The Pangasinan Star ONLINE

By Venus May H. Sarmiento
PIA-Pangasinan

ALAMINOS CITY – Nineteen young student leaders, artists and entrepreneurs from China received a warm reception during their visit to this western Pangasinan city Wednesday.

The All-Chinese Youth Federation is in the country from November 6-10 to take part in the observance of the 30th Anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China.

The Chinese delegation is headed by Mr. Li Haoyan, vice president of Heilongjiang Provincial Youth Federation and Mr. Zheng Zhiqiang, deputy director-International Department of All-China Youth Federation.

The group will be in Pangasinan for four days and three nights.

The city government lined-up various activities for the delegates starting with a welcome reception and ceremony at the city hall grounds led by City Mayor Hernani Braganza.
Braganza said the city will not only showcase its pride---the famous Hundred Islands National Park--- but likewise reveal the vast potentials of the city in areas of tourism, agricultures and infrastructure development, business and environmental protection.

The reception was followed by the signing of an Agreement of Mutual Cooperation and Friendship between the city government and the All China Youth Federation. This was followed by a briefing on the city profile and the Braganza Administration’s 10-point agenda.

The group also had a chance to tour the city’s economic sites like the Proton economic zone in barangay Alos which is the proposed airport site; the high value commercial crops, green house and hybrid rice plantation at the Techno Demo Farm in barangay Tangcarang; the goat commercialization program at the Bolante residence and the organic fertilizer production at the materials recovery facility in barangay Bisocol.

National Youth Commission provincial coordinator for Pangasinan Andrew Mendoza said the delegates were touched and happy with the “warm, romantic and grand welcome” that greeted them everywhere they went. The streets were filled with smiling schoolchildren waving flags of the Philippines and China.

Later, the group proceeded to enjoy the famous Hundred Islands, taking a 40-minute boat ride to the place.

The group initially preferred the kayak activities but after testing the engagingly calm water of the islands, the delegates were soon plunging into the waters for a great swim.

Now being winter in China, the group’s Hundred Islands experience here under a fairly hot sun was a welcome change of climate for them.

A few months ago, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and President Hu Jintao signed an agreement to strengthen youth affairs cooperation at Malacanan Palace. One of the key provisions of the said accord is the exchange of youth leaders, entrepreneurs to foster enduring friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation and at the same time, strengthen the economy.

Mendoza said the program started in July. The Philippine government sent its delegates to the first Filipino Chinese program where they visited three major cities Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

In response, China sent 106 delegates to the Philippines, who were divided into seven groups to visit seven provinces namely Cebu, Davao, Panay, Capiz, Laguna, Iloilo and Pangasinan.