Highlighting the importance of collaboration, a multi-sectoral forum and networking event was held last March 9, 2018 to discuss various issues concerning urban development and their possible solutions.

The forum, titled “Y-Port Solutions and Strategies for Metro Cebu,” was organized by the City of Yokohama, Japan, with the assistance of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board – Research, Program, and Organization Development Program Management Office (MCDCB – RPOD PMO). It was held at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

The seminar aimed to gather a common understanding of the challenges in Cebu related to waste management, green buildings, and other urban issues and, at the same time, exchange views and ideas toward project formulation to tackle urban issues utilizing resources of multilateral development banks. The forum brought together representatives from the private sector in Yokohama and Metro Cebu, and from Metro Cebu local government units and national government agencies to discuss possible solutions to these concerns.

Presenters from Metro Cebu and the City of Yokohama provided national, local, and international perspectives, practices, challenges, and solutions to the given themes.

“The private sector plays a vital role in the development of a city-region. For the sector to have a meaningful engagement and contribution in addressing challenges concerning the city-region, it is important for them to be actively involved in the planning process and participate in discussions with the government and its partner institutions from different sectors,” said Evelyn Nacario-Castro, director of the MCDCB – RPOD Program Management Office.

Masakazo Okuno, director of the Development Cooperation Division, International Affairs Bureau, expressed his gratitude to MCDCB in his closing remarks. Also present in the forum were MCDCB RPOD Execom Chair Gordon Alan Joseph, San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya, and MCDCB Co-Chair for the Private Sector and RAFI President and COO Dominica Chua.

The Governance and Linkages Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI-G&L) seeks to foster responsive institutions and an engaged citizenry through awards and recognition, good governance and leadership development programs, and active linkages and platforms of engagement and collaboration.