DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 July) — Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will go on leave to travel in five different countries to forge sisterhood agreements in key cities.
Speaking at the “Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa” program, Duterte announced that he will visit Saipan, South Korea, China, Turkey and Palau to strengthen relations between these nations and Davao City.
“The city is opening avenues for future trade relations with other nations,” said Duterte, who assured the public that he will not use public funds for his trip.
Duterte said he will send formal letters to the host countries with regards to his preliminary visit.
“I still have to write them since I no longer have powers to sign agreements,” he said.
Palau President Johnson Toribiong has invited the vice mayor to visit the island nation in the Pacific Ocean some 500 miles east of the Philippines.
“I want to honor this invitation and I want to go to Palau with concrete proposals,” said Duterte, who expressed desire to unwind in one of the world’s youngest and smallest sovereign states in the Pacific Ocean.
The economy of Palau is focused primarily on tourism, subsistence agriculture and fishing.
An exchange visit between the officials of Davao City and Mersin City in Turkey is being eyed in view of the sisterhood agreement being planned between the two cities.
Davao City has forged agreements with cities from other countries which came out productive for both parties. The city government has forged pact with the cities of Manado in Indonesia, Nanning of Peoples Republic of China, among others. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)
