Long Beach and Bacolod City renew sister city ties

Tyler Curley, Legislative Aide for Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia presents a Letter of Commendation on the revival of the LB Bacolod Sister Cities to Council Members Caesar Distrito and Em Legaspi-Ang of Bacolod. CONTRIBUTED

LONG BEACH, California – A delegation from Bacolod, led by city officials, recently visited One World Trade Center for the re-launching of the Long Beach-Bacolod Sister Cities Association.

Bacolod City Administrator John Orola, Councilman Caesar Distrito and Councilwoman Em Legaspi-Ang met with Tyler Curley, legislative deputy of Mayor Robert Garcia, former Long Beach Sister Cities Inc. Chair Dr. Mary Barton and incoming Chair Richard Madeira, who formally welcomed the guests to the international city, home to one of the busiest ports in the United States.

Cultural Officer Wilma Bautista from the Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles, Dianne Jacobus, former Port of Long Beach Protocol Officer and Seyed Jelali with the Long Beach Economic and Property Development were also in attendance.

Joe Gamboa, a local community leader and his wife, Peggy, together with Joey Montalvo who heads a Negros-based advocacy group, initiated the revival of the organization that has been dormant for some time.

Officials and businessmen from Bacolod City and Long Beach gathered at One World Trade Center for the revival of the Sister Cities. Among those in photo are Bacolod City Administrator John Orola, Councilman Caesar Distrito, Councilwoman Em Legaspi-Ang, Albert Gamboa with the Philippine Office of Communications, Philippine Consulate General Cultural Officer Wilma Bautista, Tyler Curley, Legislative Aide for LB Mayor Robert Garcia, Dr. Mary Barton and Richard Madeira, Long Beach Sister Cities Officials, Seyed Jelali with the LB Economic and Property Development, Banker Peter Ramirez, Businessmen Alvin Carranza, and Jimmy Ancheta, Joe and Peggy Gamboa who initiated the revival of the sister cities. CONTRIBUTED

In April, the Bacolod City Council passed a resolution approving the re-activation of sister city relations with Long Beach, whose own legislative council endorsed the long-awaited revival through a similar process.

Councilwoman Legaspi-Ang, who also chairs the Bacolod Tourism Committee, presented the city’s 10-year economic development plan, while Orola, on behalf of Mayor Evelio Leonardia, formally invited officials of Long Beach to the world-famous Masskara Festival in October.

After the re-launching event, Bacolod businessman Alvin Carranza and his family, hosted a luncheon at George’s Greek restaurant.  The attendees included the Bacolod officials, Joe and Peggy Gamboa, Mary Barton, Jimmy and Joanna Ancheta, Peter Ramirez, Ame and Angel Arambulo, Sandy Orola, Albert Gamboa, Alvin Denila and other members of the Sister Cities.

Sister Cities of Long Beach, Inc. (SCLB) promotes mutually beneficial cooperation between the citizens of Long Beach and those cities of other nations through its affiliation with Sister Cities International.

SCLB aims to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation through exchanges of people, ideas and information relating to issues of interest that may include economic, social, cultural, educational, municipal, environmental, professional, technical and youth concerns.

Long Beach has been involved in the Sister City International Program since 1961.  Today, the city enjoys active Sister Cities relations with Yokkaichi, Japan; Qingdao, China; Sochi, Russia; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Mombasa, Kenya and, once again, Bacolod, Philippines.