Philippine Ambassador Lauds La Trinidad Delegation Celebrating Sister City Partnership With Minamimaki-Mura
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano warmly greeted La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda during the courtesy call by the latter’s delegation on 19 November 2024. (Photo courtesy of Ms. Aleli Maghirang)
22 November 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano warmly received a delegation from La Trinidad, Benguet, led by Mayor Romeo K. Salda, on 19 November 2024 at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.
The delegation was in Japan to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sister City Exchange Program between La Trinidad and Minamimaki-Mura, Nagano Prefecture. A highlight of the visit, Mayor Salda and Minamimaki-Mura Mayor Yoshito Arisaka signed the renewal of their Sister City Agreement on 20 November 2024.
The Sister City Exchange Program between La Trinidad and Minamimaki-Mura has fostered collaboration in several key areas, including:
- Agricultural development through technical assistance provided by Minamimaki-Mura;
- Internship opportunities for young farmers from La Trinidad on farms in Minamimaki-Mura;
- People-to-people exchanges across various professions, including agriculture; and
- Information sharing on health and hygiene, environmental conservation, culture, trade, and tourism.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano congratulated the La Trinidad local government on a decade of successful partnership with Minamimaki-Mura. She encouraged the delegation to document best practices and lessons learned from the exchange program, envisioning its replication in other local government units in the Philippines.
The La Trinidad delegation was accompanied by Philippine Agriculture Attaché Aleli Maghirang and Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC) Secretary General Toshihiro Shimizu.
La Trinidad, the capital of Benguet Province in the northern Philippines, is famously known as the “Strawberry Capital of the Philippines” due to its thriving strawberry farms. The municipality boasts a rich cultural heritage, vibrant agricultural industry, and scenic landscapes, making it a leading hub for eco-tourism and agribusiness in Northern Luzon.
La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda (seated, right) and Minamimaki-Mura Mayor Yoshito Arisaka (seated, left) and their respective delegations, with representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Japan and JAEC, at the signing of the renewal of the Sister City Agreement on 20 November 2024. (Photo courtesy of Ms. Aleli Maghirang)
