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Establishment of National and International Sister-City or Town-Twinning Program

Background 

The Department champions the Sister-City or Town-Twinning Program, through which the Local Chief Executives (LCEs) or Highest Local Authorities, elected or appointed, as the case may be, may establish relationships or social agreements with one another. This has been one of the thrusts of the Department from 1982, the inaugural year of the Sister City or Town Affiliation Program to the inception of the Philippine International Sisterhood and Twinning Association (PHISTA) in 1986.

Local government partnership aims to foster understanding, friendship, and goodwill among different communities, as an integral part of the field of socio-cultural exchange, among others. However, over the years, the notion of town-twinning has increasingly been in the context of technical exchange and cooperation in the areas of trade and investments, information technology, health, agriculture, human development, sustainable tourism, and environmental management.

As an integral component of socio-cultural exchange, the overarching objective of local government partnerships has always been to foster understanding, friendship, and goodwill among and between diverse communities.

On November 25, 1997, this Department issued Memorandum Circular #97 - 306, with the subject: "Guidelines in Establishing National or International Sister-City or Town-Twinning Relationships, Amending for the Purpose Memorandum Circular #94 - 93 dated June 8, 1994," which established the guidelines on establishing said relationships amongst local government units (LGUs), including the roles and responsibilities of DILG and partner Office.

Shifting global priorities have emerged over the past two decades, prompting the updated guidelines to address contemporary issues like sustainable development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction, among others, by encouraging LGUs to focus on these areas through their sister-city partnerships. Also, new best practices and models for establishing and managing these relationships may have emerged and incorporating them into the updated guidelines can help LGUs build stronger and more successful partnerships.

Pursuant to DILG MC 2022 - 147 one of the prerequisites to support requests for official travel, such as benchmarking activities, is an invitation letter from the host country or sponsoring agency. Be apprised that in this context, the host country refers to the government of the country the LGU intends to visit, while the sponsoring agency may be a private entity as the proponent. 

Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government Units

Establishment or Designation of an appropriate office or unit (LGRU) to know as the Local Government Relations Unit (LGRU) with the following functions : 

1. Formulation of LGU Profile - The LGRU shall formulate a brief profile, in a brochure format, of the Province, City, Municipality, or Barangay, taking into consideration the expanding coverage of sister-city or town-twinning, to include technical exchange and cooperation in various economic undertakings.

2. Discuss among themselves the affiliation and may define therein the characteristics of the local authority to affiliate with, based on historical, socio-political/cultural, and economic interests, and guided thereby, craft a proposal containing the parameters of the relationship with their counterpart national or international local government

• A separate dialogue or consultation with stakeholders to identify the needs in relation to the capabilities of the sister LGU and, consequently, to maximize the sister-city relationship and capitalize on available resources shall also be conducted. This dialogue shall involve concerned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), particularly those whose areas of expertise are the subject matter of said partnership.

3. Issuance of Authority by the Sanggunian (if no existing law or ordinance) for the LCE to negotiate and enter into an agreement (local or international)- Before the start of any negotiations to a possible sister-city or town twinning agreement, the Sanggunian must pass a document authorizing the LCE to negotiate and enter into any agreements.

4. Approval of the Sister-City or Town-Twinning Proposal through Sanggunian Resolution - Upon completion of the initial administrative requirements or affiliation such as, the proposed national or international partner or partners, and the Local Government Profile, the LGRU shall then recommend its approval to the Sanggunian, with endorsement from the LCE, for legislative approval and support.

5. In case the MOU/MOA provide for any grant agreement or donation (cash or in kind) to the concerned local government unit, the LCE shall submit a report within 30 days to Congress (House of the Representatives and Senate) and the Office of the President upon its signing containing the nature, amount and terms of the grant, donation or assistance.

Establishment of Partnership

On Proposed Local Partnership - Upon approval by the Sanggunian, the LGU, through the LCE, shall write to their chosen local government counterpart to signify interest in establishing a sister-city or town-twinning partnership, with the following documents:

Upon approval by the Sanggunian, the LGU, through the LCE, shall write to their chosen local government counterpart to signify interest in establishing a sister-city or town-twinning partnership, with the following documents:

• Local Government Profile;

• Sanggunian Resolution endorsing the affiliation initiative

• Sanggunian Resolution authorizing the Local Chief Executive to negotiate and enter into an agreement;

• Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Agreement' (MOA) as the case may be, highlighting the proposed Areas of Partnership as well as the roles and responsibilities of the contracting parties; and

• List of Community Groups or Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), supporting the proposed partnership.

