THE city of Dagupan and Milpitas City in California, U.S.A. have renewed their bond of friendship when they signed an extended sisterhood pact.

The signing of a new Memorandum of Agreement between the two cities took place October 16 in Milpitas by Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez and Milpitas City Mayor Jose Esteves, who is himself a native of Dagupan City.

Esteves studied high school at the former Dagupan Colleges (now University of Pangasinan) and at the University of the Philippines where he graduated in civil engineering.

Fernandez was accompanied to Milpitas by his son, City Administrator Alvin Fernandez; Councilor Farah Marie Decano and Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, who is hermano mayor of the Dagupan City Fiesta in December.

“We in the city government of Dagupan are pleased to forge another sisterhood pact with Milpitas City and we are hoping for a healthy and more fruitful relationship in the years to come,”
Fernandez said during a city council meeting in Milpitas.

According to Decano, sangguniang panlungsod committee chairman on local and international affairs, such covenant of sisterhood with Milpitas has been bringing wonderful mutual benefits such as advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace, particularly through reciprocal social and cultural exchanges.

The strong ties between the two cities began with a resolution passed by the sangguniang panlungsod of Dagupan of January 2003 declaring the intent of the city to gorge sisterhood relationship with Milpitas.

Milpitas is located at the heart of the Silicon Valley or the Information Technology Center of the World while Dagupan is home to the world’s tastiest milkfish. (PNA)