Cebu explores new sisterhood ties, boosts existing pacts

MANILA, Philippines -  The Cebu provincial government is looking not only into creating new sisterhood ties, but also in strengthening the existing relationships it already has.

During the courtesy call of newly appointed Chinese Consul General Zhang Weiguo on Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia recently, the invitation of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to establish friendly relations with Cebu was discussed.

“How wonderful it would be that barely a month after your assumption as consul general we shall have accomplished another sisterhood agreement with yet another province of China,” Garcia told Zhang.

The possible signing of a memorandum of understanding as well as the parallel signing and business matching between their respective chambers of commerce will be held if the visit pushes through in March.

Cebu already has sisterhood ties with Hainan, Sichuan, Guangdong, and the Autonomous Region of Guangxi Zhuang in the People’s Republic of China.

In keeping with mutual cooperation and cultural exchange, Cebu has been invited, too, to send a delegation to attend the International Sister Cities Exchange 2012 in Guangxi Zhuang and the International Tourism and Cultural Festival in Guangdong.

On the other hand, Russian Honorary Consul Armi Garcia, along with Dr. Maria Stanyukovich, visited Gov. Garcia to propose a cultural exhibition in St. Petersburg in Russia, one of Cebu’s sister cities, to deepen the ties between the two.

According to Consul Garcia, the exhibit would be a good entry-point for future trade and investments since this would introduce and promote understanding of the Cebuano culture.

“As Russia had been a closed country for many years, the people just started opening the world for themselves. Potentially, Russia is a very big market and a very big source of tourists. But before economics, cultural ties must be done,” Stanyukovich said.

The cultural exhibition will then be donated to the Kunstkamera Museum in St. Petersburg.

This being an ethnographic museum, the exhibit need not include antiques. Native materials that reflect the day-to-day lives of farmers and fishermen as well as objects that are culture bearers can be displayed.

Stanyukovich also said Cebu and St. Petersburg share some things in common, both being coastal communities.

Gov. Garcia approved the proposal, saying it would be a “concrete step toward giving life to an agreement.”

She expressed hopes that this would strengthen Cebu’s ties with St. Petersburg.

The cultural exhibition will be held in June to commemorate the signing of the sisterhood agreement. It will also coincide with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. – The Freeman News Service