THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) approved, on second reading, an ordinance creating a permanent International and Local Sisterhood Linkages Affairs Office (Isla) under the Office of the Governor to institutionalize and professionalize the Province’s local and international partnership efforts.
The ordinance, authored by Mandaue Lone District PB Member Malcolm Sanchez, was approved during the regular session of the PB on Dec. 15, 2025.
The creation of Isla “under the Office of the Governor will professionalize and institutionalize the Province’s international and local partnership efforts, ensuring alignment with development goals and sustainable cooperation.”
Special office
Under the proposal, Isla will serve as the Provincial Government’s lead coordinating body for all sisterhood-related programs, exchanges and cooperative activities, in line with the Local Government Code of 1991 and guidelines issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The ordinance cited the growing number of partnership opportunities for Cebu in areas such as trade, tourism, education, public administration, disaster risk reduction, climate resilience and innovation, noting that the Province currently lacks a dedicated office to oversee and sustain such engagements.
If enacted, Isla will operate as a special office under the Office of the Governor, with its own organizational structure, staffing pattern and budget, while coordinating with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on policy and legislative matters.
The proposed office will be headed by a department head with at least a master’s degree in public administration, international relations, political science, or a related field, and at least five years of relevant experience. Other positions include an assistant department head, program development officers, an administrative and finance officer, a liaison and protocol officer and support staff.
Isla’s functions
Initiate and oversee local and international sisterhood and twinning agreements;
Coordinate all partnership programs, exchanges and cooperation activities;
Develop partnership proposals aligned with provincial development plans;
Maintain records of sisterhood agreements and related documents;
Coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the DILG, embassies, consulates and other partners;
Facilitate official visits, delegations and exchange missions;
Represent Cebu in international and inter-local forums, when authorized; and
Submit regular reports and policy recommendations to provincial officials.
Funding for Isla will be sourced from the Provincial Government’s annual budget, with succeeding appropriations to cover personnel services, maintenance and operating expenses, capital outlay and expenses for hosting official delegations. The office may also seek external funding, subject to government accounting and auditing rules.
The ordinance requires Isla to submit an annual performance and financial report to the governor and the PB not later than March 31 of the succeeding year. / CDF