.
