Davao City signs sister city agreement with Sennan City, Japan

Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte and Sennan City Mayor Yamamoto Yuma signed the Sister City Agreement between Davao and Sennan last April 25 at the Sora Rinku, Sennan Long Park, Osaka City, Japan. The Sister City Agreement establishes a sisterhood relationship between the two cities to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in education, cultural and medical welfare exchange, tourism, and trade.

A delegation from Davao City composed of government officials and private sector representatives led by Mayor Duterte left for Japan last April 24 to sign the sisterhood agreement signing and conduct an Investment and Tourism Roadshow in Osaka and Tokyo.

Acting City Administrator Atty. Francis Mark Layog, the City Mayor’s Office Chief of Staff, Councilor Augusto Javier G. Campos III, Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, Councilor Bernard E. Al-ag, Councilor Myrna G. L’Dalodo-Ortiz, City Tourism Operations Office Officer-in-Charge Ms. Jennifer R. Romero, DCIPC Officer-in-Charge Ms. April Marie Dayap, Department of Tourism XI Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan, and some members of the Davao business community witnessed the MoA signing. Vice Mayor Ako Kazushige, City Council Chairman Mori Hirofumi, and Development Strategy Department Director Itou Masaki were also present.

Former Sennan City Mayor Isato Takenaka initiated the relationship between the two cities through a letter of intent sent to the City Government of Davao in 2019.

On November 28, 2022, Mayor Yamamoto visited Davao City to sign a Memorandum of Intent with Mayor Duterte reiterating their intention to pursue the Sister City Agreement between the two cities.

Sennan is Davao’s second Japanese sister city after Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture.