Victorias City Officials, Department Heads Visit Nanjo City For A Cultural Exchange And Development Partnership

 

Victorias City officials and department heads visited Nanjo City, Okinawa-Prefecture in Japan upon friendly invitation for cultural exchange and partnership last Nov. 22 – 28. 

The delegation was headed by Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca along with Vice Mayor Jerry Jover, City Administrator Paul Ricardo Palanca, City Planning and Development Officer Evangeline Alo and partnership coordinator Mari Kurata, project manager of IKAW-AKO Japan – Negros Partnership for Environmental Protection. The team was joined by businessman Mr. June David Palanca

The trip to Nanjo facilitated the delegation to witness the simultaneous festivals being held annually in Nanjo City namely the National Herb Summit/Festival, Art Festival and Open Garden Festival which significantly contribute to the  influx of tourists of 1 million to 2.5 million a year in Nanjo City alone  and 6 million in Okinawa.

The National Herb Summit, now on its 21^st year, is an annual festival in Japan which promotes products from herbs ranging from fresh and processed food, beverages, tea, wine, oil, personal care, and souvenir items, among others and for the first time was hosted by Nanjo City.

The Art Festival on the other hand is where Japanese artists’ houses become an art gallery, product display and selling area of art works such as pottery, paintings, handcrafted souvenir items and hand painted cards open for tourists.

The Autumn Open Garden which showcased 21 landscapes of greens, flowers and bonsai destinations all over Nanjo City were visited by Victorias delegation during the tour.

During the first day, Victorias City delegation paid a courtesy call with Nanjo City Mayor Keishun Koja and presented a resolution from the Victorias City Sangguniang Panlungsod inviting Nanjo City for a sister cityhood. Afterwhich, they toured Nakazen Corporation to witness the processing of Noni Juice and attended the Herb Summit Festival at the Misaki Park Place.

A dialogue with the medicinal herbs experts and the officials, businessmen, academe took place during one of their dinner meetings after they visited several light decoration stores. They also went to the Open Garden and Peninsular Art Festival, Direct Sales Depot along Osato Keibin Station, Sashikikishinkai.

An interchange between Victorias City, Nanjo City, Lequiowings, Consul General of the Philippines, JICA Okinawa and the Chief Director of Yuinchi took place to discuss possible partnership and exchange of ideas on developmental projects.

The delegation also had meaningful interaction with agricultural dealers and fishery as they went to the Taragawa Rice Wine Brewer, Mozuko Processing in Okutakejima, Hananoka Village, Okinawa Bireley’s Factory and had a meeting with the Body of Commerce and Industry and the Association of Tourism.

The mutual exchange proved beneficial to the cities of Nanjo, Victorias and other NGOs, as they discussed and deeply discovered each city’s investment potentials and appreciate the beauty of their distinct cultures, resulting to an eventual tie-up /partnership for various development projects to be supported by JICA Okinawa which they have initially discussed on a seven-year implementation.

City Extends Calamity Shelter Assistance To Typhoon Victims In Victorias

The City of Victorias extended financial assistance to Victoriahanons whose houses were damaged by the super typhoon Yolanda.

About 5,009 beneficiaries received the shelter assistance at the Don Alejandro Acuña Yap Quiña Arts and Cultural Center last Nov. 21.

There were 4,370 partially and 639 totally damaged houses.

The budget from the City for financial shelter assistance including the allocation for emergency response and relief summed up to P6, 287,000.

Victoriahanons with totally damaged houses received P3,000 while those with partially damaged houses got P1,000.

Brgy. XX had the most number of totally damaged houses while Brgy. XIII had the most number of partially damaged houses.

Donations such as relief goods and used clothing were given by Cong. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Province of Negros Occidental, Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, Juliet Gallano and DSWD Field Office VI.

This is one of the many efforts of the City to help Victoriahanons rebuild their houses and properties destroyed by super typhoon and alleviate them from the catastrophic aftermath of Yolanda.

City Extends Calamity Shelter Assistance To Typhoon Victims In Victorias

The City of Victorias extended financial assistance to Victoriahanons whose houses were damaged by the super typhoon Yolanda.

                About 5,009 beneficiaries received the shelter assistance at the Don Alejandro Acuña Yap Quiña Arts and Cultural Center last Nov. 21.

There were 4,370 partially and 639 totally damaged houses.

The budget from the City for financial shelter assistance including the allocation for emergency response and relief summed up to P6, 287,000 million.

Victoriahanons with totally damaged houses received P3,000 while those with partially damaged houses got P1,000.

Brgy. XX had the most number of totally damaged houses while Brgy. XIII had the most number of partially damaged houses.

Donations such as relief goods and used clothing were given by Cong. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Province of Negros Occidental, Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, Juliet Gallano and DSWD Field Office VI.

                This is one of the many efforts of the City to help Victoriahanons rebuild their houses and properties destroyed by super typhoon and alleviate them from the catastrophic aftermath of Yolanda.

Victorias City Declares Zero Casualty After Typhoon Yolanda’s Wrath

Victorias City was not spared from super typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda, considered as one of the strongest storms in the world which hit the country last Nov. 8.

                Through the efforts of the City, cooperation and generosity of both public and private sectors and God’s divine protection, there was zero casualty despite the evident damages that the powerful storm left.

                Two days before the typhoon’s expected coming, Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca has directed the Disaster Team to be prepared as it conducted preemptive evacuation to ensure the people’s safety living in flood prone, coastal and low lying areas and forced evacuation on the day of the storm as part of the disaster preventive measures.

                More than 3000 families were evacuated to the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center and other public schools in the City.

                The City Social Welfare and Development Office has already catered an estimated 15,000 Victoriahanons.

                Post-storm assessment was done with the disaster team and barangay operations, the day after the storm and they were thankful that no casualty was ever reported as it proved that the disaster preparedness operations were effective and successful in saving lives.

                Truly, God has protected and blessed Victorias City and its people amidst one of the strongest adversities that the City has been through.