On May 11, 2014, Consul (a.h.) of Georgia Thelmo Cunanan guested on “Todo Serbisyo” (Full Service), the social awareness and current events program of Ronald Ruiz on Life Radio (DWET 1179 kHz). The program airs from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday, Life Radio is based in Santiago, Isabela, Northern Philippines and reaches approximately 3 million listeners in the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan Valley, Qurino, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and Batanes. Consul Cunanan was accompanied to the studio by former Senator Heherson Alvarez, who is currently a member of the Climate Change Commission, and his wife, Mrs. Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, President of the Earthsavers Movement and former Executive Director of the National Commission of Culture and the Arts, who arranged the interview.
Consul Cunanan and Mr. Ruiz talked about Philippines – Georgia relations, in particular the planned tripartite sister-city agreement between Santiago and Cauayan Cities in Isabela and a metropolis in Georgia, possibly Rustavi. If successful, this will be the first sister-city relationship established between the Philippines and Georgia. The project is a joint-initiative of the Georgian Consulate, under the leadership of Consul Cunanan, and Hon. Hexilon Alvarez, Councilor of Santiago City and President of the Philippines Councilors League for Region 2.
Santiago, with a population of 132,804 people, is an independent component city and the gateway to Cagayan Valley, while Cauayan, with a population of 122,335 people, is a component city of Isabela province, the Agro-Industrial Capital of Cagayan Valley, and the Central Business District of Region 2. Rustavi, on the other hand, is the third largest city in Georgia, with 120,800 residents. It is located in southeast part of the country, in the province of Kvemo Kartli, situated 25 kilometers southeast of the capital Tbilisi. A booming agro-industrial center, Rustavi is strategically-located between Tbilisi and the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The city has a multi-ethnic population and places great emphasis on religious and racial tolerance.
Consul Cunanan discussed the proposed partnership, which would involve cultural and technological exchanges and cooperation in tourism, urban development, trade and industry, sports development, environmental protection, social services and health, and education. He and Mr. Ruiz also chatted about the possible benefits of this partnership for the people of Isabela, most especially in the field of education, technology transfer, and eco-tourism. He also discussed the cultural similarities between Filipinos and Georgians and voiced enthusiasm and confidence that the sister-city agreement would be finalized soon.
Earlier, Consul Cunanan met with councilors and city officials of Santiago and Cauayan, along with top officials of the University of La Salette and Isabela State University, the biggest educational institutions in the province, to present Georgia and discuss the project and ways to work together to maximize synergy and partnership potentials. He also had a chance to discuss the matter separately with Isabela Governor Faustino Dy Jr., Vice Governor Antonio Albano, and Cauayan City Mayor Bernard Dy. All of the officials concerned voiced their strong support for the endeavour.
Consul Cunanan is scheduled to do a series of TV and radio interviews not just in the northern Philippines but also in Manila to inform Filipinos about the good developments in Philippines – Georgia relations. He is scheduled to leave for Georgia soon to attend the country’s Independence Day Celebration on May 26 and to meet with Georgian foreign affairs and local government officials.
