Mayor Caldwell and Mayor Santiago sign MOU as a testament of the two cities’ partnership towards good governance and sharing of best practices toward a progressive and empowered city.
With them are (L-R) President Entrata of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce in Hawaii, Consul General Flores, Vice Mayor Lazatin and Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Jimenez. Acting as witnesses are the city councilors of San Fernando.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CSFP-CIO
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A sisterhood pact between the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA and this capital city through a city council resolution was inked on Sunday at the Heroes Hall here.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Mayor Edwin D. Santiago signed the sisterhood agreement as part of the visit
of the 24th Trade Mission of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.
The 24-member Hawaiian delegates led by Caldwell, delegation head Paul G. Alimbuyao and Filipino Chamber
of Commerce of Hawaii President Maria A. F. Etrata were welcomed by Santiago and Vice Mayor Jimmy T. Lazatin as well as members of the city council here.
During the program, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the Filipino-Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce was also signed by the two mayors, Philippine Consul General to Honolulu Julius D. Torres, Etrata and Alimbuyao as well as Lazatin, Marco Antonio B. Jimenez, president of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (Pam- Cham), and members of the city council.
Santiago said the MOU aims to “further the economic cooperation” between Honolulu and San Fernando.
In the same program, two resolutions were also presented conferring on Caldwell and Torres the honor as adopted sons of this city. In his speech, Caldwell expressed his gratitude for the resolution.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude for being conferred as an adopted son. There are about 350,000 Filipinos in Hawaii, some of them from Pampanga, and they are the largest ethnic group,” the Honolulu mayor said.
“And now I can say, I am Filipino by adoption,” Caldwell declared. The Honolulu mayor also praised the sisterhood pact saying “it’s what we need to get the job done.” He recalled that he met Vice Mayor Lazatin last Christmas in Honolulu “and I could feel the warmth and hospitality… and I love the parol (lantern).”
Caldwell is the first Honolulu mayor to visit Pampanga. It can be recalled that Lazatin was with Councilor Harvey
Quiwa as guests last Christmas in Honolulu during its second Annual Parol Festival where a giant Christmas lantern was lighted in the program keynoted by the vice mayor.
