By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
ILOCANOS living in Ilocos Norte and the Aloha state of
Hawaii are eyeing the revival of sisterhood ties between the two to further boost
cooperation, this time, in the field of agriculture and education among others.
In 2002, the administration of then Ilocos Norte Governor
now Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and former Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle
forged a sisterhood agreement between Ilocos Norte and Hawaii resulting in
better health care exchanges, making Filipino nurses most preferred in Hawaii.
To keep up with the 2.7 percent unemployment rate, Hawaii kept
on hiring health care professionals as about 40,000 new jobs were created under
Lingle’s administration.
Through the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City
and the University of Hawaii, serving as focal points, both committed in the
exchange of learning scheme between and among qualified faculty and students in
Ilocos Norte and Hawaii.
This way, the nursing faculty and students will be able to
improve their teaching-learning methodologies to easily pass the standard
nursing board examinations and facilitate their access to the Hawaiian island
and augment the state’s shortage of nurses.
Now with a new set of leaders, the Ilocos Norte Sangguniang
Panlalawigan passed a resolution on October 21 requesting Hawaii State
Representative Rida Cabanilla and State Senator Brickwood Galutera to cause for
the revival of the sister state-province relationship between Ilocos Norte and
Hawaii and to encourage Hawaiian-Ilocanos from Ilocos province to rediscover
their roots as part of the bicentennial celebration of Ilocos Norte in 2018.
According to board member Da Vinci Crisostomo, draft
provincial resolution no. 2013-09-007 aims to request for the reinstatement of
the sisterhood ties and bring back an active calendar of activities for the
exchange of better practices particularly to promote sustainable agriculture
and education excellence including environment, tourism and cultural exchanges.
Just last week, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo M.
Barba visited Hawaii and met with Ilocano associations there to renew ties and
promote better cooperation in helping Ilocanos back home.
Aside from that, the provincial government is also giving
special incentive packages for balikbayans should they wish to invest in
the province.
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| Univ of Hawaii's May Kealoha speaking before MMSU nursing studes |
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