Int’l. board to help Davao renew ties with the world

Davao City is set to renew its ties with some cities in the Philippines and in other countries with the approval of the International Relations Board, a body composed of government and private agencies mostly dealing with foreign trade, relations and investment.

“We hope that with the approval of the International Relations Group we will now have a body that will intently look into the status of our existing sisterhood agreement and turn them into economic advantages for the city,” councilor Rachel Zozobrado said.

The resolution was approved by the City Council last week and is just awaiting the signature of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for finalization.

Zozobrado, who is chair of the Council International Relations Committee, said Davao City has entered into several sisterhood agreements with various national and international cities but not too many of these agreements have succeeded in what both cities want to achieve.

Davao City Investment Promotion Center chief Roberto Teo said Davao has existing agreements with Nanning City of China and Republic of Palau. These are only among the latest twinning pacts the city has entered into after the enactment of City Ordinance No. 0297-06 or the Davao Sister Cities Program.

“There is also a sisterhood agreement with Honolulu, Hawaii which was signed last 2004 and a lot of other twinning agreements which are set to expire every five years unless terminated,” Teo added.

“We have a lot to do in terms of really exploring the opportunities that these sisterhood agreements can offer the city in terms of economic development,” Zozobrado said. Depending on the terms of the pacts, she said, Davao can explore economic activities that will lead to more jobs and income to the Dabawenyos.

Zozobrado said the membership of the DCIPC to the board will ensure that the city can explore investment opportunities with the cities we have sisterhood agreements with considering that the Center is already doing this prior to the formation of the Board.

However, she said, there are various aspects in twinning pacts including tourism and other economic and social opportunities which the Board can take care of as a body.

Davao may be in the forefront of Mindanao’s (and the Philippines’) economic development but there is a need to sustain and strengthen existing and proposed sisterhood agreements if we are to move forward, she said.

Aside from the DCIPC, the International Relations Board is composed of the Office of the City Mayor as chair, the different council committees including Tourism, Trade and Industry, Information, Communication and Technology, City Planning, City Tourism Council, City Information Office, City Agriculturist, TESDA, DOST director and DTI City director.