Daly City and Quezon City Strengthen Sister City Bond, Aim for Enhanced Cooperation

DALY CITY – Daly City is set to enhance its long-standing sister city relationship with Quezon City in the Philippines, aiming to expand cooperation in various sectors including social development and emergency services. Mayor Juslyn Manalo of Daly City, who hosted a meeting with Filipino journalists on April 29, expressed her city’s intent to share more resources and expertise, particularly in progressive leadership and social development.

According to Philippines News Agency, discussions with Quezon City have been focused on the next steps to take in their partnership. Quezon City has shown a keen interest in Daly City’s wastewater management model, which could serve as a blueprint for similar systems in the Philippines. Furthermore, Daly City is prepared to support its sister city by providing surplus firefighting equipment to enhance Quezon City’s emergency response capabilities. This initiative comes as Quezon City has expressed a need for such resources due to frequent fire incidents.

The relationship between Daly City and Quezon City was formally established on August 8, 1994, with the aim of fostering mutual cooperation across various fields including the environment, human resources, community development, science and technology, education, sports, tourism, and trade. This partnership was reaffirmed during a Daly City Council session on July 10, 2023.

Mayor Manalo, who is the first female Filipino-American mayor of Daly City, highlighted the deep cultural and historical connections between the two cities, which are enriched by Daly City’s significant Filipino-American population. Currently, Filipinos and Filipino-Americans constitute approximately 34 percent of Daly City’s population, the highest concentration in the United States.

In her career, Mayor Manalo has been an advocate for the Filipino community, beginning as a community service worker assisting Filipino World War II veterans. She is also dedicated to addressing housing issues for low- to moderate-income families and combating anti-Asian sentiment in California.

The official expressed optimism about the future of Daly City’s relationship with Quezon City and hopes to host Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City soon to discuss further collaboration.