The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated that municipalities are the "main players" in the support and promotion of local culture, stressing the investment that has been carried out by Horta City Hall in this area.
 
João Ponte spoke Sunday at the solemn session closing the centennial celebrations of the first Teatro Faialense, which he attended on behalf of the President of the Government. He recalled the former mayor, Renato Leal, who acquired the Teatro Faialense for the municipality, providing an important contribution to the assertion of culture as a tool for the development of municipalities.
 
"It is our cultural heritage that distinguishes and values us," João Ponte said, stressing that, "despite the development and progress we are seeing on Faial, we cannot and should not ignore the past, history, tradition and memory.”
 
In this context, he considered that the celebrations that took place over the last year at Teatro Faialense "were a fair and well-deserved tribute to all - people and cultural agents - that marked the cultural development of this city and this municipality."
 
"Nowadays, culture is of greater importance, especially if we take into consideration the paradigm of sustainability," João Ponte said, adding that "culture is no longer just a series of events to entertain the population; it has become a political vector with a key role in economy."
 
In his speech, the government official stated that "Faial is indubitably synonymous with cultural and heritage wealth," noting that "culture plays nowadays a vital role in training," hence "investing in culture is synonymous with development and quality of life."
 
João Ponte called for the involvement of local authorities and Faial islander in the development of their island, conveying his confidence in the "entrepreneurial spirit and dynamics" of Faial islanders without "never losing their very specific cultural traits."
 
"This is a path that the Government, with the collaboration of local authorities and with the involvement of Faial islanders, intends to build," said João Ponte.