The San Juan City local government and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte on Saturday, Sept. 30, forged a sisterhood agreement signifying their closer cooperation and relations aimed at sharing their respective best practices.
(Photo from Patrick Garcia)
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, together with other city officials, personally went to Laoag, Ilocos Norte to meet with Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc.
The ceremony was done in the middle of San Juan local government unit's (LGU's) planning session for the 2024 budget which was conducted in the province as well.
Zamora explained the agreement formalizes an already tight bond between the two LGUs formed through the Producer to Consumer Program (P2C) of Ilocos Norte, which the San Juan LGU hosts once a month in the city hall premises.
P2C is a livelihood program that aims to support accredited MSME entrepreneurs and farmers in the province by giving them a bigger platform to sell their products to different areas in the Philippines.
Fresh produce from farmers of Ilocos Norte are brought twice a month to San Juan City where San Juaneños will have the opportunity to buy fresh produce directly from the source, eliminating the middlemen, hence, buying them at affordable prices.
The two local government units agreed to share their knowledge and best practices in local governance in various fields such as tourism, trade, commerce, and industry, science and technology, culture and the arts, urban planning, education, sports, environment protection, public health, and social services.
“This is an important day for both LGUs because through this sisterhood agreement, we will be able to exchange ideas and help each other to better serve our constituents,” Zamora said.
When the province was devastated by Typhoon Egay and the enhanced "habagat" last July, San Juan City was one of the LGUs that responded to the call for help and gave financial assistance to the province.
The city government, through its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, gave P1.5-million financial aid to the province that was placed under a state of calamity due to billions worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.
The two local chief executives also have a much deeper relationship as Manotoc is the son of Senator Imee Marcos, Zamora’s godmother in his wedding and baptism.
The Marcoses’ ancestral home is also located in Barangay Maytunas, making the city very close to their hearts. The house will be also be a part of San Juan’s historical trail together with El Deposito museum and other historical landmarks.
The province also took part in the city's Christmas caravan last year where they sold their local produce and delicacies such as empanadas, bagnet, longganisa, garlic, and other fruits vegetables.