SAN CARLOS CITY–Makati City, home of the country’s main central business district in the capital Metro Manila, recently signed sisterhood agreements with five local government units (LGUs) in the province.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay was in Pangasinan last week to sign the pacts with this city, Alaminos City, Mangaldan, Manaoag and San Quintin, summing the total to nine.

Four other LGUs have previously inked sisterhood agreements with Makati, including Binmaley, Urdaneta City, San Fabian and Rosales.

In an interview with the local media on Thursday, Binay said the sisterhood is meant to forge ties among LGUs for knowledge-sharing on governance.

“We offer to share experiences because we believe we don’t have the monopoly of good governance,” said Binay, adding, “It’s definitely not one way because we also learn from them.”

Binay said one of the secrets in the success of Makati is running the city like a private corporation.

“If that is the way to run LGUs in the country then let it be,” he said to officials of their sister cities.

Binay also downplayed speculations that the sisterhood pacts are but ways of establishing a political network that will be benefit him in the 2010 elections.

Binay, president of the United Opposition, has already announced his intention to run for president in2010.

“I’ve been doing that (forging of ties) long before I declared my presidential plan,” he said.

“As our sister cities and even if they’re not yet, for as long as they need help and for as long as we can, we help,” said Binay who extended assistance to typhoon victims in the province earlier this year.#

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