Status of Implementation of City-To-City Cooperation in Cauayan City

Abstract

The tradition of sister cities, rooted in Medieval Europe in the 1830s, saw a resurgence after World War II. It gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, spreading from Western Europe to the United States and beyond. In the Philippines, the Sister City or Town-Twinning Program started in 1982 to allow local government units to establish relationships or social agreements with their counterparts within the country or abroad. In the Cagayan Valley Region, Cauayan City in Isabela has the highest number of sister cities, both local and international, highlighting its relevance as a case in point to enhance understanding of the program and contribute to the ongoing comprehensive policy amendments. The city has nine (9) sister cities locally, four (4) within Region 2, and four (4) sister cities internationally. This study used document analysis, interviews, and participant observation to discuss the processes and outcomes of sister-city partnerships in Cauayan City. Findings revealed that adherence to guidelines on implementing sister-city partnerships in Cauayan City encounters several challenges, including the lack of an established contact point and monitoring system. The partnership often seems to be anchored on a big sister-little sister arrangement. The partnerships are currently at an early stage, primarily focusing on benchmarking, and there is a need for greater clarity regarding their nature and objectives. The paper argues that there is a need to amend the existing 1997 guidelines on sister-city programs to improve monitoring and feedback mechanisms and impose greater awareness among government officials on the potential of the sister-city agreements to maximize the benefits derived from such partnerships.