House panel OKs bill on Padre Pio shrine in Batangas
Published Dec 4, 2019 12:00 am
By Charissa Luci-AtienzaÂ
The House Committee on Tourism has approved a bill declaring the National Shrine and Parish of Saint Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas a tourist destination.
Batangas Rep. Ma Theresa Collantes (Facebook)
The panel, presided by its vice chairperson, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez passed House Bill 773, principally authored by Batangas Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes.
The bill seeks to declare the National Shrine of Padre Pio as a tourist destination "to ensure national government support for its development, preservation, and conservation," Collantes said.
The Parish of Saint Padre Pio was established on June 28, 2003 and was designated as a National Shrine on September 14, 2015.
Collantes noted that since 2003, thousands of devotees and parishioners have visited the shrine to attend mass for special prayer and healing through the intercession of Saint Padre Pio.
She said when the parish was declared as a National Shrine, it created job and business opportunities in the area.
Situated in a 1.6-hectare land at Brgy. San Pedro in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, the Padre Pio Shrine is the first national shrine designated by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The Shrine received two special relics of Saint Padre Pio from Fr. Ermelindo Di Capua, a Capuchin priest who had served the patron.
"To meet the increasing potentials of the place, it is significant that the national government, through the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to provide funding assistance and ensure its proper tourism development planning and implementation are undertaken, " Collantes said.
Under House Bill 773, the DOT, in coordination with the local government of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, is tasked to ensure the development of the National Shrine's immediate environs.
A tourism development plan involving the construction, installation, and maintenance of appropriate facilities and infrastructure shall be prepared to ensure the Shrine's accessibility and the security of the tourists. Such development plan shall be implemented by the DOT and its concerned attached agencies.
The funding for the implementation of the proposed Act shall be sourced from the Annual General Appropriations Act and internally generated funds of the DOT.
Within 60 days from the effectivity of the proposed Act, the DOT, in consultation with the local government unit of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the proper implementation of the proposed Act.
Batangas Rep. Ma Theresa Collantes (Facebook)
The panel, presided by its vice chairperson, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez passed House Bill 773, principally authored by Batangas Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes.
The bill seeks to declare the National Shrine of Padre Pio as a tourist destination "to ensure national government support for its development, preservation, and conservation," Collantes said.
The Parish of Saint Padre Pio was established on June 28, 2003 and was designated as a National Shrine on September 14, 2015.
Collantes noted that since 2003, thousands of devotees and parishioners have visited the shrine to attend mass for special prayer and healing through the intercession of Saint Padre Pio.
She said when the parish was declared as a National Shrine, it created job and business opportunities in the area.
Situated in a 1.6-hectare land at Brgy. San Pedro in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, the Padre Pio Shrine is the first national shrine designated by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The Shrine received two special relics of Saint Padre Pio from Fr. Ermelindo Di Capua, a Capuchin priest who had served the patron.
"To meet the increasing potentials of the place, it is significant that the national government, through the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to provide funding assistance and ensure its proper tourism development planning and implementation are undertaken, " Collantes said.
Under House Bill 773, the DOT, in coordination with the local government of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, is tasked to ensure the development of the National Shrine's immediate environs.
A tourism development plan involving the construction, installation, and maintenance of appropriate facilities and infrastructure shall be prepared to ensure the Shrine's accessibility and the security of the tourists. Such development plan shall be implemented by the DOT and its concerned attached agencies.
The funding for the implementation of the proposed Act shall be sourced from the Annual General Appropriations Act and internally generated funds of the DOT.
Within 60 days from the effectivity of the proposed Act, the DOT, in consultation with the local government unit of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the proper implementation of the proposed Act.