Mandaue Forges ties with Romanian City

Cebu - A sisterhood agreement has been entered into by Mandaue City and the Romanian city of Bacau.

The agreement was reached during the visit of Bacau officials to the Capitol where they invited Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to witness the signing of the agreement between the cities of Mandaue and Bacau in Romania in May.

The delegation was headed by Bacau City Mayor Romeo Stavarache and Romanian Ambassador to the Philippines Valeriu Gheorghe.

During the meeting, Garcia said the bonds between Romania and Cebu will be further strengthened if the province and the county of Bacau can also enter into a sisterhood agreement.  

Gheorghe agreed, saying he is very impressed with the achievements of Cebu under Garcia’s administration.

Audiovisual presentations of the province’s achievements highlighting the governor’s 12-point program were shown to the delegation.

If her schedule permits, Garcia will bring members of the Provincial Board to Romania in her effort to explore specific areas of cooperation between the two governments. One of her agenda is a possible direct charter flight between Cebu and Romania.

Currently, the sisterhood agreements of the province were sealed with Guangwon in South Korea, Guam in U.S.A., Swaziland and Ljubljana in Slovenia. Two sisterhood pacts – those with Guangdong in China and Bacau in Romania – will soon be signed.

Garcia would also be attending the Global Travel and Tourism Summit to be held in Florianopolis, the capital island state of Santa Catarina in Brazil, from May 15 and 16.

In a letter addressed to the governor, Jeanine Pires of the National Tourism in Brazil said the summit is the world’s highest-level gathering of political and commercial leaders in the tourism industry.

“This will provide us with a unique and timely opportunity to meet and openly discuss some of the most pertinent issues affecting global Travel and Tourism in 2009 and beyond,” Pires told the governor. — Garry B. Lao/LPM (THE FREEMAN)