Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña (left) and Toru Hashimoto, executive director for development cooperation of Yokohama City in Japan sign the memorandum of understanding for technical cooperation on sustainable urban development at the mayor’s office.
CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza
A MEMORANDUM of understanding was signed yesterday between Cebu City and Yokohama City officials for cooperation in sustainable urban development.
“There’s no obligation on the part of the city. It’s just to make it clear that we are going to work together to explore opportunities that we would try to help each other so that we can explore different avenues which will lead to hopefully something more tangible,” Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña told reporters.
The memorandum signed with Toru Hashimoto, executive director for development cooperation in Yokohama City, Japan marks the sixth year of cooperation between the two cities.
“They just want a certain level of recognition and comfort that they’re welcome. It’s just an exposure trip and maybe they’re looking for possibilities,” Osmeña said.
Hashimoto, who was with representatives from eight companies in Yokohama City, thanked the Cebu City government for six years of collaboration in technical development.
“Our program with the Philippine private sector really started in Cebu. What we can do for the future, we have achieved like programs on plastic recycling, safety waste management,” he said.
Hashimoto said some of their companies are interested in partnering with Cebu City Hall on programs like waste to energy conversion, garbage management, traffic management and water supply.