Davao City forges partnership, establishes inter-city collab with Hamamatsu City, Japan

In an effort to establish an inter-city collaborative relationship and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between cities, the City Government of Davao, Republic of the Philippines, recently signed a Sister City Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the City Government of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, held on Oct. 29, Tuesday, at Matina Enclaves Residences, Matina, Davao City.

The City of Davao and the City of Hamamatsu aim to establish a collaborative environment, fostering open communication and the exchange of ideas in key areas. This partnership seeks to promote mutual understanding and cooperation in education, academia, industry, and investment, driving growth and development in both cities.

The signing ceremony was led by Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte and Hamamatsu City Mayor Yusuke Nakano, and were attended by respective government officials and private business sectors from both cities.

Mayor Duterte highlighted how crucial it is for a locality to forge strong bonds and economic ties across international borders in this era of globalization, as this could harness opportunities for exponential growth and progress. 

“As such we are truly honored to have been offered the opportunity to forge a collaborative relationship and establish a mutually beneficial cooperation with Hamamatsu,” Mayor Duterte said. 

In response, Mayor Nakano said the city of Hamamatsu continues to promote intercultural relationships for its residents, and among them are 6,000 Filipino nationals who have continually contributed their efforts in various fields and industries. 

“Hamamatsu and Davao were similar when it comes to the tolerance of our citizens, friendly individuals who welcome everyone with open arms. I believe that it is extremely meaningful that our cities feel a mutual sense of familiarity thanks to our similarities, and we’ll go on to strengthen our relationships by sharing our knowledge and experience,” Mayor Nakano said.

He also hoped that the MoU will revitalize activities of businesses and citizens in both the cities, and Hamamatsu and Davao will continue to grow and together will build a better future.

On February 15, 2024, the Hamamatsu City Hall Affairs Division Director Mr. Matsui Yoshikazu paid a courtesy call to Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte, expressing Hamamatsu City’s intent to build sisterhood projects with Davao City such as Japanese language scholarships and donation programs.

The Sister City Agreement proposal between Davao City and Hamamatsu City was approved during the 2nd Davao City Council on International Relations Board (DCIRB) Meeting last July 3, 2024. 

One of the positive results of the MOU signing, between the two cities, Yamaha Music Philippines Inc. (YMPH) also forged a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide musical instruments to the following elementary schools: Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School, Matina Central Elementary School and Mintal Elementary School.

Yamaha Music Philippines Inc., or YMPH, is a sales subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation in the Philippines, is a Japanese musical instruments and audio equipment manufacturer. The company imports and sells musical instruments and audio equipment in the Philippines.

YMPH also started its “School Project” with the aim of popularizing activities using music and musical instruments in public education in order to provide more children with opportunities to play and convey the joy of music and musical instruments.

Hamamatsu is a home of multinational automotive manufacturers Toyota and Honda, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Corporation, Kawai Musical Instruments, Roland Corporation, and Hamamatsu Photonics have also developed into household names in the global consumer market.