A delegation from Hitachinaka City, Japan on Thursday visited Davao City to conduct on-site visits to explore opportunities for economic exchange and local expansion.
The delegation led by Hitachinaka City Deputy Mayor Kouji Yoshidom paid a courtesy meeting with Vice Mayor J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr. at the New Conference Room of Sangguniang Panlungsod Building.
Quitain said he was requested by the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC) to meet the delegation.
“There was some talk on what investment opportunities our city can offer. They also discussed a little about their city, businesses, industries, and tourism,” Quitain told Edge Davao.
The City of Hitachinaka is an industrial port city in Japan and a known destination for businesses and investors.
Last November 6, 2019, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCII) and the Hitachinaka City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCCII) signed a memorandum of agreement to foster better business ties between Japanese and Filipino businessmen, and mutual promotion of member companies.
“Hitachinaka is in fact only 70 minutes away from Tokyo if you ride their express train,” Quitain said.
The vice mayor clarified that it was just an initial meeting and nothing was concrete yet.
“I am hoping we could forge a sister city agreement with them in the near future,” he said.
In October last year, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and Mayor Yusuke Nakano of Hamamatsu City, Japan signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Sister City partnership between the two cities.
The MOU aimed to open cooperation in the areas of education, investments, and manufacturing, among other things.
Hamamatsu City is Davao City’s third sister city in Japan. Kitakyushu City was the first and has worked together with Davao City especially in the field of environment after introducing to the country the first waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Davao City. Sennan City is the second and has been very active in people-to-people exchanges including online cultural interaction between students and promoting economic relations.
Last month, the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo paid a courtesy call to the mayor and discussed areas of collaboration.
Endo highlighted key areas of collaboration, including the Davao Bypass Construction, the Metro Davao Master Plan, and the stalled Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project.
