More than just neighbor cities, Valenzuela and Navotas are now bound with stronger ties as both localities have officially entered into a sisterhood pact yesterday, at the Pangisdaan Hall in Navotas City, with the mutual aim of promoting cooperative partnership toward economic and technological development.

Navotas City Mayor John Reynald Tiangco signed the sisterhood memorandum of agreement with Valenzuela City 1^st District Representative, Congressman Sherwin T. Gatchalian in behalf of City Mayor REX Gatchalian.

The agreement was recognized in Valenzuela City through City Resolution 339, Series of 2013, authored by 1^st District Councilor Marlon Alejandrino and a counterpart resolution in Navotas City authored by Coun. Ricky Gino-gino.

Even prior the forged twinning relationship between the two cities, both local government units have been extending aid to one another especially in times of calamities.

Mayor Tiangco recounted in his speech how former Mayor WIN had been supportive to Navotas City when a huge fire hit his town a few years back.  He was grateful that the solon donated voluminous sacks of rice for over 2000 families who were devastated by the unfortunate event.

On the other hand, Congressman WIN commended the chief executive of Navotas City for his thrust on technological innovativeness.  He shared in the vernacular that, “We in Valenzuela City are fond of replicating best practices.   In fact, Navotas City is one of our model cities when it comes to revenue generation.”

Some of the projects that Valenzuela City were able to emulate from Navotas City are the Bombastic Pumping System, a flood protection and drainage improvement system; Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) System, a disaster management and crime prevention system; and the Geographic Information System (GIS), a technology that aids both the city and the constituents in the management of their real property taxes.

Both cities are awardees of Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). This is a project which recognizes LGUs with good performance in internal housekeeping, particularly in the areas of local legislation, development planning, resource generation, resource allocation and utilization, customer service, and human resource management and development, as well as, in valuing the fundamental of good governance.

Valenzuela City is also a Galing Pook awardee for Outstanding Local Governance Programs for 2012. Its winning entry, the 3S in Public Service or the "Simple Speed and Service Excellence in Public Service" Program, led to an increase in the city’s resources which in turn boosted the local government’s capacity to carry out programs that benefit its residents.  “It one of the things we want to study from Valenzuela,” Mayor Tiangco said.

Aside from the author of the resolution, the members of the City Council of Valenzuela who joined to bear witness to the event were District 1 Councilors Corazon Cortez, Antonio Espiritu, Genny Esplana, Rovin Feliciano and Marcelino Morelos; District 2 Councilors Lorie Natividad-Borja, Lai Nolasco, and Kristian Rome Sy; and SK Federation President Councilor Cristina Marie Feliciano.

For the City Council of Navotas, the representatives present were District 1 Councilors Reynaldo Monroy, Jack Santiago, EJ Arriola, Richard San Juan, Edgardo Maño, and Alfredo Vicencio; and District 2 Councilors Marielle del Rosario-Tumangan, Steve Naval, Arnel Lupisan, Ricky Gino-gino, Orlie Castro, and Don de Guzman.