The city governments of Baguio and San Jose, Nueva Ecija recently entered into a sisterhood agreement for the realization of creative avenues geared towards mutual growth through the sharing of executive, legislative, administrative, technological, cultural and economic developments unique to each of the local governments involved.
Signing the sisterhood agreement were Mayor Benjamin Magalong representing Baguio City and Mayor Mario Salvador of San Jose City in Nueva Ecija.
“This is a long-term partnership where we can share what we know, and we will also learn from San Jose.”
“This is a long-term partnership where we can share what we know, and we will also learn from San Jose,” Magalong said.
Under the agreement, both cities bound themselves towards greater heights and innate reciprocation.
“We know that Baguio is a very popular tourist destination, and we would like to learn from it so that our city and our people will also benefit from the gains of tourism,” Salvador said.
Among the agreed fields of exchanges include the conduct of activities in areas that would be beneficial to both cities; promote activities in the fields of tourism and culture, social and persons with disabilities (PWDs) welfare, health and the environment, education and sports, indigenous peoples (IPs) welfare, and agriculture.
“We can share with you what we are doing because we know that we are experiencing the effects of climate change and preparation is always the key.”
“We can share with you what we are doing because we know that we are experiencing the effects of climate change and preparation is always the key,” Magalong said.
The sisterhood pact was conceived in a letter dated August 12, 2022 of San Jose Councilor and Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Lucia Naboye expressing his city’s desire for possible partnership and collaboration in the fields of culture, arts, tourism, and development endeavors.
On August 15, 2022, San Jose City Mayor Salvador expressed his desire for Baguio to adopt San Jose as a sister city for cultural arts, tourism, and development endeavors.
On March 15, 2023, the City of Baguio wrote to Salvador formalizing the intention for a more vigorous exploration of the possibility of forging sisterhood ties with San Jose City.
On April 4, 2023, a team composed of members of the sister cities executive committee and secretariat and members of the Baguio City Council visited San Jose City to determine the commonalities and possible areas of cooperation between the two cities.
On July 3, 2023, a resolution was passed formally establishing sister city relationship between Baguio City and San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
Resolution No. 417 authorized Magalong representing Baguio City to enter into a memorandum of understanding with San Jose City, Nueva Ecija represented by Salvador.
