LIHU‘E — Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, his office staff, the Kaua‘i County Council and select members of the island’s Filipino community were on hand last week to welcome Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon and about 30 members of the Laoag City delegation.
The Kaua‘i delegation welcomed the visitors from Laoag City, who arrived for a Sister City visit to celebrate and strengthen the Sister City relationship during a luncheon at the Plantation House at Kilohana, where the delegation enjoyed a ride and tour of Kilohana aboard the scale model railroad train.
Other dignitaries accompanying Mayor Keon included Ms. Simonette C. Soriano, Keon’s wife, Hon. James Bryan Q. Alcid, Councilor, Hon. Handy Lao, President Philippine Councilor’s league, Hon. Jaybee G. Baquiran, Councilor, Hon. Jason Bader II. Perera, Councilor, Hon. Derick B. Lao, Councilor, Hon. Michael Christophe R. Agustin, SK Federation president, Councilor, Ms. Angel A. Lao, City Tourism Officer, Ms. Jennifer Frances N. Gapuzan, Community Affairs Officer II, and Mr. Smith Gerardo, Administrative Aide I.
“Mayor Keon and the City of Laoag were the very first officials to welcome us with open arms during our Sister City visit to the Philippines, last summer,” Kawakami said. “On behalf of my family, and the County of Kaua‘i, we are very grateful for their hospitality and welcome them to Kaua‘i.”
During the Laoag City delegation’s visit, the Office of the Mayor in coordination with the Office of Economic Development and the Kaua‘i Filipino community hosted the visitors top site visits atLydgate Park, the recently announced Trails Hall of Fame Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the solar array at the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Anahola Branch and Ha‘ena State Park.
“Public, private and community partnerships are part of the groundwork for successful initiatives and projects for our island,” Kawakami said.
“We wanted to illustrate to our Sister City delegation from Laoag the collaborative efforts here on Kaua‘i, especially with the Friends of Kamalani Playground and Lydgate Park, KIUC, the Hanalei Initiative, the State of Hawai‘i and Hui Maka‘aina o Makana.”
