In a historic moment, the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Batac, Ilocos Norte have officially sealed their sister city agreement after forging a bond of cooperation and friendship that promises to bring shared benefits and opportunities for both communities.

 

Last night’s sisterhood signing ceremony at the City Tourism Hall was led by Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy and Batac City Mayor Albert D. Chua, with the presence of the members of the 20th City Council headed by Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez and Batac City Council members.

 

The signing ceremony took place in a warm and congenial atmosphere, emphasizing the goodwill and eagerness to collaborate for mutual growth and development.

In his message, Mayor Chua expressed his gratitude to the city officials of Cagayan de Oro for their warm welcome and acceptance of the sister city agreement.

 

He noted that this collaboration would enable both cities to share best practices and innovative ideas in local governance, a move he believed will lead to greater progress and improved quality of life for their respective residents.

For his part, Mayor Klarex shared his excitement and joy with the partnership as the LGU of Batac, Ilocos Norte preferably had chosen Cagayan de Oro City for benchmarking and eventually formalized the sister city agreement between the two cities.

 

He highlighted the potential for increased cooperation and the exchanges of valuable knowledge and experiences between the two LGUs.

Notably, Batac, Ilocos Norte is the first sister city under the leadership of Mayor Klarex Uy, making this partnership a significant milestone of his administration.

The sisterhood promises to open doors for cultural exchanges, economic collaboration, and shared initiatives that can enhance the lives of the citizens of both cities.

 

City Councilor Suzette Magatjas-Daba, chair of the Committee on Sister City Relations, thanked the Batac LGU for the seamless agreement and expressed her anticipation for more cooperation and development initiatives in the future.

Sister city agreements like this one have a proven track record of promoting goodwill and understanding while facilitating cooperation on a wide range of issues, from business and trade to education, tourism to cultural exchange.

As the partnership between Cagayan de Oro and Batac, Ilocos Norte takes shape, residents of both cities can look forward to a future enriched by shared experiences and mutual progress.

 

The signing of the sister city agreement marked the significant highlight of their 3-day visit, aside from benchmarking Cagayan de Oro City’s best practices related to 'Volunteerism & Active Citizenship'.

This visit was organized following the recommendation of the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA). (GB/CIO Photos by Kim Zaldivar/CIO)