BACOOR CITY, Cavite – Manila and Bacoor have forged a sister-city agreement that would open opportunities to more educational, cultural and business exchanges
The signing took place at the Manila City Hall Wednesday afternoon between Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla witnessed by councilors from both cities.
Mercado-Revilla said the sister-city pact was pursuant to the Bacoor Sangguniang Panglungsod (city legislative council) Resolution No. 333 Series of 2016 that authorized her to enter and execute the agreement.
Former President and Mayor Estrada said he was granted the authority to enter, execute and sign the Sister City Agreement through Manila City Council Resolution CR 2016-147 Series of 2017.
Mercado-Revilla said "it is a coincidence that both of us became cities in June with Bacoor on June 23, 2012 while Manila’s chartered cityhood was June 24, 1976 when in terms of date, we are ahead by one day.”
She added that by June 2018, “we have a marching Band Competition where Manila and Bacoor will be part of the big event to be held in Bacoor City as it hosts various participants from different parts of the world. And I hope Manila will also join this competition.”
For his part, Estrada said Manila is looking forward “to having more educational, cultural and business exchanges with Bacoor, a first class urban component city in the province of Cavite.”
"This is a very important agreement between the cities of Manila and Bacoor. This will formalize our ties as cities," Estrada said.
Estrada said Manila and Bacoor have some similarities. “While Manila is the country's capital, there was a brief period when Bacoor also served as the country’s capital at the time General Emilio F. Aguinaldo declared it as capital of his revolutionary government in 1898.”
Before the signing rite, video presentations of both Bacoor and Manila were shown depicting the past and present developments and other services benefitting their respective constituents.
Guests were in Filipiniana attire and entertained by singers from the two cities.
Manila is the 3rd twin city of Bacoor after forging city agreements with Mandaue and Davao Cities.
Manila has inked similar pacts with cities of Dili in Timor-Leste; Beijing, China; Honolulu, Hawaii; Moscow, Russia; Taipei, Taiwan; and Winnipeg, Canada, among others. (Rogelio Limpin/PNA)
