“Together, Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Cordova and the Province of Cebu, and our friends in Ukraine, can achieve great things,” businessman Curtis Go said on Monday, pledging to work “hand in hand with both the public and private sectors” to advance partnerships with Ukraine.
Go, Ukraine’s local partner in Cebu, hosted Ambassador Yuliia Fediv during what he described as her historic first visit to Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, the municipality of Cordova, and the provincial capitol.
He said the trip opens a new phase in Cebu–Ukraine ties built on shared values and trust, and follows years of personal involvement that began with friendships formed with Ukrainians in London in 2019.
Go said support he received from Ukrainian friends during the pandemic, and the pain he felt after Russia’s full-scale invasion, prompted a pledge to help when he returned to Cebu.
In 2023, he reached out to the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia, which then had jurisdiction over the Philippines, and began assisting its work. He now supports the Embassy of Ukraine in the Philippines.
“One word has stayed with me, resilience,” Go said, praising Ukrainians’ “courage to move forward with hope, dignity, and unwavering spirit.”
Go thanked Fediv for her trust and said the visit lays groundwork for closer engagement across Metro Cebu and the wider province.
He added that cooperation with both government and business would aim to translate shared goals into “a lasting and prosperous reality.”
Cebu Business News
