LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte -- Laoag City officials represented by City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon and China’s Huangshan City Committee Secretary General Yang Long have signed a sisterhood ties in a ceremony held at the city auditorium here on Friday.
The sisterhood ties are aimed at promoting tourism, investment, trade, and more economic cooperation, culture, and arts, and strengthening communications between Huangshan City and Laoag City as well as between the Philippines and China.
City Mayor Keon said the sisterhood ties between Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, and the UNESCO world heritage site Huangshan City of Anhui province, China brings a great opportunity for the residents in both areas in terms of economy and trade, tourism, and investment.
Laoag City is known as the ‘sunshine city of the Northern Philippines’ owing to its attractive tourist attractions and agricultural and trade industry products.
Mayor Keon said that Laoag City has so many products that would be showcased in Huangshan City, China that would probably be attractive for the residents there.
Meanwhile, the city of Huangshan (meaning "Yellow Mountain" in Chinese) is famous for its Mount Huangshan, designated as a UNESCO Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in 1990. It continues to attract visitors from around the globe, drawn by its endless charm, vitality, and potential. The Yellow Mountains are the epitome of cultural China.
SISTER CITIES -- Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon (third from left) and China’s Huangshan City Committee Secretary General Yang Long (third from right) sign sisterhood ties in a ceremony held at the city auditorium on Friday. Witnessing the signing are (from left) Laoag City Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Farinas, City Administrator Roxanne Lee Castro, Chinese Consulate of Laoag City, Consul General/Head of Post Ren Faqiang, and Yang Lin, Chief of Tunxi District, Huangshan City. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
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Tourists visit Huangshan for the mountains and unique pine trees and rocks, a sea of clouds, hot springs, and the winter snow, as well as the Huizhou culture.
Located in East China's Anhui province, the Mount Huangshan range is famous for its magnificent scenery of granite peaks, rocks, pine trees, sunrises, and sunsets amid clouds which have inspired emperors and poets for centuries.
Huangshan is also known for its mandarin fish and Qimen black tea. Huangshan City actually has two UNESCO World Heritage sites -- the Huangshan or Yellow Mountain Scenic Area which is world famous for its natural landscape, and the cultural heritage sites of Xidi Village and Hongcun Village.
On Thursday, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) newly-elected President Dr. Cecilio Pedro welcomed the Huangshan City delegation from China, promoting tourism exchanges and economic cooperation between the Philippines and China.
Dr. Pedro urged the strengthening of the traditional good economic, trade, cultural, and other cooperation exchanges between the Philippines and China.
The FFCCCII and the Anvil Business Club (an association of young Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs) arranged this goodwill with the representation of FFCCCII Board Members George Chua Cham, Wilson Lee Flores, and Director Hubert Chua.
Supporting this economic goodwill exchange trip are the Chinese Consulate of Laoag City led by Consul General/Head of Post Ren Faqiang and the Ilocos Norte Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (INFCCCII) led by President Dave Pascual, EVP Henry Chua, VP Eric Chua and Sec. Gen Kalvin Pascual.
Other officials of Huangshan City visiting Laoag City for the sisterhood signing are Yang Lin, Chief of Tunxi District, Huangshan City; Wan Shunli, Deputy Chief of Huizhou District, Huangshan City; Hu Wenhua, Deputy Chief of Qimen County, Huangshan City; Huang Xiaohua, Deputy Director of Huangshan Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau; and Su Xinhua, Deputy Director of Huangshan Municipal Foreign Affairs Bureau.
It was also reported that Huangshan City has tremendous economic potential with its Gross Domestic Product or GDP as stated in Anhui province data at 95.737 billion RMB in 2021.
This records an increase from the previous number of 85.040 billion RMB for 2020. The data reached an all-time high of 95.737 billion RMB in 2021.