The City of Lipa is eyeing a sisterhood agreement with the City of Manila.
Lipa City's legislative council passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Eric Africa "to enter into a sister city relationship with Manila."
“The City of Lipa shall learn from the best practices of the City of Manila, which has been recognized for implementing innovative, proactive, and effective policies that greatly improved local governance and the delivery of services,” the resolution read.
The proposed agreement between the two cities was announced during the IM Pilipinas Convention in Batangas on Friday, Oct. 15.
"A sister city relationship is an agreement between two local government units to expand business relations and social ties, promote cultural understanding, and enable exchanges of knowledge and expertise on areas of mutual interest," according to a statement from Manila city government.
In a separate resolution, Lipa City declared presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso as its "adopted son".
The city recognized Domagoso for his "invaluable assistance to the people of Batangas, with the support of the people of Manila, through its local government and City Council, during the Taal Volcano eruption on January 12, 2020 and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic."
The resolution was passed by the city council on Sept.28 recognizing Domagoso's efforts during the Taal Volcano eruption.
“Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso, a public servant for almost three decades, has been decisive and resilient in his governance to hurdle the challenges posed by (the) COVID-19 health crisis thereby saving many lives of our countrymen and encouraging other local leaders to follow his template,” the resolution read.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Lipa City commended Domagoso's donations to the province and the Manila city's vaccination drive which are open to residents of Batangas and other nearby provinces.