Quezon City and Rishon Lezion in Israel Boost Sister City Cooperation
TEL AVIV 24 May 2023 — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte visited Israel recently to formalize her city’s sister-city ties with Rishon Lezion, a city south of Tel Aviv, Israel, in an in-person signing ceremony. The sister city pact was initially signed by both mayors via virtual platform on 06 April 2022.
Mayor Belmonte, who signed the agreement opposite Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich, expressed hope the sister city ties would be mutually beneficial and result in better living conditions for both cities.
The agreement promotes intercity cooperation in education, culture, sports, tourism, trade and investment, health, and environment, among others. Activities under the pact include mutual visits by city officials, exchange of best practices and technical information, joint participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, and partnerships between schools, healthcare facilities, and associations.
Welcoming this development, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Pedro R. Laylo, Jr. committed his Embassy’s full support and assistance for projects and initiatives under the twinning agreement. Speaking in Hebrew, the Ambassador also invited Rishon Lezion officials to visit the Philippines.
In her remarks, Mayor Belmonte lauded Rishon Lezion for improving the quality of life of its residents as well its accomplishments in urban redevelopment and housing, water management, disaster preparedness, and startup ecosystem promotion.
She added that Rishon Lezion can be an example for Quezon City, which is also undergoing people-centric urban development by building resilient, sustainable, progressive, and inclusive communities.
Mayor Belmonte said she Quezon City is looking to tap Rishon Lezion experts on efficient water management through digitization, proactive disaster preparedness and crisis response, support for startups, and promotion of innovation ecosystems, smart city technologies, food security through urban agriculture, and other priority sectors.
At the ceremony, officials paid tribute to a key facet of Philippines-Israel relations - President Manuel Quezon’s compassionate act of offering refuge in the Philippines for 1300 European Jews fleeing the Holocaust. Quezon City is named after the late President while Rishon Lezion is home to the Open Doors Monument which honors Quezon’s rescue of the Jewish refugees.
For his part, Mayor Kintslich shared that Rishon Lezion’s partnership with Quezon City holds a special meaning not just because of President Quezon’s Open Door Policy but also because the Philippines was the only Asian country which voted for the establishment of the State of Israel 75 years ago.
Mayor Belmonte and delegation visited Israel from 08 to 12 May. Aside from the signing ceremony, she laid a wreath and planted a tree at the Quezon Open Doors Monument, attended briefings by Rishon Lezion city officials, met with Israeli firms, and observed demonstrations of cutting edge technologies that could be utilized for Quezon City projects. END
For more information, visit https://www.telavivpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.org.il, https://www.facebook.com/PHinIsrael/, or https://twitter.com/PHinIsrael