PVAO Mt. Samat National Shrine

𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝟯𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

Calling all student filmmakers, content creators, and independent creatives — this is your chance to bring to life the theme:

“𝗞𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗼, 𝗬𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼”

Create inspiring short films and social media reels that honor our heroes and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your creativity and storytelling skills. Read the mechanics carefully and register now!

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗼𝗳-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝘁. 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅

PILAR, BATAAN - On 09 April 2026, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), in partnership with key national agencies, will lead the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Mt. Samat Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone (FTEZ) Visitors Complex, in conjunction with the 84th Commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan.

This milestone development aims to transform the Mt. Samat National Shrine from a traditional tourist destination into a premier, immersive historical site that offers enhanced visitor experience while preserving its national significance.

The development of the Visitors Complex - comprising the Tourist Assistance Center, Visitors Center, and Multipurpose Administration Building - is a strategic initiative of the TIEZA under the FTEZ program. The FTEZ aims to emphasize historical preservation while conforming to international standards, making Mt. Samat Shrine a competitive historical landmark.

Designed to harmonize with the existing American Colonial architectural theme of the Mt. Samat Cross and Colonnade, the Tourist Assistance Center shall be a dedicated facility with orientation rooms, souvenir shops, a cafeteria, function rooms, and a commercial hub to ensure a seamless and welcoming experience for local and international tourists. The Visitors Center will feature an immersive educational space designed to provide deep historical context through curated exhibits and interactive displays. It will also incorporate hotel-type accommodation to enhance visitor comfort. For administrative operations, the Multipurpose and Administration Building shall feature spaces and function rooms to host meetings, events, and activities.

The ceremony will also be attended by key officials from the Department of National Defense, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Department of Tourism Region III, the Provincial Government of of Bataan, Bataan, and and the Municipality of Pilar, among others.

The TIEZA envisions this development to safeguard national identity and heritage while promoting sustainable tourism and supporting the local economy. It will signal a shift in how the country preserves its historical landmarks, ensuring that the stories of Filipino heroism shall reach a global audience.

Anchored on its mandate under Republic Act No. 9593, the TIEZA continues to lead the development, management, and supervision of TEZs across the country, focusing on infrastructure development, investment facilitation, and sustainable tourism growth. Through its integrated approach to destination planning and infrastructure provisioning, TIEZA ensures that strategic tourism sites such as the Mt. Samat Flagship TEZ are equipped with world-class facilities that enhance visitor experience, stimulate local economic activity, and preserve the nation's cultural and historical heritage for future generations.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗: 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗩𝗔𝗢 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟴𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 🇵🇭🫡

The 84th Araw ng Kagitingan invites us not only to remember, but to reflect on the enduring legacy of heroism in the life of our nation. It is a day that transcends the ceremony, calling us recognize that the courage of our Filipino veterans did not end in the battlefields of Bataan, nor in the shadows of the death march, nor in the quiet resistance of the guerilla warfare — it continues to live on in the freedoms we exercise and the nation we strive to build.

As we celebrate the 2026 Philippines Veterans Week with the theme “𝗚𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗶, 𝗣𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶”, let us remember that their courage is not distant or unreachable; it is a legacy placed in our hands, waiting to be lived out in our own time.

Today, the measure of that legacy is no longer found in war, but in how we respond to the challenges of peace. It is seen in how we uphold truth when it’s easier to remain silent, how we choose unity over division, and how we serve the nation not out of obligation, but out of a deep sense of duty. In this way, the battlefield has changed— but the call to courage remains the same.

To our veterans, whose values have lived on since the Philippine Revolution, the Philippine-American War, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, up to post-war conflicts and various military and humanitarian operations—your heroism has become a living inheritance. You have shown us that true strength lies not only in defiance against adversity, but in the quiet resolve to stand your ground. Because of you, the Filipino spirit endures—resilient, steadfast, and unafraid.

Thus, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office remains steadfast in its commitment to the welfare of our veterans and their families. In our continuing effort to respond to their healthcare needs, PVAO has launched the Yakap Beterano Program in partnership with PhilHealth, providing free outpatient services, medicines, and laboratory tests to complement the free hospitalization offered through veterans wards. We are likewise planning to establish a Veterans Hospice, which aims to provide dignified geriatric care for our veterans as they reach advanced age and face increasingly vulnerable health conditions.

As we honor the sacrifices of our veterans, may we also accept the weight and honor of the legacy they have passed on. Ensuring that the valor of our heroes does not fade into memory, but grows stronger with each generation— expressed through our actions, our choices, and our commitment to the nation.

Because in the end, the greatest tribute we can offer is not only remembrance, but continuation— proving that the courage of our heroes was never lost— only entrusted.

𝘔𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰! 𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘢 𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘺 𝘴𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘸𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘯.

Salute to our fallen Hero