Bagulin breaks ground on first Ligtas Pinoy Center in Ilocos Region
Residents displaced by floods, landslides and other disasters will have a dedicated evacuation facility as construction begins on the Ilocos Region’s first Ligtas Pinoy Center in Barangay Suyo, Bagulin, La Union.
Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Harold N. Cabreros led the groundbreaking ceremony on 10 November 2026, alongside Bagulin Mayor Virgilio C. Flor, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 1 Acting Regional Director and Deputy Administrator for Operations Assistant Secretary Laurence E. Mina, and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 1 Director Engr. Robert Jay N. Panaligan. Officials also signed a memorandum of agreement for the project.
The ₱71.64-million facility, funded through the General Appropriations Act, will feature a healthcare station, sleeping quarters, sanitation facilities, and designated areas for livestock and pets.
Bagulin ranked first among priority local government units under the program’s scorecard, which evaluates hazard exposure, vulnerability, coping capacity, disaster frequency and local government preparedness.
Flor urged residents to take responsibility for maintaining the facility, stressing that public safety requires collective effort. “Let us use this facility responsibly and take good care of it, as it will be of great help, especially during times of calamity,” he said.
Association of Barangay Councils President and Suyo Barangay Chairman Ruben L. Camarao said the facility would address the community’s need for a safer evacuation site, recalling how residents previously sought shelter at the municipal covered court when a typhoon caused a river to overflow. He also cited landslides that had affected the area.
“This facility will be a great help not only to our barangay but also to other barangays,” Camarao said.
In a message delivered by Executive Assistant Denver Badua, La Union Gov. Mario Eduardo C. Ortega said the province needed a sturdy and well-equipped evacuation facility to protect residents during disasters. He also thanked the national government for supporting the project.
The provincial government has also provided heavy equipment to help clear landslide-affected areas in Bagulin following typhoons in recent months, according to the statement.
Cabreros said 18 Ligtas Pinoy Center projects were approved nationwide this year, with Bagulin among the first local government units to qualify.
The program was established under Republic Act No. 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Dec. 6, 2024. It is implemented through a partnership among the OCD, DPWH, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and local government units.
The agencies and the local governments of Bagulin and Bangar earlier signed an agreement on June 30, 2026, during the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s second-quarter full council meeting.
Construction is scheduled to begin this month, with completion targeted for 2027.