Ukraine’s first resident ambassador to the Philippines, Yuliia Fediv, said Kyiv is laying the groundwork for sister-city linkages, trade and investment ties, and digital and creative-industry cooperation with Cebu after a two-day visit that included meetings with local officials and business groups.
Fediv, who took up her post in March after Ukraine opened its embassy in Manila in December 2024, said regional, “people-to-people” diplomacy is a priority alongside national government engagement.
She was accompanied by businessman Curtis Go, Ukraine’s partner in Cebu, who helped arrange meetings with government leaders and chambers of commerce.
“We decided to build a network of sister cities between Ukraine and the Philippines, with Cebu province as our main partner for the first sister-city community,” she said.
The embassy has held parallel talks with Quezon City and Baguio City and is now seeking matches in the Visayas, including Cebu City, Cebu province, Cordova and Lapu-Lapu City.
Cebu’s sister-province pact with Crimea, signed in 2010, is on hold following Russia’s annexation of the peninsula, she noted.
Economic cooperation is expected to center on a proposed cross-government agreement creating a joint commission on trade, investment, and collaboration in science and technology, plus a planned agriculture memorandum of understanding between the Philippine Department of Agriculture and Ukraine’s ministry responsible for economics and agriculture, Fediv said.
Ukraine, which already ships wheat and sunflower oil to the Philippines, aims to expand into meat, beverages and confectionery. “I hope it will be a good start for B2B,” she said.
Fediv also flagged partnerships with Cebu’s technology community, citing Ukraine’s strengths in IT services, fintech, and e-government, including cloud-based storage of civil documents, an approach accelerated by wartime needs.
Digitalization of healthcare and social services is another area of interest, she said.
Creative industries, from fashion and cuisine to crafts and cultural tourism, are on the agenda as well, with “culinary diplomacy” and SME matchmaking envisioned.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the city is keen to pursue a formal pairing. “We had a productive discussion on exploring a sister city partnership between Cebu City and Ukraine — a step toward fostering collaboration in areas such as disaster resilience, smart city development, tourism, and cultural exchange. We also exchanged insights on sustainable and innovative approaches to city growth,” Archival said.
During the trip, Fediv met Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro and other local leaders, and discussed with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce plans for a Ukrainian business mission to Cebu in June next year, traditionally a business month for the province.
Pairing Cebu with a Ukrainian region would likely focus on shared priorities such as smart-city solutions, inclusive healthcare and social services, tourism and hospitality, Fediv said.
On her first visit to Cebu, she described the city as “sunny,” easier to navigate than Metro Manila, and marked by strong local pride, factors she said bode well for longer-term people-to-people ties.
Business News Asia
