The City of San Antonio established ties last month with its 12th sister city, this one in a nation with special significance for Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Nirenberg was joined by a delegation of 25 people, including Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia (D4) and Sherry Dowlatshahi, the city’s chief diplomacy and protocol officer.
For Nirenberg, who is one quarter Filipino through his maternal grandfather, the sister city agreement feels more personal.
“Certainly it feels different, considering part of my heritage is from the Philippines,” he said. “Walking in that country was a little personal. How could it not feel different than some of the other relationships that we built, which are also special, but don’t have that ancestral connection for me?”
Baguio is located in the northern part of the island chain and has a population of roughly 350,000. It was the location of a 1945 U.S. and Philippine victory over occupying Japanese forces during World War II and later that year the site of the final surrender of Japanese forces in the Philippines. One of the country’s top tourist destinations, it is known for its cool summer climate.
Baguio became San Antonio’s fourth friendship city in October 2022 after a Baguio delegation visited to learn about San Antonio’s health care, social services, solid waste and other government functions. In May this year, the City Council approved a sister city agreement with Baguio.
“There’s an important historical and cultural connection between the Philippines and the United States that we have in part built this relationship on,” said Nirenberg. “This is the first [sister city relationship] where we have — at the foundation, a military-cultural connection.”
San Antonio’s sister city relationships began in 1953 with Monterey, Mexico. Since then, more cities around the world have joined the list, most recently Windhoek, Namibia, in 2016 and Darmstadt, Germany, in 2017. Baguio is San Antonio’s fifth Asian Pacific sister city.
The relationships are formed to foster economic, cultural and technical ties between U.S. cities and their global counterparts. Delegations from sister cities visit San Antonio, and city and community leaders make trips abroad in exchange.
“For us, it’s not just a symbolic connection,” Nirenberg said. “We make sure that it is an active partnership within multiple sectors.”
The sister city signing ceremony took place July 13 at Camp John Hay, a former U.S. military installation turned mountain retreat with leisure spots, activity centers, shopping outlets, and restaurants, according to The Manila Times.
Nirenberg and Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong agreed to maintain a liaison between the Baguio City Tourism Office and San Antonio City Global Engagement Office under the Economic Development Department.
A video published by Baguio Creative City on July 14 shows Nirenberg being honored at the front steps of the Baguio City Hall with a medal. The San Antonio delegation toured a child development center, a museum and a local university, along with restaurants and shops.
Both San Antonio and Baguio have been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); San Antonio was named a Creative City for gastronomy, and Baguio was designated a Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts.
“Let us not forget that the most important infrastructure we can build are the bridges of peace between people, and those bridges become peace between nations for future generations,” Nirenberg said during an event in Baguio.
“I look forward with excitement and interest for this next chapter in our fruitful relationship.”
