The local governments of San Juan City and the province of Ilocos Sur on Thursday, Sept. 28, signed a sisterhood agreement to boost their cooperation in providing excellent public service to their constituents.
(Photo from Patrick Garcia)
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, together with other city officials, personally went to Vigan, Ilocos Sur to meet with Gov. Jerry Singson and Vice Gov. Ryan Singson.
Through the sisterhood agreement, the two LGUs will be able to share their progress in the fields of tourism, culture and arts; science and technology; trade, commerce and industry; urban planning and development; sports development; education; environmental protection; public health; and social services.
"On behalf of all San Juaneńos, I am grateful to Gov. Singson for inviting us to their beautiful province. We hope to learn so much from them, especially on cultural and heritage preservation, which they are experts in, and which we hope to apply in San Juan City,” Zamora said.
The historic City of Vigan is recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention for the excellent preservation of the Spanish Colonial town established in the 16th century.
When the province of Ilocos Sur was devastated by Typhoon Egay last July, San Juan City was one of the LGUs that responded to the call for help and gave financial assistance to the province. This led to the two LGUs discussing forging a closer relationship through a sisterhood agreement.
The city government, through its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, gave P500,000 financial aid to the province that was placed under a state of calamity due to the billions worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure brought about by the typhoon and the enhanced habagat.