Tinian, Benguet town sign sister city pact

The Municipality of Tinian and Aguigan has recently signed a sisterhood city with the town of Tublay in Benguet province in the Philippines, hoping the partnership would deepen the relationship between the two municipalities—cultural, educational, and other related areas that would be benefit both sides.

Sister cities is an agreement between towns, cities, or other areas that promotes and share commercial, cultural, and educational ties aside from fostering friendship between both parties.

Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, who was sworn in last Wednesday, told Saipan Tribune that former mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas signed the agreement with his counterpart Armando I. Lauro of Tublay town.

“What they did was they [San Nicolas and Association of Mariana Islands Mayors, Vice Mayors and Elected Municipal Council members] went to the Philippines in August where they met the local officials there. They forged an agreement that they would become sister city,” Aldan said.

Aldan added that the agreement was recently signed by San Nicolas prior to his inauguration as the new Tinian mayor. He witnessed the signing of the agreement between San Nicolas and Lauro.

He said that he would use the sisterhood city to learn more in taking care of the environment. “I’m excited to share with them culture, education, and economics. Especially in the field of natural resources, I want to share and see what we can do to improve our environment and reforesting our island.”

“Because you know, part of Saipan and the whole island of Tinian was devastated by [Super Typhoon] Yutu. I spoke to mayor [Lauro] and I told him that I wanted to meet again and start discussing on what kind of agriculture exchange we can do. Probably also some vegetables.”

Benguet is a landlocked province located north of Manila in the Cordillera mountain range. The province is a known producer of various vegetables and fruits with La Trinidad town popular for strawberries. They are also known for cultivating various flowers like roses.

“As you know, Benguet is north of the Philippines and next to Baguio City. From what I’ve heard, they have strawberry festival and vegetables. They have local peppers too but we can exchange our local product, the Tinian pepper.”

Benguet province holds annual festivals to showcase its flowers, fruits, and vegetables produce like the Strawberry Festival in La Trinidad and Baguio’s Panagbenga or Flower Festival.