Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said he invited Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal to the 70th Charter Anniversary of Bacolod City on Oct. 19, 2008.

The mayor issued the invitation during a recent courtesy call at the Long Beach City Hall where he presented a Masskara Festival token to Lowenthal, as Foster was on leave for medical reasons, a City Hall press release said. Leonardia and Lowenthal discussed possible trade mission exchanges between the two cities and explored other ways to strengthen ties. Leonardia had also visited Foster in November 2006 to revive the sisterhood relationship between Long Beach and Bacolod that had been inactive for some years since its establishment in 1993.

While in the US, Leonardia also met with the Kahirup Association in Las Vegas, Nevada, headed by Heidi Florentino to give its members updates on recent developments in Bacolod.

With Leonardia during the courtesy call were his wife, Elsa; Miriam Blanco; Paul Blanco, president of the Bacolod-Long Beach City Committee; Dr. Ed Lazo, president of the Bacolod Society in America; Al Denila, chairman of the Bacolod-Long Beach Laison Committee; Sean Petersen, Long Beach Legislative Deputy; Richard Madeira, president of the Long Beach-Sochi, Russia Sister City Association; and David Zanata, chairman of the Long Beach Sister City Associations.*

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