A TOTAL of 15 students are eyed to be sent to Nanning City, China for an exchange student program.
Davao City Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, during the Pulong Pulong ni Pulong media forum on Wednesday, May 9, said Nanning City, which signed a sisterhood pact with the city in 2007, offered a four-year foreign exchange program to forge more ties with the city.
"They offer four-year course program in colleges and universities in Nanning," he said.
He added that tuition fee and accommodations will be free for the selected students who will be taught to speak and write Mandarin.
Alejandre added that since it is a form of exchange, Chinese students will also possibly be sent to Davao City for scholarship.
"Dako ang chance nga magkuha pud sila ug courses especially in English (There is a chance that they will get English courses)," he said.
Alejandre said the Chinese delegates expressed their interest to be competitive in speaking the English language.
He also said exporting Davao goods such as banana and fish to Nanning is being eyed as businessmen in the city suggested the possibility of establishing direct flights from Davao City to Nanning City for easier access.
Alejandre said such move is not impossible, as they are currently applying to increase more flights in Davao City.
He said they also welcome the pronouncement of Department of Transportation Secretary to remove Davao City International Airport from the list of airports listed as part of the PPP pipeline.
"Gusto niya na ang Department of Transportation ang magfund ng improvement ng airport," he said.
While airport improvement must come first before having more flights, Alejandre assured that the DIA can still accommodate the flights they are applying as the airport is still not that busy.