Aussie, Cebu City delegations visit San Juan City for governance gab

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Mayor Francis Zamora recently welcomed delegations from Australia and Cebu City for an exchange on local governance, programs, and best practices.

The delegation from the Australian Political Exchange Council was headed by Sen. Josh Anthony Dolega of Tasmania, a member of the Australian parliament, and the one from Cebu City was headed Mayor Nestor Archival, who was joined by members of the Cebu City Council.

During the program, Dolega praised Zamora’s staunch commitment to making education a priority in local governance.

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READ: League of Cities chief Francis Zamora boosts Central Visayas ties

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Citing figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey, San Juan has the highest functional literacy rate of 95 percent among all highly urbanized cities in the Philippines.

Dolega also recognized the city’s Right to Care Card as an initiative that signified San Juan’s commitment to inclusivity, particularly in ensuring that residents had a trusted person who could assist in healthcare decision-making when they were unable to do so themselves.

Meanwhile, Archival expressed his appreciation for the opportunity for Cebu City to visit San Juan City and learn from its programs and best practices. As sister cities, the visit further strengthened the continuing exchange between San Juan and Cebu City.

Zamora had visited Cebu City three times in 2026 and once in 2025, including his participation in this year’s Sinulog Festival.

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After the program, Zamora accompanied both delegations to the San Juan City Command Center, where they were briefed on the city’s various programs — disaster preparedness, emergency response, public safety, and smart governance systems, including the upcoming launch of the citywide CCTV system, citywide radio communication system, Wi-Fi for public areas, and the forthcoming Makabagong San Juan app.

Zamora also toured the Australian delegation around the Makabagong San Juan National Government Center, particularly the Bagong Pilipinas eGovPH Serbisyo Hub, an initiative by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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The delegation also visited the Makabagong San Juan Theater, followed by a tour of the El Deposito Museum and El Deposito Underground Water Reservoir.

READ: Mayor Francis Zamora formalizes institutional tie-up with UP

The engagements provided San Juan City an opportunity to share its experiences while learning from its international and local counterparts, further strengthening partnerships and promoting knowledge-sharing toward more responsive, people-centered public service.

Also part of the Australian delegation were the following:

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• Nigel Grantly Hutton MP, member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, Parliament of Queensland
• Peter Warwick Hudson, councillor, City of Rockingham, Western Australia
• Christopher John Ross Hancock, advisor to Sen. Anthony Chisholm, Parliament of Australia
• Tiarne Chantel Crowther, national policy and advocacy lead, Australian Services Union
• Rebeckah Madeline Auld, membership and engagement manager, The Nationals New South Wales
• Ariel Sean Larkey, representative, Australian Political Exchange Council