The 1st Cagayan de Oro-Norfolk Adult Exchange Program delegation from The City of Golden
Friendship was treated to the famed “Southern Hospitality” upon its arrival at its sister city
earlier this week.
The CDO Delegation receives a warm Southern Welcome from host families and their spouses headed by Cheryl Penat McGarrigle.
The ten person delegation is headed by Eileen E. San Juan, city local economic investment
promotion officer, and Ma. Dulce T. Potenciano, executive director of the city’s local school
board.
Also in the delegation are school administrators Maria Isabel Salcedo, Ramonila Olandesca, and
Suzette Maanding; teachers Darlene Tulang and Metzie Balandra, architect Maria Linda Escaba,
journalist Rene Michael Banos and guest delegate Noor Myriah Aish, a college student from
Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, who will represent the students in the program’s
University Pair with Old Dominion University.
NSCA CDO Committee Chair Cheryl Penat McGarrigle holds the welcome cake with Joseph Juaneza Solinap at the latter’s beautiful residence during reception for the CDO delegation
Upon their arrival at Norfolk International Airport, all delegates were personally received by
their respective host families and settled in their assigned homes in Norfolk, and nearby Virginia
Beach and Yorktown.
The Cagayan de Oro Sister City Committee of the Norfolk Sister City Association (NSCA)
headed by Cheryl Penat McGarrigle organized the Adult Exchange Program which aims to
create and sustain a relationship between the City of Norfolk, Virginia and its sister city Cagayan
de Oro to develop mutually beneficial opportunities and programs including the arts, education
and commerce.
The CDO Delegation with our host Joseph Solinap at their lovely residence facing the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, Va.
The initial program focuses on adult cultural and education exchanges and promote Sister Cities
international to other Filipino cities to encourage inter-province participation.
To start, NSCA organized a May 14 reception for the delegation at Joseph Solinap’s magnificent
residence just beside the Elizabeth River where they were treated to traditional Southern cuisine
such as fried chicken, barbecue, baked beans, coleslaw and crab dip which was much
appreciated by the visitors. Jo is the administrator of their clinic which was established by his
parents Drs. Daniel and Perla Solinap.
NSCA officials led by Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, president, were on hand to welcome the
visitors. Others included Charlene Christopher, secretary; Dr. Gloria Hagans, chair, education
committee; and of course, the indefatigable Cheryl Penat McGarrigle, chair of the Cagayan de
Oro sister committee, and committee members Nora Dorsey, Raylene Baumgart, Guia
Caligawan and Jose Ocampo, Jr., and their spouses who worked hard for the success of the
program. Also present were the host families who generously shared their homes with the
delegates including Kim Kurtz, Yolanda Blair, Catherine Bernardo, and Rhyss and Ying Hizon.
Ramping up the warm Southern Welcome for the visitors were Tony Reid, president and
Michael Harris, executive vice president of APT, LLC and Sandra Choi, development
analyst/Global Markets of the City of Norfolk.
The writer with Junie Ocampo of Cagayan de Oro, now a resident of Norfolk, Va.
“We’d like to extend the group’s appreciation for your very warm Southern Welcome which is
much like the famed hospitality of our City of Golden Friendship,” Ms. San Juan said. “We hope
we can also extend a similar welcome on your return visit when you visit Cagayan de Oro.”
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