Makati Mayor Abby Binay on Monday visited five sister cities and municipalities in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte where she was warmly welcomed by local officials and residents as she visited Vigan, Caoayan and Cabugao in Ilocos Sur and Batac and Bacarra in Ilocos Norte.

“I am so happy to visit the sister-localities of Makati here in the Ilocos Region. It gave me the chance to see how they are doing and listen to the plans and challenges faced by their leaders,” said Binay, who is also gunning for a Senate seat.

“Local government units should close ranks and share best practices and technical expertise to become stronger and more capable of implementing better programs for education, health and disaster preparedness,” she added.

The city has extended financial assistance to various disaster-stricken localities, including the cities of Vigan, Caoayan and Batac.