Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama promises that he would make Cebu City a Super City by 2031, in a press conference on Saturday, February 24. | CDN Photo /Pia Piquero
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is set to leave Cebu City for Taiwan for almost a week starting March 18 to attend the Smart City Summit and Expo (SCSE) to be held in Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
The mayor then emphasized that his upcoming travel is not for personal enjoyment but rather to represent the city.
“Larga ko on Monday. Dili ni kapricho ha, inyo na pud kong intrigahon…it’s very important,” Rama said in Ingna’ng Mayor program via Sinugboanon Channel on March 15.
READ: Rama takes leave, now in Singapore
“Pangutan-on na pud kog unsay akong gibuhat…please…I’m representing the city, Smart Cities na,” he added.
He shared that he will be attending the 2024 Smart City Summit and Expo: Digital and Green Transformation in Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The SCSE, with a theme focused on “Digital and Green Transformation,” is the largest “hybrid smart city trade show featuring Internet of Things (IoT) solutions,” according to its official website.
Following his visit to Taipei, Rama will go to Kaohsiung for the Smart Kaohsiung Digital and Green Transformation, an expert exhibition centered on Internet of IoT solutions, which is scheduled for March 21–23.
Furthermore, he noted that there would also be a reunion and renewal of Cebu City’s sisterhood agreement with the Taiwanese southern city of Kaohsiung.
Rama explained that as sister cities, both are also bound to bring exchanges and culture, innovation sharing, and building relationships between cities.
Last January 2024, Rama received an invitation from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Philippines.
He mentioned that more than 150,000 people from 45 nations will be present at the event, and he will be one of the speakers.
Rama said that the event can be considered very “substantial” and “cerebral.”
Moreover, the event is said to feature a City Leaders Summit, which aims to give mayors and other city officials a high-level forum for discussion on innovative strategies and smart city governance.
He added that will be bringing with him delegations from the City Hall and the private sector.
The trip to Taiwan is Rama’s second official trip abroad this year after Singapore last January with his family, city hall officials, and business tycoon Hans Sy. /clorenciana