Browse > Home / Cagayan de Oro / CDO delegates arrive in Norfolk,VA for Twin Sisterhood pact

CDO delegates arrive in Norfolk,VA for Twin Sisterhood pact

June 23, 2008

Norfolk, VA—Cagayanon delegates to the Twinning Ceremony of the Norfolk and Cagayan de Oro Sister Cities Agreement headed by City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula arrived in Norfolk , Virginia, USA Tuesday, June 17 in time for the historic event that was held the next day at the MacArthur Memorial Theater.

The 17-man delegation composed of representatives from the City Government and the private sector were met at the Norfolk International Airport by the Norfolk Committee led by Filipino-American Dr. Juan Montero, II who is a board member of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation, and Pamela McNaught, executive director of the Norfolk Sister City Association, together with representatives from the City Mayor’s Office and Filipino community based in Norfolk.

There was much excitement among the local officials and the people of Norfolk as the twinning ceremony formalized the sisterhood ties between the two cities was open to the public.

Prior to the ceremony, Norfolk officials took the Cagayan de Oro delegates for a tour of the significant places in Norfolk that started at the MacArthur Memorial Square. The group was welcomed by Col. William J. Davis, the executive director of the MacArthur Memorial Foundation.

The group then went for a Windshield Tour of Norfolk with Rick Henn of the Norfolk Department of Development as guide.

This was followed by a guided tour to the Virginia International Terminal (VIT)that was facilitated by Robert Motley, customer relations officer of the VIT.

Norfolk City Mayor Paul D. Fraim hosted a luncheon meeting for the Cagayan de Oro delegates at the Half Moone Center that was attended by local community leaders and sister city counterparts.

The historic signing of the sister city agreement between Norfolk, Virginia, USA and Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines was held at 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon which was preceded by a Welcome Reception at the MacArthur Square.

Some of the salient points in the sister city agreement that was formalized between Mayor Jaraula and Mayor Fraim are the recognition of the two cities’ sharing of a treasured historic significance in that Norfolk is the seat of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation Library and Museum and Cagayan de Oro has the biggest replica of the General’s famous “scrambled egg cap” which was inaugurated last March 13, this year on the occasion of the 66th Anniversary of Gen. MacArthur’s landing in the city on March 13, 1942 after a heroic escape from Corregidor.

Norfolk and Cagayan de Oro also shared other similarities in that both are major port cities with maritime and tourism related activities and businesses as well as significant military installations.

Under the agreement, both cities agreed that the general purposes of the sister city partnership was to promote peace, friendship, mutual understanding and prosperity between the citizens of Norfolk and Cagayan de Oro.

The agreement likewise stipulated that such purposes shall be carried out by means of exchanges that include, but are not limited to business, economic, governmental, medical, education, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The twinning ceremony was followed by a Celebration Dinner at the International Ballroom of the Norfolk Sheraton Waterside Hotel where the prescribed dress code for the occasion was business suit for the Norfolk counterparts, Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana for the Cagayanon delegates, and summer white for the military.

Cagayan de Oro delegates who joined Mayor Jaraula to the Norfolk visit include Mrs Divina B. Jaraula, Atty. Charis Marie J. Juan, Councilor Dante B. Pajo, City Administrator Griscelda M. Joson, MacArthur Memorial Committee Chair Engr. Elpie Paras and his wife Rose, Promote CDO Foundation President Ruben Vegafria and his wife Maricel, Historical Site Development Committee Chair Jose Gonzaga and his wife Aida, City Treasurer Lino Daral and his wife Evelyn, local businessman Hong See, STEAG State Power, Inc. community relations manager Ma. Teresa R. Alegrio, Jasmin T. Borja of the City Mayor’s Office and Sandra B. Tadeo of the City Information Office. (CIO)

Written by cio · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro 

Comments

Got something to say?





Philippine Elections 2010

LIST OF CANDIDATES

Click this link to see all lists of candidates for the entire Philippines