The Danish Ambassador to the Philippines, Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, met with Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte in Davao City on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen collaboration in the fields of agriculture, healthcare, and investment, according to the City Government of Davao.
City Councilor Rachel Zozobrado, chair of the committee on international relations, announced that the number of foreign dignitaries visiting Davao City is expected to rise in the coming months of 2026. She noted that by the first quarter of 2026, the city had already hosted 10 dignitaries from countries including Israel, the United States, India, Belgium, the Solomon Islands, Denmark, Australia, Norway, China, and Japan, with Japan visiting twice.
“Many have signified that they also want to call on the mayor and discuss possible collaborations,” Zozobrado said during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos on June 2, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. She explained that during these visits, foreign dignitaries consistently discussed collaboration on food security, health, and education, though she described these as mostly exploratory ventures between the city and other countries.
Zozobrado also revealed that the Deputy Ambassador of Australia to the Philippines discussed the possibility of an Australian city entering into a sister-city agreement with Davao City. She emphasized that partnering with Australia would significantly benefit the education sector, as Australia is recognized as one of the world’s education hubs.
Meanwhile, the Davao City Investment Promotion Center reported that the city now has nine local and eight international sister cities. Local sister cities include Angeles, Marikina, Quezon City, Bacoor, and Liloan. International sister cities include Nanning and Jinjiang in China, Kitakyushu in Japan, Bitung and Manado in Indonesia, and Tacoma and Kaua‘i in the United States.
Among the foreign dignitaries who visited the city was Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, who paid a courtesy call on Mayor Duterte to discuss bilateral relations, local-level cooperation, economic ties, and people-to-people exchanges between Davao City and China. Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya visited as part of his lecture series at educational institutions in the city, also commemorating the 70th anniversary of Philippines–Japan diplomatic relations. Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliia Fediv, during her courtesy call, discussed cooperation in education, agribusiness, trade, and technology. Indian Ambassador Harsh Kumar Jain highlighted potential coordination in trade, investment, tourism, and academic partnerships.
