MAYOR Jed Patrick Mabilog signed last week a sisterhood agreement with officials of Yulin, People’s Republic of China, making Iloilo City now a partner of Yulin.
Mabilog led a delegation of Ilonggo businessmen to Yulin in a week-long visit to China that also includes a trip to Huabei City, where Iloilo also aims to establish good socio-economic relations with.
Joining Mabilog in the trip were Ilonggo businessmen Allan Sy and Felipe Uygongco, as well as seven other delegates from the Manila Embassy who facilitated the visit of Yulin officials in Iloilo City early this year.
Mabilog said Yulin is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanxi province of China with a district center and 11 counties. He said it is a very progressive city in China and an exposition of products produced by small and medium entrepreneurs was ongoing during their visit.
The Iloilo City mayor said Yulin is an exponent of a “one town, one product” concept currently being implemented by the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry.
Each village in Yulin is producing its own particular product that could be also implemented in Iloilo city and province, he added.
The visit to Huabei City, meanwhile, aimed to establish good relations and start linkages between Iloilo and the Chinese city.
The project may start the exchange of students between Huabei and Iloilo, which boasts of 11 universities and college where a number of Chinese students are currently enrolled.
Mabilog said he is planning to see Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor regarding the branding of specific products solely produced in the city to be exported to other areas.
The products may be produced in several areas of Iloilo but have to be branded exclusively as an Iloilo produce, he added. (Lydia C. Pendon)
