REACTIVATION OF MEMBERSHIP AT PHISTA BEING PUSHED BY HON. ARNEL C. TICZON

San Pablo City – A committee hearing was held last May 4 at the PLEB Office for the City’s reactivation of membership at Philippine International Sisterhood And Twinning Association, Inc. headed by Coun.Arnel Ticzon.

            The main objective of PHISTA of which he believes would be beneficial for the City includes promoting development partnership between and among local government units, non-governmental organizations, local government federations, associations of local authorities, business or private organizations, people's organizations, and other accredited institutions, serve as a coordinative body in advancing local and international cooperation, through mutual sharing and exchange of information, resources, technology and expertise among members and with similar entities, in country and abroad and serve as a forum for creating opportunities toward multi-sectoral cooperation to supplement national and local development efforts.

Coun.  Ticzon also said that becoming one of the members would be advantageous for the City because a PHISTA member have the assurance that there will be a well-coordinated efforts in making arrangements for twinning partnerships; technical assistance from the PHISTA Secretariat in the preparation of supporting documents (local government profiles, Sanggunian resolutions endorsing the affiliation initiative, Memorandum of Understanding highlighting the proposed fields of partnerships), International Recognition: attendance in international conferences organized by similar associations like the Sister Cities International (CSI) and the Council of the Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), greater opportunities for inter-local government and multi-sectoral partnerships, in-country and abroad, towards exchanges in technological advancement and innovations to enhance local government administrative and technical capabilities.

The PHISTA is a non-stock, non-profit organization existing under Philippine laws, and duly accredited by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. It was organized to become the lead organization in the advocacy of local government technical exchange and cooperation, particularly in the establishment of sister-city or town-twinning relations, and now expanding towards multi-sectoral partnerships, within the country and abroad.

            The members of the Committee on International Affairs are all positive on Coun.  Ticzon’s proposal of reactivating its’ membership on PHISTA. They believed that it’s about time for San Pablo City to seek for some innovation as the City is trying to reach for the road to development of which the other members agreed. (CIO-San Pablo)