Manila eyes renewed ties

Manila officials want to revive a martial law-era friendship pact with a city in China to provide Manileños more job and training opportunities.

Councilor Bernardito Ang of the third district said that the city government was looking at renewing a “Friendship-City Relationship” agreement with the City of Guangzhou.

The deal was initiated in 1975 by then First Lady and Metro Manila governor Imelda Marcos. A document was later signed by Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing and his counterpart, Guangzhou Mayor Liang Lingguang in which they vowed to “cultivate friendly intercourse, carry on exchange and cooperation in economy and trade, and contribute toward the prosperity of the two cities.”

“We will try to reestablish that again because we know we will be able to get more cooperation and a more expansive agreement if we get their support now,” Ang said in an interview.

He hoped that through the agreement, the city government would be able to tap into the vast pool of employment and training opportunities in the southern Chinese city.

“We could establish a cultural exchange program that would allow our entertainers to go to China and work there on a cultural exchange visa. Right now, that’s not allowed yet,” Ang said.

The proposed agreement could also result in more employment opportunities in China’s caregiving sector as Ang observed that the country has a sizeable population of retirees.

“Also, we could send students there for on-the-job training,” he said, noting that interns in Manila have to pay to undergo training. “[In China], they will be the ones given allowances, plus maybe free board, lodging and transportation.”

Ang said he was hopeful that negotiations on the revival of the pact would be finished in April and that it would be signed immediately after.