Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, together with five high school students in the city, left for Japan on July 27 for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the sisterhood pact between the cities of Dagupan and Iwata.
The Iwata City government prepared a program of activities for the celebration slated from July 27 to 30.
“Our visit to Iwata opened new doors for economic and cultural exchange between Iwata and Dagupan,” Mayor Lim said.
He said that the Iwata government has plans to visit Dagupan to further strengthen the ties between the two cities, and at the same time seek opportunities for investments here.
“We will also talk about the proposal to stage a student exchange program between the two cities like what took place between Dagupan and Milpitas,” Lim stated.
On July 28, Iwata City Mayor Nozomu Suzuki welcomed the Dagupan delegates in his office. Later, the delegates explored the beauty of Iwata during a city tour. The 30th anniversary ceremony followed in the evening.
The mayor said that a video presentation on Dagupan in Japanese translation was shown to the Iwata City officials. A nanDAraGUPAN book was also presented to the Iwata people.
The next day, a students’ forum was staged. The activity was a venue for the students of Dagupan and Iwata to exchange viewpoints about their respective cultures and the sisterhood program.
Because of the sister cities relationship, he said, around 100 Dagupeño-trainees on carpentry and welding are now in Japan. He noted that more Dagupeño-trainees will be sent to the country.
The sister city covenant between Dagupan and Iwata was formalized by then Dagupan City Mayor Cipriano Manaois and then Iwata Mayor Katsumi Yamauchi on February 19, 1975.
A Japanese team had earlier visited Dagupan to personally invite and inform Mayor Lim about the celebration in addition to the invitation letter sent by Mayor Suzuki.
The team was composed of Tsunemi Hirano, chairman, Chuen Overseas Technical Training Center; Kazuhiko Shimamura, Genkei Automotive Ltd; Kenji Kawasaki, president, Phil-Japan Gijutsu Iten Foundation; and Rosemarie Kawasaki, vice president, PGIF.
The Iwata City government provided free transportation and accommodation for the delegates composed of Mayor Lim, Antonio Uy, Romualdo Patrick Siapno and students Paul Francis Co, Jr., James Dy, Jr., Joanna Mei Hufano, Christa Mariel Lolim and Aldrin Brian Lao. (Sunshine D. Robles)
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