• Acceptance of Partnership - The counterpart local government shall signify its acceptance of the proposed partnership by furnishing the proposing LGU with their (1) Local Government Profile; and (2) Acceptance of partnership to be signed by their Local Chief Executive, copy furnished the concerned City/Municipal Local Government Operations Officer/City Director.

On Proposed International Partnership -  Upon approval by the Sanggunian of the sought partnership, the LGU, through the LCE, shall submit the following documents, in digital/e-copies, to this Department, through the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS):

• Letter of the LCE informing the DILG of the interest in establishing a sister-city or town-twinning partnership:

• Local Government Profile;

• Sanggunian Resolution endorsing the affiliation initiative

• Sanggunian Resolution authorizing the Local Chief Executive to negotiate and enter into an agreement;

• Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Agreement? (MOA) as the case may be, highlighting the proposed Areas of Partnership as well as the roles and responsibilities of the contracting parties; and,

• List of Community Groups or Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), supporting the proposed partnership, if applicable.

The BLGS, shall record, review and evaluate the proposed partnership. Once the documents submitted have been found to be complete and in order, the BLGS shall forward the documents to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Security Concil (NSC), for further assessment and clearance, as well as to the following concerned National Government Agency, as applicable:

• Department of Migrant Workers - for matters concerning seasonal workers;

• The Department of National Defense and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency - for matters concerning national security and peace and order

• Department of Agriculture - for agricultural partnership, whether field work or research

• Department of Information and Communications Technology - for information and communications technology partnerships

• Department of Tourism - for tourism and cultural exchanges

• Department of Trade and Industry - for economic and commercial partnerships

• Department of Health - for health-related partnerships i.e. medical missions, sharing of medical technologies, and the like

• Department of Environment and Natural Resources  for environment-related partnerships; and other concerned National Government Agencies and Instrumentalities

5.2.3.3.3.

Upon receipt of the cleared documents from the DFA, the NSC. and the concerned NGA, as applicable, the Department, thru the BLGS, shall write ta the Local Chief Executive concerned, informing them that they may proceed with the negotiation process with their counterpart foreign local government, attached the documents from DFA, NSC and concerned NGA. as applicable.

The said letter shall be part of the supporting documents when requesting for Foreign Travel Authority to this effect.

Additional documents are required to form part of the requirement for the following activities 

• LGU Initiative - Study Tour or Benchmarking Purposes 

a. CAPDEV Initiative - Study or Benchmarking Purposes

b. Training Design 

c. Itinerary of Travel or Program of Activities 

• NGAs Initiative - Study Tour or Benchmarking Purposes

a. Invitation Letter from the NGAs Central Office or Regional Office ; and 

b. Certification from the NGA Central Office stating that the purpose of the trip is in consonance / in line with their overall program (if the initiative is from Regional Office)

• Attendance to LG Technical Exchange Cooperation or Sister City Partnership / Agreement Activities

a. Invitation Letter from the host country or LGU in abroad; and

b. Copy or draft of the Memorandum of Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding between the LGU concerned and the LGU abroad.

Roles of DILG 

• Provide assistance, as requested, in the preparation of the Local Government Profile for the sister-city or town-twinning purposes;

• Provide assistance in the selection, and correspondence with, or confirmation of interest to affiliate with, the proposed local or international local government;

• Ensure to obtain a copy of the signed MOU/MOA and other related documents, and shall endorse to the concerned Provincial Office (for Component Cities and Municipalities) or Regional Office (for Highly Urbanized Cities and Independent Component Cities);

• Obtain copies of all documents relating to said partnerships within their area of jurisdiction, and submit to the BLGS, thru channels, for the development of a national database of local government units who have existing local and international partnership;

• Review and endorse to concerned Regional Office the approved MOUs/MOAs and other related documents, and documents for proposed international partnerships; and

• Monitor the compliance of component LGUs on the implementation of this issuance.

Updates

• Sister City Updates

Legal Bases / References

• Advisory 2024.06.13 Guidelines for Undertaking Foreign Benchmarking Activities 

• MC 2024 - 066 Amended Guidelines on the Establishment of National and International Sister-City or Town-Twinning Program 

• MC 2024 - 147 Amendatory Guidelines on DILG MC 2022 - 134 Relative to the Application of Foreign Travel Authority of Local Officials and Employees

• Advisory 2024.01.24 Suspension of All Ongoing Negotiations on Sister-City or Town-Twinning Agreements With Local Governments From Other Countries

• MC 1997 - 306 GUIDELINES IN ESTABLISHING NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL SISTER-CITY OR TOWN-TWINNING RELATIONSHIPS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 94 - 93 DATED JUNE 8, 1994 

• MC 1994 - 093 ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE TOWN TWINNING PROGRAM AND PROVIDING THE IMPLEMENTING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES THEREFOR