BALANGA CITY, Bataan — The Provincial Government of Bataan and the City Government of San Juan formalized their partnership with a sisterhood agreement signed at The Bunker on Friday.

Governor Joet Garcia emphasized that the agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two local government units, focusing on trade, tourism and other developmental initiatives.

In addition to Bataan, San Juan also established sisterhood ties with the City Government of Balanga and the Municipal Government of Limay.

Governor Garcia praised San Juan as a progressive city and a commercial hub within the National Capital Region. “We hope that through your malls in San Juan, Bataan products will gain more exposure. We want to expand our market reach,” he said. He also highlighted Bataan’s advantage, noting that the province has the highest number of economic zones in the Philippines, including 18 expansion areas in the Bataan Freeport that could attract investments from San Juan-based companies.

San Juan Mayor Francis M. Zamora expressed eagerness to learn from Bataan’s best practices. “What we learn from our new sister province and cities, we also share with our other sister provinces and cities,” he said.

Mayor Zamora also suggested setting up a Pasalubong Center at Greenhills Mall to promote Bataan’s products and tourism, including hotel and resort packages.

He also mentioned plans to feature Bataan’s products at Kadiwa stores near their city hall, further strengthening the ties between the two regions.

Limay Mayor Richie Jayson David shared his optimism, stating that Limay hopes to draw inspiration from San Juan’s success and develop their own community.