Archival eyes Timor-Leste ties in tourism, agriculture
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mayor Nestor Archival said Saturday that Timor-Leste’s growing interest in Cebu could open future opportunities for collaboration in tourism and agriculture.
This follows the heritage visit of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão after the 2026 Asean Summit.
Archival said Timor-Leste officials coordinated with the Cebu City government through the Tourism Office and Public Information Office before Gusmão’s visit to the city’s historic sites.
READ: Timor-Leste PM Xanana Gusmão vows to promote Cebu after heritage tour
“Naay ni-contact nato through the tourism office and PIO that they want to pass by the area,” Archival said. (“Someone contacted us through the Tourism Office and PIO saying they wanted to visit the area.”)
Tourism exchanges
The mayor said Gusmão’s visit reflected Timor-Leste’s interest in Cebu’s tourism sector, particularly its historical and cultural identity.
“Ang iya gyud storya diri, ‘your country is hot,’ but the idea nga ilang gianhi is the history,” he said. (“What he really said was, ‘your country is hot,’ but the reason they came here was for the history.”)
Archival described the visit as a possible “template” for future exchanges between Cebu and Timor-Leste, particularly after discussions with the Southeast Asian nation’s ambassador.
READ: ASEAN rewrites charter for first time in nearly 20 years
“Gusto siguro niya pahibal-an. I called that a template because nag-estorya mi sa ilang ambassador. Usa sa pinaka dako nga sector nila didto is tourism,” he added. (“Maybe he wants to showcase it. I called it a template because we spoke with their ambassador. One of their biggest sectors there is tourism.”)
Collaboration in agriculture
Aside from tourism, Archival said discussions also touched on agriculture, particularly technologies used by Timor-Leste in its farming sector.
“The technology they are using in their agriculture sector,” the mayor said, referring to one of the areas discussed during exchanges with Timor-Leste officials.
“Benchmarking. The talks were about tourism and agriculture. Kana guro duha,” he added. (“Benchmarking. The talks focused on tourism and agriculture. Probably those two sectors.”)
Archival said Cebu’s successful hosting of Asean leaders also helped showcase the city’s image as peaceful, welcoming, and capable of handling international events.
“The gains we have gained are number one, Cebu as a whole, a very peaceful city and atong hospitality,” he said. (“The gains we achieved, number one, are Cebu as a whole being seen as a very peaceful city and because of our hospitality.”)
Still, the mayor acknowledged that economic returns from hosting international delegations and summits may not produce immediate results.
“I think so, but ang ROI is not overnight, something nga madala nila,” Archival said. (“I think so, but the return on investment is not overnight. It’s something they can bring with them.”)
READ: Asean unveils future-proofing strategies: ‘Lead, sail, rise’
The comments came after Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão toured Cebu City landmarks, including Cebu City Hall, Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, and Fort San Pedro.
Promoting Cebu in Timor-Leste
During the visit, Gusmão also vowed to promote Cebu in Timor-Leste after experiencing the city’s heritage attractions firsthand.
“Of course,” Gusmão said when asked by reporters whether he would promote Cebu in his country.
The Timor-Leste leader also described Cebu’s historical landmarks as important reminders of the region’s shared past.
“Of course, because we can look at the past, we know the history was made,” he said.
Timor-Leste officially became the 11th member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in October 2025 after pursuing membership for more than two decades.
The country joined this year’s summit in Cebu alongside leaders from nearly all Asean member states as the Philippines chaired the 2026 regional gathering.
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