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.
The sisterhood agreement was signed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong representing Baguio City and Mayor Mario C. Salvador of San Jose, Nueva Ecija during simple rites held recently.
Under the said agreement, both cities bound themselves towards greater heights and innate reciprocation, citing that the sisterhood ties is an expression of mutual support to understanding, expansion of official and non-governmental exchanges, and friendship through the promotion of peace, stability and prosperity.
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 and as for matters not mentioned in the agreement, the two city government will decide upon them through friendly negotiations under the conditions of mutual understanding and friendship.
In a letter dated August 12, 2022, San Jose Councilor and Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Lucia I. Naboye expressed the city’s desire for possible partnership and collaboration in the fields of culture, arts, tourism, and development endeavors.
Subsequently, in a letter dated August 15, 2022, San Jose City Mayor Salvador expressed his gratitude to Mayor Magalong for his generosity and warmly welcoming their team from the local government during their visit to Baguio City on July 2, 2022
Further, he also expressed his desire for Baguio to adopt San Jose as a sister city for cultural arts, tourism, and development endeavors.
Conscious of the positive implication mutually beneficial to the involved cities, the city government of Baguio formalized the intention for a more vigorous exploration of the possibility of forging sisterhood ties with San Jose City as contained in the letter dated March 15, 2023 addressed to Mayor Salvador.
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.
Resolution No. 417, series of 2023, passed on July 3, 2023 formally established sister city relationship between Baguio City and San Jose City, Nueva Ecija and authorized the local chief executive representing Baguio city to enter into a memorandum of understanding with San Jose City, Nueva Ecija represented by Mayor Salvador for this purpose.
