Mosul, Mandaue tie-up to explore jobs, investments

A sisterhood agreement between the Mandaue City government and the Mosul City of Iraq will explore more job opportunities and investments for Cebuanos in the Middle East country.

Atheel Al-Nujaifi, governor of Ninawa, Iraq, said yesterday that initially they would need construction labor to help build thousands of houses, apartments and other establishments in Mosul.

With the agreement to be signed today by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, the Iraq city is eyeing recruitment in Cebu, especially Mandauehanons.

However, hiring can only happen if the Department of Foreign Affairs lifts the employment and travel ban on Iraq, which was imposed in 2009.

Wadee Batti Hanna Al-Batti, Iraq’s ambassador to the Philippines, assured that they were coordinating with DFA officials to address the situation.

Al-Nujaifi said that after the chaos that occurred in their country years ago, they would want to move on, communicate and have a good relationship with other countries.

The pact will be Mosul’s first sister city agreement.

For investments, Al-Batti said they are looking at various sectors.

“We will see which sector needs to be activated, what we need and what we have here and also the other side,” Al-Nujaifi said.

Officials of both cities will sign the sisterhood agreement at the Cebu International Convention Center.

Mosul City is the second largest city in Iraq and is the capital of Ninawa province in northern Iraq.

The Iraqi delegates led by Ambassador Al-Batti and Governor Al-Nujaifi arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport yesterday morning.

The other delegates are Abdulsattar Khadhar Habaw Ibrahim, director of the municipalities of Mosul; Duraid Hekma Tobya Zuma, supervisor, office of the governor; and Abdulsattar Abbas, personal assistant to the governor.

Ambassador Al-Batti said he recommended to Governor Al Nujaifi to make Mandaue City and Cebu province their trading partners for some of their goods as well as employ workers in Mosul from Cebu especially from Mandaue City and encourage those in Iraq to work in Cebu.

“I’m looking to strengthen the relationship between people from the two cities. To see more Iraqis from Mosul here and to see more Filipinos from Cebu there,” he said.

Al-Batti said he recommended Cebu and Mandaue as their partners after his first visit in Cebu in 2009 with ambassadors from Vietnam, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Pakistan and Camboadia for Mandaue City’s 41st Charter Day celebration.

“This is the first step to do more and more for the relationship between Iraq and Philippines and particularly for the relationship with Mandaue and Mosul,” Al-Batti said.

Mandaue City Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede assured the Iraqi officials that the city would do its best to strengthen the sisterhood ties.