Env’t and urban mgt part of Davao-Manado sisterhood

Both the cities of Davao and Manado in North Sulawesi Indonesia, are growing cities, so the soon-to-be-signed sisterhood agreement between the two cities will include environment and urban management.

“The reason why we amended the sisterhood agreement before its renewal is to make it responsive to the present developments being faced by the two cities,” councilor Rachel Zozobrado, chair of the Committee on International Relations said.

The original sisterhood agreement signed between the two cities was in 1993 and a lot of changes have occurred almost 16 years after the signing, she said. It is thus very important to review the terms of the agreement, she added, so we can make it tailored-fit to the signs of the times.

Zozobrado said she has discussed the proposed amendments with Indonesian Consul Lalu Malik Partawana and they have agreed to come up with a dynamic agreement that will mirror the present developments in both cities.

She said that while the amendments will still be reviewed by the Committee on International Relations this second week of August, both parties have agreed in principle, to include not only Information and Communication Technology in the agreement, but also the very timely issue of environment and urban management.

“Both cities are becoming the urban centers of their regions and we would like to be able to contribute to each city’s development by prioritizing environment and urban management issues,” she said.

The reason why cities encounter problems with traffic and other infrastructure is because of the lack of planning. By incorporating environment and urban management in the sisterhood agreement, she said, both Davao and Manado recognizes the need for proper planning to steer both city’s development to the right direction.

“This is in fact a very exciting sisterhood agreement because it is more proactive and considers the future demands of both cities when in comes to growth and development,” she said.

Zozobrado said the Consul has been very cooperative in negotiating for the new agreement. We are confident that we have a sisterhood agreement that will be of help to both cities in the long term.

Five sisterhood agreements for Davao in the works

The realization of at least five sisterhood agreements being finalized between Davao City and other foreign cities is expected to strengthen Davao’s economy even in the face of economic recession.

“We are presently following up at least five sisterhood agreements between Davao and other cities and we expect some of these to become final before the year ends,’ Council Committee on International Relations chairperson Rachel Zozobrado said.

These agreements, she said, do not only promote exchange visits and tourism opportunities but also investments between the two cities involved in the pact.

Zozobrado said they are in the process of finalizing the renewal or the forging of sisterhood agreements with the cities of Manado and Bitung in Indonesia, Mersin City in Turkey, Darwin City in Northern Territory, Australia, Uijeongbu City in Korea and Tacoma City in Washington, DC.

The city is confident that some of these sisterhood agreements will be renewed or forged before the year ends particularly the agreement with the cities of Manado and Bitung in Indonesia.
“We already have the additional terms requested by the Indonesia side as provided by Indonesian Consul General Lalu Malik Partawana who has recently been authorized by Indonesian officials to negotiate the sisterhood agreements between Davao and the cities of Manado and Bitung,” she said.

Davao City’s sisterhood agreement with Bitung and Manado has already expired and while the agreements are automatically renewed after expiration unless revoked by either parties, both Indonesia and Davao officials would like to introduce new provisions in the sisterhood agreement.

Zozobrado said “we have prepared the terms of the new sisterhood agreement but we are still enhancing the provisions so that the resulting agreement would be a dynamic one which would really make a difference in the development of Davao City and the cities of Bitung and Manado.’
The agreement has been scheduled for first reading and is subject to the approval of the Committee on International Relations.

She said Davao’s sisterhood agreement with Darwin City is moving at a slower but sure pace with the visit of a contingent from the city to Darwin during last May’s Arafura Games. There is also a plan to invite the Lord Mayor to visit the city during the 2010 Araw ng Dabaw.

She said prospects for the signing of an agreement with Uijeongbu is also high considering that both Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Uijeongbu Mayor Kim Moon Won have already signed a Letter of Intent that will pave the way for the sisterhood pact.

3rd District Councilors Bats For Women Empowerment

Third district councilors Rachel Zozobrado and Myrna Dalodo Ortiz are strengthening their community projects and programs for women.

“We are eyeing the conduct of livelihood programs for women to empower them,” councilor Rachel Zozobrado said during this morning’s “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” television program aired over ABS CBN.

Zozobrado said women play a very important role in society so it is important to empower them. Her office is scheduled to conduct a series of livelihood trainings on cooking, sewing and recycling.

“We consulted the third district women so we can prepare livelihood programs that will meet their needs; lisod man pud na magpataka lang mi ug training unya dili pud diay sila interesado (it’s not good to just decide which livelihood programs to train them for since they might not be interested),” she said.

On the other hand, Dalodo-Ortiz who is one of those behind the drafting of the Women Development Code said her program for women is a continuing effort. Her office regularly conducts gender sensitivity programs for women.