CATBALOGAN CITY – The local chief executive of this city signed an intention of forging a sisterhood agreement with Xi’an City, China Saturday (September 7).
The Letter Intent of Friendly Exchange City was signed between Mayor Dexter Uy and Mayor Li Mingyuan and witnessed by officials from both cities at M Grand Royal, this city.
Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province and it is one of the oldest cities in China, and part of the so-called ‘Four Great Ancient Capitals’ having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history.
The city, since the 1990s, had become part of the economic revival of China especially for its central and northwest regions, emerging as an important cultural, industrial and educational center of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and space exploration.
Meanwhile, Catbalogan, the provincial capital of Samar province and is the main commercial, trading, educational, financial and political center of the province.
The signing between Catbalogan and Xi’an was described by Mayor Uy as ‘special’ and ‘historical’ that will “start building a bridge of friendship between two cultures and two governments.”
“This event will signal the building of a bridge for a possible transformation and development of our respective cities. A transformation from our old promising past to our developed future,” Mayor Uy said in his message during the signing.
Mayor Uy shares that he had several reservations before the signing because Catbalogan is incomparable to Xi’an, in terms of economy, infrastructure, industry, tourism, education, history and many other aspects.
“It was a valid apprehension because I was thinking then that to have a sisterhood partnership with other cities is just limited to exchanging and sharing of resources and expertise,” Mayor Uy said.
“But then I realized this is not a competition; this is rather cooperation. The city has so much to offer when it comes to natural tourism and resources, the skills of our people, our culture and education; and our experience of resiliency which will provide rich understanding on scientific approaches in addressing disaster and calamities,” he added.
Uy added that partnering with Xi’an will become a “learning opportunity, an avenue to comprehend the strategies, systems, interventions and lessons that Xi’an have experienced in their years of existence and apply the same in our locality.”
“With this, therefore, Catbalogan would become a younger sister city of Xi’an, hence, I appeal for your understanding and guidance. If our sister-city partnership will be realized, for sure our success will also be Xi’an’s success,” he said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
