City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno has invited the mayor of its sister city in China, Harbin City, to join the festivities of the Higalaay Festival, Cagayan de Oro’s flagship festival during its fiesta month of August.
In a letter to Harbin City Mayor Song Xibin dated 14 July 2016, Moreno said: “In the spirit of friendship and partnership, we would like to cordially invite you to join us in our festivities this August. It would be the City’s honor to host you in this important event.”
Mayor Oscar Moreno chats with Harbin City Mayor Song Xibin durng a recent visit to Harbin City
Earlier, the Harbin Mayor invited Moreno to join the Harbin Summer Concerts on 6-15 August 2016 in Harbin City, People’s Republic of China (PROC).
However, Moreno expressed his regrets of being unable to honor the invitation with his presence, due to the previous commitments arising from the month-long celebration of Higalaay Festival covering the same dates.
“Concurrently, the City of Cagayan de Oro will be celebrating its annual Higalaay Festival, a month-long celebration held in August. The festival will include events such as Kumbira , the Philippines longest-running culinary show and competition (17-19 August), Cagayan de Oro Carnival Parade (20 August), and The Magnificence of Mother Nature 2016, an inter-school dance competition hosted by the Misamis Oriental Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (MOFCCCII),” the mayor wrote.
Among the other core events the Harbin mayor is also expected to experience should he choose to honor Mayor Moreno’s invitation are the Kahimunan Regional Trade Fair (19-28 Aug. at SM CDO); Cowboy Festival: The Annual Cagayan de Oro Horseman Show (20-21 Aug. at PN Roa property, Upper Carmen); Kagay-an Festival Marathon (20 Aug. at Centrio Mall); and the Higalas Parade of Floats and Icons (27 Aug.).
Harbin is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang province in the northeastern region of the People’s Republic of China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Harbin has direct jurisdiction over nine metropolitan districts, two county-level cities and seven counties.
Harbin is the eighth most populous Chinese city and the most populous city in Northeast China. According to the 2010 census, the built-up area made of seven out of nine urban districts (all but Shuangcheng and Acheng not urbanized yet) had 5,282,093 inhabitants, while the total population of the sub-provincial city was up to 10,635,971.
Harbin serves as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural, and communications hub in Northeast China, as well as an important industrial base of the nation.
According to the Cagayan de Oro City Information Network, The sisterhood relationship between Cagayan de Oro and Harbin City, China was formally signed in 2007.
MOFCCCII IPP Greg Marten Lao in Harbin City
Last January, 2015, Mayor Moreno led an official delegation that included members of Misamis Oriental Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. and the business community to Harbin City in the People’s Republic of China to strengthen the sisterhood ties between the two cities.
The visit followed Mayor Xibin invitation to witness the 31st China Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. During the visit, Mayor Moreno expressed optimism that the ties between Cagayan de Oro and Harbin would prosper, especially in business and trade, tourism, education and technological sharing on environmental protection and preservation.
-30-