MANILA, Philippines — A conference of mayors from Guam and the Northern Marianas signed off on a formal relationship Tuesday with their counterparts in the cities comprising Metro Manila in the Republic of the Philippines. As a bonus, the mayors were received at Malacanang Palace by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, according to a press release.
Seventeen public officials from Guam and the Northern Marianas, including several vice mayors, council members and spouses, are among the 60-strong group that is being hosted this week by government officials, hospitals and businesses in Manila. Guam Sen. Rory Respicio, D-Agana Heights, and several businessmen from Guam also joined the group.
Arroyo’s decision to engage the Guam mayors, who were touring the presidential museum, caused her to be late for a cabinet meeting. Dressed in a pink and white floral blouse and white pants, Arroyo shook hands and spoke personally with the Guamanians.
Guam’s Agana Heights Mayor Paul M. McDonald, head of the Guam delegation, and Agat Vice Mayor Carol S. Tayama, who is vice chairwoman of the delegation, presented Arroyo with a carving of the Guam seal.
Enroute to the inaugural business meeting of the Association of Pacific Island Local Governments, and immediately after meeting with the president, the mayors’ motorcade was escorted by Manila police to Rizal Park for the laying of a wreath at the foot of Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s statue. The ceremony under the statue of the nation’s hero was to remember fallen heroes and celebrate new friendships, according to Manila Mayor Lito Atienza. He and McDonald led the military ceremony that was punctuated by a rifle-firing salute.
The key event of the assembly of mayors—the signing of the preamble for the Association of Pacific Island Local Governments and election of officers—was conducted in a pre-luncheon ceremony that took 50 minutes at the Pantalon Restaurant just after noon.
They also adopted rules, procedures and bylaws for the association, which has been operating informally for the past two years with Atienza as its interim president.
Atienza gave a rousing speech about ancestral ties between the Marianas and the Philippines, and surprised the Guam mayors when he nominated McDonald as the inaugural president of the newly formed association. “This was his brainchild, and I think he should be given a chance to develop the organization initially,” Atienza told the association.
Atienza accepted the vice president’s role. Officers were elected by acclamation. Others elected were: Treasurer—Francisco C. Blas, mayor of Tamuning, Guam; secretary—Joey Anthony Quitugua, chairman of the Rota Municipal Council; and sergeant-at-arms—Roke Blas, mayor of Sinajana, Guam.
“This table is full of Filipinos,” Atienza said from a lectern, sweeping his arm toward the Guam mayors, who were seated at the head table. “Take Sen. (Rory J.) Respicio —that’s a good Filipino family name. There are lots of Respicio in Ilocos Norte. And it’s much the same with Cruz and Blas.”
In a speech, Atienza said decentralization in the Philippines has allowed mayors to fix problems in their cities. “Nine years ago, there was urban decay in Manila. Thanks to decentralization, we have turned that into urban development.” He pointed to the famous Bay Walk as an example of improvements that were locally driven.
Atienza said he was approached a couple of years ago by McDonald, who wanted to share experiences in local government. “We decided we could learn from each others’ best practices. That’s why I am very much devoted to pursue this relationship.”
McDonald accepted a key to the city on behalf of the Guam mayors, and said they have found it practical to ally themselves with their counterpart in the Philippines. He recognized this moment of the forming of the association as culturally, emotionally and financially important.
“Guam mayors used to attend mayors’ conferences in the U.S. mainland at great expense, but building a bridge with the Philippines is more useful to our constituents because of less expensive travel, inexpensive health care, and opportunities to enjoy family and cultural ties.”
In a last order of business before a seafood lunch, Hoffman announced that the next general assembly will be in Guam in December. He said the assembly could possibly be moved to Rota if visas for Guam prove to be an issue. He also announced that the Bank of Guam has expressed an interest in corporate sponsorship of the next general assembly.
Other highlights of the mayors’ association trip were:
• During a roundtable discussion on Monday with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority about how mayors in Metro Manila are involved in waste management decisions, Respicio announced that he planned to introduce a bill in the Guam legislature that will involve Guam mayors in the Department of Public Works. “This will guarantee interaction between the administration and the mayors and vice mayors. It’s one of the best ways I can see in empowering the mayors.”
• Joselito Llamens, a wealthy naturalist who has conserved thousands of acres of forests in the Philippines, including a rainforest near the former Clark Air Base, offered 1,000 Philippine mahogany seedlings to McDonald for planting on Guam. McDonald said he will outline the Coconut Park in Agana Heights with the mahogany trees.
• Mayors visited Marikina City Hall on Monday afternoon to visit Mayor Maria L. Fernando. The city of Marikina has received national and international awards for steps taken to protect the environment. Marikina is regarded as the cleanest city in the Philippines and has an aggressive recycling system. Bayani Fernando, Maria’s husband and her predecessor as mayor, told about introducing pink urinals around the city and introducing environmental awareness among school children using candy wrappers. Students are given candies on Mondays. They are taught to put the wrappers in their pockets, until they pass by trash cans.
• Elaine McDonald, wife of the Agana Heights mayor, celebrated her birthday all day long. She was recognized by Atienza and was serenaded by the crowd at the seafood restaurant.