• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A sisterhood agreement was signed yesterday between the province of Negros Occidental and its 32 towns and cities, including highly-urbanized Bacolod City, and San Juan City of Metro Manila.
It was signed by Mayor Francis Zamora, in behalf of San Juan City government, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, and the 32 mayors of Negros Occidental.
The partnership marks a significant step toward strengthening cooperation, cultural exchange, and shared opportunities between the local governments.
By signing the sisterhood agreement, Zamora said he wants to learn the best practices of all Negros Occidental local government units.
Zamora, the national president of League of Cities in the Philippines, disclosed that he had learned a lot of other best practices from local government units he visited across the country.
He wants to institutionalize the learning of best practices, by way of the sisterhood agreement.
Aside from just learning best practices, Zamora said it also gives an opportunity for LGUs to promote their tourism potential, as well as their locally-produced products.
As a way of further promoting the sisterhood agreement, Zamora said he wants Negrosanon products to be displayed at Greenhills Mall in San Juan City.
Zamora also noticed that Negros Occidental is so progressive and developed, ten years after he visited the province in 2016.
I want to learn from Negros leaders how it was done, he added.
Lacson said the province is set to utilize the market space offered by San Juan City Mayor Zamora to feature products from local MSMEs.
“In fact, Mayor Francis Zamora already offered their market where our micro or small and medium enterprises can display their products. Right away, what came to mind is our Negros Occidental Technology and Livelihood Development Center (TLDC) and we will push for that,” Lacson pointed out.
The governor emphasized the initiative’s potential to boost local businesses.
“There’s an immediate advantage – we just have to work on it. I do hope that with the volume of products that go to that market, our goods can be noticed and it could also help our micro and small enterprises,” he pointed out.
“We still have to sit down and discuss how to allocate these shares. Of course, the provincial government will try to extend as much help as we can to support our MSMEs,” he said.*
