CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama is currently in China renewing Cebu City’s sisterhood ties with Xiamen, following 30 years of cooperation between the two cities.
Xiamen, a modern port city in Southeastern China, has been helping Cebu City, the latest of which was a cash donation of ¥100,000 (P600,000) for the construction of a new Cebu City Medical Center building late last year.
Rama flew for Xiamen yesterday and will stay there for the next two or three days.
Other sister cities, like Kaohsiung in Taiwan and Haarlemmermeer in The Netherlands, have also extended funds for the new medical facility, whose construction is estimated to cost more than P1 billion.
Xiamen became Cebu’s sister city by virtue of an agreement signed in October 26, 1984 during the term of then mayor Florentino Solon.
The partnership between has resulted to a number of bilateral visits, trade missions and other official exchanges.
In 2010, delegates from Xiamen launched in Cebu City a satellite TV channel that now airs programs in Min Nan dialect promoting Chinese culture in Cebu.
Among others, the Cebu City government has welcomed Chinese cultural groups from Xiamen that performed during a yearly cultural event organized by the local Filipino-Chinese community.
The cultural, historical, economic, and business linkages have continuously broadened between the two cities in its 30-year sister relationship.
Aside from Xiamen, Cebu City’s sister cities include Beersheba in Israel, Parramatta in Australia, St. Petersburg in Russia, Bandung in Indonesia, Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Haarlemmermeer in Netherlands, and the US cities of Seattle, Salinas and Chula Vista. —/RHM (FREEMAN)