Mandaue, Tudela ink sisterhood ties

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City government and the municipality of Tudela in Camotes Island yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding for a sisterhood relationship.

Tudela Mayor Erwin Yu, Vice Mayor Greman Solante and their municipal councilors were in Mandaue City yesterday afternoon for the MOU signing with Mayor Jonas Cortes in the session hall of the City Hall.

The idea of a sisterhood pact came from Solante after the Mandaue City officials visited Camotes last Jan. 28  to extend financial assistance to the four towns of the said island which were totally devastated by last year's super typhoon.

Solante informed Cortes that most of their constituents are presently working in Mandaue City.

After both government units agreed for the forging of the sisterhood pact, the municipal council of  Tudela then took the initiative and passed a resolution expressing their intention to establish sisterhood relationship with Mandaue City.

In return, the Mandaue City Council approved last Feb. 24 a resolution authored by City Councilor Diosdado Suico expressing the pleasure and acceptance in good faith  the intention of the town of Tudela to establish the sisterhood.

The areas where both government units will be closely working on include economics, tourism and education.

Earlier, the town of  Tudela received a P300,000 financial aid from the Mandaue City government.  Officials from the town said they will use the amount to tend their one-hectare cacao nursery. They said as a manufacturing city, Mandaue can benefit from the products of this cacao nursery.

Other towns in Camotes which received financial aid from the city were Poro, P300,000; Pilar, P300,000; and San Francisco, P400,000.   (FREEMAN)