Davao City Mayor Sebastian Baste Duterte signed the Memorandum of Agreement for sister city relations between Davao and Sennan on April 25, 2023 in Osaka City Japan.
The MOA was personally signed by Mayor Duterte and Sennan City Mayor Yamamoto Yuma.
Based on the briefer from the Davao City Investment and Promotions Center (DCIPC), the city of Sennan in Osaka Prefecture, Japan has initiated the proposal to have Davao City as its sister city.
It is in 2019 when former Mayor Isato Takenaka wrote Davao to express their wish for partnership in different areas.
The signing was a product of close coordination and online meetings with Sennan City Hall officials led by their mayor. Through these meetings, a strong interest of Sennan in education, tourism, and the economic sector was established as areas for further discussion.
The briefer also read that part of Sennan City’s proposal is to promote Davao in their area as a possible step for economic coordination.
In addition, other education-related endeavors can be done online for junior high school students, with possible partnerships with national universities situated in Sennan, as well as joint economic activities with the Sennan Chamber of Commerce.
“The forging of sister city ties between Davao and Sennan is expected to grow from strength to strength in many key areas including trade and investment, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people relations,” the briefer reads.
The MOA signing was witnessed by a delegation from Davao City composed of officials, city councilors, official from Department of Tourism and members from private sector.
Sennan City officials: Vice Mayor Ako Kazushige, City Council Chairman-Mori Hirofumi, Development Strategy Department Director- Itou Masaki also witnessed the MOA signing.
Last November 28, 2022, the Memorandum of Intent was signed by both parties when Mayor Yamamoto Yuma and some officials from Sennan visited Davao City.
Sennan City is the second Japanese city to become a sister city of Davao after Kitakyushu City on Fukuoka Prefecture CIO
