11 March 2019
Politiko Central Luzon:

Bataan 2nd District Representative Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III hailed Sunday the local government of Pilar, Bataan and its mayor, Alice Pizzaro, for the launch of Mt. Samat as a smoke-free shrine in the country.

“Congratulations to Mayor Alice and the Municipality of Pilar for the launching of Mt. Samat as the Philippines’ Smoke Free Shrine,” Garcia said on his Facebook page.

Garcia shared a video of the event held on March 8 which he attended and graced with a speech.

Mt. Samat is the site of the Dambana ng Kagitingan which honors those who suffered under the Japanese occupation during World War II.

With its recognition as one of the first smoke-free heritage sites in the country, the Mt. Samat National Shrine seeks to promote tourism through a smoke-free environment.

The launch of Mt. Samat as a smoke-free shrine is in partnership with the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance and Smoke Free Cities Asia Pacific Network.

In his remarks, Garcia enjoined the participants at the event to commit to a healthy lifestyle and encouraged them to take part in the “Hataw Bataan, Takbo sa Bawat Bayan,” the province’s fun run program.