Cotabato City, Parang to forge “sisterhood”

TIES --- Cotabato City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi was visited by Parang Mayor Dr. Ibrahim Ibay, along with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan, last December 6 with the intent to strengthen economic partnership. (GILMHAR A. LAO WITH PHOTO BY CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

The Cotabato City government and the Municipality of Parang in Maguindanao province are gearing towards a partnership that would strengthen their economic ties.

During courtesy visit at the People’s Palace last December 6,  Parang Mayor Dr. Ibrahim Ibay, along with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and Cotabato City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi discussed the possibility of signing a “sisterhood agreement” between  the two local government units to push for their common interest, especially on economic development, employment, and peace and order.

The two leaders have agreed in principle to convince their respective legislative body to pass a resolution that would declare a “sisterhood” relationship between the two LGUs.

Mayor Guiani-Sayadi and Mayor Ibay were former colleagues in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government, the former being the solicitor-general and the latter an assemblyman and Speaker of the Regional Legislative Assembly and later, executive director of the Regional Budget and Management Office.

Mayor Guiani-Sayadi said an institutionalized partnership and cooperation of Cotabato City and Parang, Maguindanao, which are neighbors, are necessary as they move to exchange capacity-building in terms of economic development initiatives, job opportunities for their constituents, and peace and order.

Mayor Guiani-Sayadi cited as example the efforts of the city government to ensure that at least 80 percent of the workers in all the newly opened malls and shopping centers in the city are residents here.

She said if there is an existing sisterhood relationship of the two LGUs, the city governmentmay include qualified residents of Parang town in its priority for employment.

Sultan Kudarat municipality, an adjacent municipality, is a sister municipality of Cotabato City, and is also an SGLG awardee just like Parang.

For his part, Mayor Ibay also expressed their willingness to help provide suitable area in Parang which will serve as dump site for the solid waste of Cotabato City.

The two mayors also expressed willingness to share with each other the best practices of their respective LGUs. Both LGUs are recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance 2017 award.

They also vowed to help each other in combating illegal fishing in the Illana Bay, of which they share common water boundary. (City Government of Cotabato - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)