The local government units (LGUs) of Dumaguete City and Davao City are forging relationships through a sisterhood agreement to complement and boost their socio-economic and tourism industries, among other things.
Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said Monday afternoon that the draft “twinning” or sisterhood agreement is now being prepared for signing by the two LGUs.
This developed as the cities of Davao in Mindanao and Dumaguete City in Negros Island Region have agreed in principle to a “twinning” relationship that will include the possibility of a third party.
The agreement comes following the maiden flight of Cebu Pacific last week, flying the Dumaguete to Davao and vice versa route with three flights a week, with Mayor Remollo leading the Dumaguete contingent to Davao.
Mayor Remollo pointed out that the flights connecting Dumaguete City and Davao will also benefit the students, as many of those studying here come from that Mindanao city.
Remollo stressed the key here is connectivity because Negros Island Region where Dumaguete City is located is in the heart of the Philippines, which is very strategic in terms of tourist destinations, for business and the like.
The city mayor wanted Siquijor to be included in the “tripartite” agreement with Davao, as a sub province of Negros Oriental before it became independent, saying the umbilical cord between the two is not yet cut.
He asked tourism officers of both cities to make the draft for possible review during the Kadayawan Festival in August, and to be finalized during the Sandurot Festival in September this year.
Siquijor Vice Gov. Mei Ling M. Quezon, whose roots is from Davao, is thankful to Mayor Remollo “for taking us under his wings” in showing interest to enter into an agreement with Dumaguete and Davao for possible tourism linkages.
Siquijor has an airport but it can accommodate only a 9-seater plane with flights Ceby-Siquijor-Cebu three times a week. The province waits for funding from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for the construction of a good terminal in the island province.
Meanwhile, Department of Tourism assistant secretary for Mindanao Eden Josephine David is looking at 10 million arrivals for both domestic and foreign tourists this year due to expanded flights of Cebu Pacific to and Mindanao.
These four additional flights are the Zamboanga-Cotabato route, Zamboanga-Cagayan de Oro, Cebu-Masbate and Dumaguete-Davao routes. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
