THE DAVAO City government is looking at forging sisterhood ties with two other cities in Mindanao, Zamboanga and Cotabato, to boost collaboration in tourism and cultural development, agriculture, and trade. In a proposal submitted to the city council last week, the Davao City International Relations Board said that the agreements will be beneficial in terms of joint promotional campaigns and sharing of best practices. “As the parties gather a vast numper of tourists, it is deemed favorable to exchange tourism practices and cultural preservation techniques,” the board said in its resolution. For agriculture and trade, “The cities may provide, if within the capacity, an exchange in the necessary machines, crops, and products that are lacking within their partnered sister city,” the resolution further said. Earlier this month, the board endorsed the proposed sister city agreements with Pagsanjan, Laguna and Liloan, Cebu to the city council, seeking authority for Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to sign the partnerships. During the 82nd Araw ng Dabaw celebration last March, the first Sister Cities Trade Fair and Exhibit was held and a similar event is being planned in August as part of the Kadayawan Festival. Davao’s local sister cities are: Angeles in Pampanga; Marikina, Quezon and San Juan in the National Capital Region; Liloan town in Cebu; Basud town in Camarines Norte; and Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte. The foreign partner cities are: Jinjang and Nanning in China; Bitung and Manado in Indonesia; Kitakyushu City in Japan; Kawaii County in Hawaii, USA; and Tacoma City in Washington, USA. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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