The Mt. Samat Shrine of Valor in Pilar, Bataan is the 2nd recipient in the whole country, next to Rizal Park, of the Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ) Flagship Program of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) for the year 2014. The TEZ flagship program is primarily designed to develop recommended product portfolio that focuses on mixed-use leisure and satellite nature and culture tourism products designed to put across the benefits of tourism to local communities.
The first public consultation or the initial stage of the project was held at the Bataan Government Center on April 15, 2015 at 8:00AM as coordinated by Arch. Christina B. Banzon, Provincial Tourism Officer. Our dynamic Mayor welcomed all the sector leaders of the community who partook in the event. She is pleased and honored to be the incumbent leader of Pilar during this very significant event. Our able Governor Albert S. Garcia is also very proud for the shrine of valor and for it being chosen to be the next very important tourist center in the country. He stressed that this is another great opportunity for the realization of the vision of the province to be the preferred location for eco-industrial investments leading to the highest human development index in the Philippines.
The Flagship TEZ Project is a joint initiative of the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to proactively develop strategically important TEZs. The initiative is in line with the mandate of TIEZA under the Tourism Act of 2009 (R.A. No. 9593) and the framework of the National Tourism Development Plan to support the development of Philippine tourism product and raise the competitiveness of the Philippines as a tourism destination. Technical and financial assistance will be provided to sites designated as Flagship TEZs.
Mt. Samat Shrine of Valor ranked among the top potential Flagship TEZ sites. Coordinating with the Province of Bataan, Municipality of Pilar, DND-PVAO, as well as the master planning consultants, the first public consultation was organized.
The department heads of the municipality and community leaders of different sectors, national government agencies such as DENR, DPWH 2nd District, and DOT, Provincial offices such as the PPDO, PTO, and PEO, the press, veterans, Letran College, BHROA, and lot owners in Liyang participated in the various workshops including a SWOT Analysis. The first public consultation engaged the stakeholders in order to obtain their inputs in the master pla
nning process.
