Davao City (30 April) -- The renewal of the sisterhood agreements between Davao City and the cities of Manado and Bitong is expected to speed up with the authority given to Indonesian Consul General Lalu Malik Partawana by the Indonesia officials.

"We were informed by the office of Indonesian Consul General Lalu Malik Partawana that he has been given the authority to negotiate with us for the renewal of the sisterhood agreements between the two Indonesian cities and Davao City," Council Committee on International Relations chairperson councilor Rachel Zozobrado said.

Davao City's sisterhood agreement with Bitung and Manado has already expired. Zozobrado said while the agreements are automatically renewed after expiration unless revoked by either parties, both Indonesia and and Davao officials would like to introduce new provisions in the sisterhood agreement.

"We have prepared the terms of the new sisterhood agreement but we are still enhancing the provisions so that the resulting agreement would be a dynamic one which would really make a difference in the development of Davao City and the cities of Bitung and Manado," Zozobrado said.

She said they are eyeing a sisterhood agreement that pave the way for more active economic and social ties with the two cities.

Zozobrado, Indonesia has expressed its desire to renew the sisterhood agreement with Davao along time ago but the officials of both Manado and Bitung have been busy with their own state of affairs so the agreement has been stalled.

The Indonesian consul has requested a more detailed document that will feature the benefits that can be derived by Davao, Manado and Bitung from the sisterhood agreement and Zozobrado said they have already provided the Consul with said document.

"Finally we have been informed that Indonesian Consul General Lalu Malik Partawana can negotiate and approve the terms of the sisterhood agreements so we can already fasttrack the signing of the sisterhood agreement," Zozobrado said.

Davao has lots of similarities with the two Indonesia cities aside from their common membership in the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA.