To rekindle old ties, the Provincial Governments of Cebu and Romblon are set to sign a sisterhood agreement that would cover various fields of cooperation, including governance and tourism.

This was Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia’s offer which was promptly accepted by Romblon Gov. Jose “Otik” Riano during the latter’s benchmarking visit at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on March 5.

“Indeed, the connection between the Province of Cebu and Romblon can and should never be forgotten,” Gov. Garcia said in her speech.

The Romblon delegation, composed of over 160 officials, included Congressman Eleandro Jesus “Budoy” Madrona, mayors, vice mayors, and barangay officials. They sought to learn of Cebu’s best practices particularly in tourism, commerce, local governance, and development.

Gov. Garcia pointed the historical connections between the two provinces, which dates back to the start of the colonial era. The Governor recounted that when the King of Spain established Cebu as the first Spanish settlement in August 6, 1569, the navigator Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, in the same year, also sent men to Romblon to also claim it under the Crown of Spain.

“Kaya magkasama na tayo noon nung tayoy inaapi pa,” Gov. Garcia said. 

Congressman Madrona added that a 300-year-old Sto. Niño image that is revered in Romblon today actually was crafted and came from Cebu. It was supposed to be presented as a gift to the Queen of Spain, yet during its transit, it sought refuge in Romblon after its ship was battered by inclement weather.

Many times they attempted to continue the journey, but each time the Sto. Niño is taken out of the Church and into the ship, strong winds would come blowing again, foiling their plan. To this day, the image has never left Romblon.

Gov. Garcia  expressed optimism about the potential partnership, particularly in leveraging Romblon’s reputation as the “Marble Capital of the Philippines.” She believes that the sisterhood agreement will open doors for collaboration in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange, among various others.

Their visit to Cebu is part of a three-day Comprehensive Provincial Congress 2025, organized by the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas – Romblon Chapter in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Vice Governor Hilario Davide III and members of the Provincial Board joined the Governor in warmly welcoming the delegation during a reception lunch at the Social Hall. | MARM