TACLOBAN CITY – The local government units of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, and Baybay City formalized a sisterhood partnership agreement on August 20, 2024 aims to foster cooperation between the two LGUs in areas such as local governance, economic trade and development, public safety, environmental sustainability, disaster preparedness, mitigation and response programs, and social welfare.
The twinning agreement and memorandum of understanding (MOU) held at the Guiuan municipal function hall, were signed by Mayor Jose Carlos Cari of Baybay City and Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan of Guiuan, representing their respective local governments.
They were accompanied by members of their Sanggunian and department heads.
Through this partnership, Baybay hopes to gain insights into Guiuan’s efficient tourism programs, while offering technical assistance to Guiuan in adopting the Barangay Management Information System (BMIS), among other initiatives.
“This sisterhood will enhance local governance in our respective localities and allow us to support each other in areas where we excel,” Mayor Cari stated.
As part of the partnership, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Baybay, in collaboration with the Guiuan Emergency Response Team, installed an ambient weather station at the Guiuan Municipal Hall.
This weather station provides data on wind, temperature, rainfall, heat index, ultraviolet index, and other variables, which will be crucial for disaster preparedness, especially during typhoon season.
In her message after the signing, Mayor Kwan highlighted the unique features of Guiuan, including its eco and adventure tourism offerings, strong historical and heritage programs, and abundant marine resources.
She expressed hope that the partnership would allow Guiuan to learn from Baybay’s best practices in solid waste management, local economic enterprise management, transportation, disaster response, investment promotion, and efficient delivery of social services.
Prior to the signing, members of Guiuan’s Local Economic Development Council (LEDC) and Sanggunian visited Baybay in June for a benchmarking “Lakbay Aral” activity.
During their visit, they learned about the best practices and programs that have significantly contributed to Baybay’s economic development.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
