Twenty-six Sri Lankan Provincial Council members visit the Science City of Muņoz last April 28. The visit was part of the 6-day Familiarization Program on Local Governance Administration and Management of Rural Enterprise and Agriculture in the Philippines conducted by the Asian Institute for Development Studies, Inc. (AIDSI) in coordination with Local Government Academy (LGA) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) from April 24-30, 2008 which aims to provide a good understanding on local governance and its role in facilitating sustainable development at the national and community levels focusing.

The delegates together with the AIDSI staff were warmly welcomed by Mayor Nestor L. Alvarez. The City Planning and Development Office headed by Mr. Eric Tubalinal discussed the projects and programs as well as the development initiatives of Science City of Muņoz on achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, Mr. Crismelito R. Catacutan, Local Government Officer II of DILG-Muņoz presented some views on the barangay governance.

After the presentation and dialogue with the city officials, the group was toured in some agencies housed in the city focusing on agricultural and research and development, to wit: the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the Central Luzon State University.

According to Mayor Alvarez, being the first and only science city and being one of the pilot cities focusing on United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, the Science City of Muņoz is looking forward of having a strong partnership with the Sri Lankan Government.