GOVPH

28 January 2016 – A delegation from Benguet province headed by Mayor Edna C. Tabanda of La Trinidad and Mayor Arthur C. Baldo of Sablan paid a courtesy call on Philippine Consul General to Agana Marciano R. de Borja at the Consulate General on January 21 as part of their visit to Guam.

The two Benguet municipalities are returning the visit of their Guam sister cities. La Trinidad and Sablan have sister-city agreements with Tamuning and Agat villages, respectively. During their call, they also invited Consul General de Borja to attend the La Trinidad Strawberry Festival and the Sablan Fruit Festival in March 2016 and requested him to help promote the two festivals to the Filipino and other communities on Guam. The two mayors emphasized that their festivals help their towns spur economic development and tourism growth as well as improve the livelihood of their people.

Mayors Tabanda and Baldo were invited to Guam by their counterparts, Mayor Louise Rivera of Tamuning and Mayor Carol Tayama of Agat.

The Benguet delegation also attended the Latte Peace Festival held in Tamuning, Guam on January 23 and performed Benguet folk dances called “Tayao” and “Bendian.”

Mr. Emelio Uy, a Filipino-American businessman and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Filipino community of Guam welcomed the Benguet delegation and hosted dinner at the Gallery II of the Hilton Hotel in honor of Mayors Tabanda and Baldo.

The dinner was graced by Guam Delegate to the U.S. Congress Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Senators Nerissa Bretania Underwood and James Espaldon of the 33^rd Guam Legislature, Dr. Robert Underwood, president of the University of Guam, and Executive Director of the Guam Mayors’ Council Mr. Angel Sablan. Members of the Filipino community and officers and staff of the Consulate General were also invited to the dinner. END