Laoag City—"The Ilokano community truly values our relations—a partnership that was kept productive through our joint efforts. Indeed, we are unified by our common goals and values, and with these, we look forward to a new era of greater harmony,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos-Manotoc remarked in his speech during the opening program of the Shandong International Friendship Cities Conference for Cooperation and Development (SIFCCCD) in Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China (PCR) on October 15, 2019.
Marking the 40th anniversary since Shandong began to form sister-city relations with international cities, the five-day event was co-sponsored by the Shandong Provincial Government and Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Almost 900 delegates from 33 countries attended the SIFCCCD’s series of activities in the cities of Jinan and Qingdao.
The conference aims to further boost trade cooperation and people-to-people exchange between cities. It featured several fora focusing on SME promotion, culture and tourism, a photo exhibition, and a trade fair.
Mr. Marcos-Manotoc headed the Ilocos Norte delegation. He was accompanied by several members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and department heads: SP members Da Vinci Crisostomo, Saul Lazo, Donald Nicolas, Domingo Ambrosio Jr, and Portia Salenda; provincial tourism officer Ian Raquel; Metro Ilocos Norte Council head Perry Martinez; and provincial small and medium enterprises (SME) officer Edison Natividad.
Ilocos Norte shared sisterhood ties with Shandong Province since 2002 and has welcomed delegates from different committees of the Shandong government for discussions, partnerships, and agreements towards strengthening both provinces common sectors, over recent years.
“Through our cooperation, we have trained our communities to be business-oriented, entrepreneurial, and ingenious. This new dynamism inspires us to continue soliciting partnerships and new investment. Now, more than ever, it is our task to improve the lives of our people through enhancing their livelihoods, strengthening their competencies, and widening opportunities to better their quality of life,” Mr. Marcos-Manotoc urged.
Marking an almost five-decade diplomatic relations between the Philippines and PRC initiated by former President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1975, the Marcos grandson continues to “envision a greater partnership with a global call for unity that will yield a more promising partnership between our people.”
“May we continue forging linkages as we expand and better the already great Chinese-Filipino relations,” he ended.
Shandong innovations worth emulating
Mr. Ambrosio, the SP’s committee on agriculture chairperson meanwhile lauded the Shandong Province’s “advanced” agricultural methods:
“They [Shandong Province] are manufacturers of agriculture equipment and machineries. Our country’s agriculture is way behind. The innovations of Shandong Province in terms of the advancement in agriculture and productivity are worth emulating,” Mr. Ambrosio commented.
With products ranging from export quality vegetables to meat, Shandong Province is considered a frontrunner in the global market. It was also recognized as PRC’s “Agricultural Champion.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ambrosio extended his gratitude to the Shandong government for their assistance to the farming communities in Ilocos Norte in the past years, particularly, for providing various agricultural equipment and input.
Moreover, he assured the farming communities of sustained support from the Provincial government saying:
“The Provincial Government remains committed to capacitating our farmers. Through the leadership of the honorable governor, we are finding ways to increase the fund of our palay buyback program to further our kakailian.”
The remaining days of the conference featured a series of conference headed by the Ministers of the PRC, representing various departments such as tourism, agriculture, business, and trade and industry, among others.
A media enterprise conference also highlighted the innovative practices of every participating province; presenting Ilocos Norte as a premier tourist destination in the Philippines. (PGIN-CMO)