Davao Dads To Join Int’l Sister City Summit

Three Davao City councilors are set to attend the Philippines International Sisterhood and Twinning Association (PHISTA) in Baguio City from August 30 to September 2, 2009.

“In connection with the Baguio City Centennial Celebration and the Sister Cities and Town Twinning Summit you are hereby directed to travel to Baguio City to represent the city government of Davao in the said activity,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said in a memorandum order directed to councillors Rachel Zozobrado, Susan Isabel Reta and Louie John Bonguyan.

Reta heads the Council Committee on Tourism while Bonguyan heads the Council Committee on Cooperative and People’s Participation.

Duterte has authorized the three councillors to join the PHISTA activity in Baguio considering it is an international event that will allow the councillors to exchange experiences with domestic and international officials in the areas of trade, tourism and international relations among others.

A total of 15 international sister cities and 18 local sister cities of Baguio City are expected to participate in the event. Duterte said the participation cost of the three councillors will be shouldered by the City Government of Baguio.

“This will be a very good opportunity to learn and share experiences with the other domestic and international delegates to the event since one of the scheduled activities is the sharing of best practices both for the domestic and international participants,’ International Relations Committee chair Rachel Zozobrado said.

She said Davao is very active when it comes to twinning agreements but the committee would like to see a more active agreement that will not only remain on paper, but which will also yield positive results for both cities involved in the sisterhood agreement.

The City Council of Baguio has unanimously approved a resolution 25 years ago on February 2, 1984 to invite Davao as a sister city. The visit could perhaps rekindle the interest to form a sisterhood agreement between the two cities, even if both cities are on the opposite ends of the archipelago and they represent different cultures, heritage and customs.

While Davao City has several sisterhood agreements with international cities, one of the latest and high-profile sisterhood agreements it entered into locally is the one with San Juan City.