Reciprocal visits between Davao, Mersin City eyed

An exchange visit between the officials of Davao City and Mersin City in Turkey is being eyed in view of the sisterhood agreement being planned between the two cities.

Former Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim Guinomla said Philippine Honorary Consul in Mersin Mr. Sukru Diyab recently met with the Metropole Municipality of Mersin Director of Culture and Fairs Department Mr. Suleyman Cengiz to discuss the procedures that have to be followed to make the sisterhood agreement between the two cities a reality.

“This is a welcome development considering that we have been trying to follow up the sisterhood agreement between the two cities for months now,” Council committee on International Relations chair councilor Rachel Zozobrado said.

She said it was Ambassador Guinomla who communicated to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte the possibility of forging a sisterhood agreement with Mersin City. However, she said, they have encountered some hitches in following up the agreement since Guinomla is now back in Davao City as the assistant secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Mindanao.

Zozobrado said Guinomla has been helping the committee in facilitating the sisterhood agreement.

“I was told that the procedure in forging a sisterhood agreement with Mersin City in Turkey could take about three to four months depending on how fast both sides work on it,” she said.

She said the possibility of exchange visits between the officials of Davao City and Mersin City was also mentioned during the meeting between Diyab and Cengiz. This, she added, will hopefully fast track the forging of the sisterhood agreement.

The Philippine Honorary Consul Diyab said October would be an ideal time for the Davao officials to visit Mersin City since it would coincide with the 2nd Logistics and Transport Fair of Mersin City. Zozobrado said the city could then invite officials from Mersin City during the Araw ng Dabaw 2010.

Zozobrado said the proposed sisterhood with Turkey aims to foster mutual understanding through people to people exchanges, tourism promotion as well as trade and investment activities.