Sabrosa Mayor Sojourns Cebu

(Cebu City – Public Information Office) – The chief executive of Ferdinand Magellan’s hometown is now in this Queen City of the Philippines.

Mayor José Manuel de Carvalho Marques of Magellan’s place, the Sabrosa City in Portugal visited Cebu City Hall for a Courtesy Call with Cebu City Mayor Michael L Rama late last week.

Mayor Rama warmly welcomed Mayor Marques together with his delegation at the Mayor’s VIP Lounge, 8th Floor of the Executive Building in Cebu City Hall.

The two mayors talked about various events in history way back Magellan’s expedition to the Philippines. They also tackled about the new Magellan’s Park and the Magellan’s Cross.

The Magellan’s Cross was planted by Portuguese explorers headed by Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521. It started the Christian civilization in the Philippines thus making Cebu City known as the “Cradle of Christianity” in this country.

Mayor Rama also presented to the visitors the new Magellan’s Park viewed from the Mayor’s VIP Lounge which was created in honor of the Portuguese navigator. Mayor Marques likewise shared that in 2014, Sabrosa has also installed a marker in one of their streets named after Cebu City.

Looking back, Mayor Rama went to Portugal and has inked a sister-city agreement with Sabrosa City in November of 2014. It was made possible through His Excellency Philippe Lhuillier, the Philippine Ambassador to Portugal and His Excellency Joaquim Alberto de Sousa Moreira De Lemos, the Ambassador of Portugal to the Philippines who also visited Cebu City Hall for a Courtesy Call with Mayor Rama in January last year.

The relationship of the two cities provide linkages, frameworks and exchanges of economic, cultural, social and other areas of development.

Right after the Courtesy Call, the visitors proceeded to the nearby Magellan’s Cross, Basílica Minore del Santo Niño and the walking distance Plaza Independencia and Fort San Pedro. They were accompanied by this city’s Protocol Officer lawyer Leslie Ann Reyes and some city hall employees.

Furthermore, the visitors will also witness various activities lined-up in this year’s grand Sinulog celebration before going home. (Greggy Jiggs Senados, PIO Staff)