BALANGA CITY, Bataan — The Department of Tourism Region 3 (DoT3) and the Provincial Government of Bataan gathered on Thursday at The Bunker to discuss the creation of the Regional Tourism Development Plan (RTDP) for Central Luzon.

Governor Joet Garcia shared that the meeting involved DoT3 Regional Director Richard Daenos, representatives from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), including Regulation Department manager Atty. Niño Ruperto Aquino, and officials from the Joint Venture of Woodfields Consultants Inc. and Positive Exposure Productions Inc.

The main agenda was the development of the RTDP, which will serve as a strategic guide to align the Provincial Government’s efforts with the National Tourism Development Plan while tailoring them to fit the needs and priorities of the local tourism industry.

“With this method, we can now focus on developing infrastructures, establishing tourism circuits, and boosting our marketing strategies to strengthen the tourism industry in Bataan,” Governor Garcia stated.

As the chairman of the Sectoral Committee on Economic Development of the Regional Development Council, Garcia emphasized that this step is crucial for opening new opportunities for businesses, especially with the construction of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge soon underway.

In another initiative, DoT3 held a Digital Marketing Campaigns Workshop for tourism offices in Pampanga at the Arts, Culture, and Tourism Office of Pampanga (ACTOP) on 18-19 February.

This two-day workshop, part of the celebration of National Arts Month under this year’s theme “Ani ng Sining: Diwa at Damdamin,” aimed to highlight the province’s rich cultural and artistic heritage through various events and activities.

The workshop focused on equipping layout artists from Pampanga’s tourism offices with the tools to create engaging marketing materials for their localities. Led by Alex Castro from Holy Angel University’s Center for Kapampangan Studies, participants learned the concepts of visual communication and digital marketing techniques.

Director Daenos expressed his full support for the initiative, stressing the importance of preserving and promoting the arts as a vital aspect of the tourism industry.

“Through workshops like this, we continue to empower local tourism stakeholders, enabling them to share the stories of their communities while celebrating the cultural richness of Central Luzon,” he concluded.