20 September 2022, Cagayan de Oro City –The Cagayan de Oro Trade, and Investment Promotions Center (Oro-TIPC) facilitated the homecoming of Mr. Juni Ree “Jojo” Pagunsan, an active member of the Norfolk Sister Cities Association (NSCA) based in Cagayan de Oro’s sister city, Norfolk in Virginia, USA.
Oro-TIPC Assistant Department Head Raelita E. Legaspi, with International Relations in charge Imma Rae Gatuslao, accompanied Mr. Pagunsan on a courtesy visit to Mayor Rolando “Klarex” A. Uy with the Chairperson of the City Council Committee for Sister Cities Councilor Suzette Magtajas – Daba present.
They discussed specific programs, projects, and activities that sister cities Norfolk and Cagayan de Oro can pursue in the context of the new normal, and how to strengthen sister city ties.
Mr. Pagunsan’s itinerary included the city’s tourism and heritage sites, and improvements that the city government has implemented in key facilities, especially health centers and hospitals.
Acting Chief of the J.R. Borja General Hospital (JRBGH) Dr. Michael June C. Perez, Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) Head Dr. Maria Magdalena Juan, and city government Consultant Dr. Ferdinand Miranda warmly welcomed Mr. Pagunsan at the JRBGH.
It may be recalled that the sister cities engaged in exchange visits among city officials, as well as students and professionals. In 2018, Cagayan de Oro high school students successfully completed the maiden run of the high school student summer visitor exchange program in Norfolk.
In 2016, professionals from the city also participated in the CDO-Norfolk Professional Exchange Program.
In both exchange programs, the participants experienced family life and culture in a foreign country setting, cultivated life-long friendships with folks they met during their stay, and shared their own culture and ways with their host families and communities.
As their take-away, the delegates’ cultural awareness and intercultural understanding have been heightened. Over the course of the pandemic, sister cities' relations were kept strong through online activities and sustained communication.
