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The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), through the leadership of Gov Pacoy, is committed to building a resilient La Union and counter the spread of CoViD-19.
Through the Contract Tracing Team (CTT), Diagnostics and Testing Team (DTT), Patient Management and Monitoring Team (PMMT), and the Health Care Provider Network (HCPN), the province carries out the Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (DITR) Strategy to ensure that suspect, probable and confirmed CoViD-19 cases are properly monitored and managed.
Detect
In the past few days, the province has recorded a spike in the number of confirmed cases. This is due to the strengthened contact tracing and testing initiatives in La Union by the PGLU and its component LGUs. The Contact Tracing Teams (CTT) are immediately activated when a new case is reported. Consequently, the Provincial DTT provides assistance to the LGUs to ensure the prompt and effective conduct of swabbing to suspects and contacts. Swab booths have also been installed in all five District Hospitals as well as the La Union Medical Center.
Isolate and Treat
Upon detection, the confirmed CoViD-19 patients with no or mild symptoms are isolated and transferred to the District Hospitals for monitoring and treatment while severe or critical cases are admitted at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC). Moreover, close contacts and suspect cases are isolated either through home quarantine or the LIGTAS (Local Isolation and General Treatment Areas) CoViD Centers. To date, we have a total bed capacity of 403 situated in all the component LGUs and including the Provincial CoViD Center or the Home of Hope.
In order to efficiently manage and prevent the exhaustion of the facilities, through the strengthened HCPN, the Province now has its system of referral and download of patients between or among facilities fully operational.
Reintegrate
The reintegration of the patients to the community remains of utmost importance. Patients are ensured to have fully recovered to prevent the potential spread of the virus and causing fear and discrimination. In support to this, the Province enacted Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance No. 216-2020 prohibiting any form of discrimination to recovered patients, among others.
The DITR strategy can only be more effective in preventing the spread of the virus if the community cooperates and participates in disease surveillance and detection.
Be one with us in building a Stronger La Union! The pandemic is far from over but so should our persistence and dedication to move forward and rise above the situation.

In an effort to strengthen disease surveillance through contact tracing, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) aims to enhance its existing CoViD-19 Dashboard for a more in-depth and evidence-based analysis to facilitate proactive, faster and efficient tracing of CoViD-19 contacts.
As a result of the first meeting of the PGLU led by Governor Pacoy Ortega with Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the appointed Contact Tracing Czar of the country, the City Government of Baguio‘s Contact Tracing Team cascaded the Baguio City’s Contact Tracing Application System with selected personnel from the La Union Police Provincial Office (LUPPO) and the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) of the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU).
Mr. Francis Camarao, Information Systems Analyst and Mr. Shan-ry D. Roberts, Data Analyst, members of the City Government of Baguio contact tracing team presented the Contact Tracing e-System used by Baguio City to the PIMT of the PGLU with the Deputy Incident Commander Alvin A. Cruz on August 5, 2020, at the Incident Command Post, Provincial Capitol Building, City of San Fernando, La Union. Features of the said system are the CoViD-19 Data Collection Tool, Geographic Information System (GIS) Platform, and the Analytical Tool-Link Analysis.
The Geographic Information System captures, stores, manipulates, analyzes, manages, and presents all types of geographical data related to CoViD-19 cases. It overlays CoViD-19 affected areas, district/ barangay affectations, areas of checkpoints and lockdowns, barangay health centers, hospitals, satellite markets, and other critical facilities. Through this system, one can visualize CoViD-19 data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends and its confirmed cases and its possible spread of infections.
The Analytical Tool-Link Analysis provides different views on how one patient could infect or transfer the virus to others by looking into their daily activities. It shows gaps and creates more opportunities on how to properly track down close contacts of the patient through the timeline.
Through Mr. Gerry Binas-o, the Information Communications Technology Unit (ICTU) Head, the PGLU shall conduct a pilot study in the Province with the City of San Fernando as the first LGU beneficiary given the rising number of CoViD-19 cases in the City.

STRONGER TOGETHER. The Provincial Government of La Union continues on its Transformative Governance journey, banking on the strength of continuous improvement and innovation through efficient government systems and governance partnerships. For the purpose of identifying points of convergence with its partners and stakeholders, PGLU introduces the Pre-State of the Province Address (Pre-SOPA) Dialogue Series.
As the Champion of Transformative Governance, Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III presents before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the updated strategy, “Stronger La Union: Provincial Strategy on Response, Recovery, and Local Economic Development” during the first Pre-SOPA Dialogue on August 4, 2020.
During the dialogue, the Governor presented the status of CoViD-19 in the Province, and the current strategies to administer and properly handle the crisis while protecting the health and safety of every Kaprobinsiaan. Given the crisis being faced by Province, the vision to be The Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025 has been enhanced. Leveraging the local economic enablers: agriculture and tourism, the recalibrated strategy now includes crisis response, mitigation, management, and recovery.
The Governor, together with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, has been able to discuss support and core processes objectives of the strategy needed to attain the focus of positioning La Union as a secure, self-sufficient, and sustainable Province. These are all needed to achieve the overarching goal of improving the quality of life in a province worth living in. As the Governor declared, the Province has already achieved much since the start of the Transformation Journey, yet the Province will yet to improve its chances not only in survival but also in succession.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through the leadership of Vice Governor Mario Eduardo C. Ortega, expressed their sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the commendable leadership and hard work of the Governor. Moreover, the Honorable Body pledged their commitment and full support to the Governor and his plans for the Provincial Government to become a stronger institution equipped to build a stronger La Union for its people.
Be one with us in building a #StrongerLaUnion because we are Stronger Together!

The Provincial Government of La Union and its governance partners ensure strict implementation of protocols on the entry of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to the province, to protect the health safety and security of the general public.
PGLU emphasizes that OFWs who are locals of La Union should still be warmly welcomed as they arrive home and should not be hindered entry. However, proper protocols have to be enforced to prevent the potential transmission of the virus by these individuals who come from countries with high risk of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (CoViD-19).
The PGLU provides support to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office 1 (OWWA RWOI) in assisting OFWs as they arrive in the provincial border during their homeward travel.
As of July 31, 2020, the OWWA has facilitated the arrival of 1,212 OFWs in the province, coming mostly from Hongkong and Middle East. This is through the OWWA’s Hatid-Sundo Program, which started on March 18, 2020.
These OFWs arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City or the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. Upon their airport arrival, they are brought the OWWA-chartered quarantine facilities where they undergo swab test and wait for the result.
When the OFWs receive negative result from their RT-PCR test, they are then ferried by the OWWA to their respective home provinces. OFWs who yield positive from the RT-PCR are not allowed to travel to their home province, until they recover from the disease.
The PGLU, meanwhile, facilitates the triaging of the arriving OFWs upon their arrival at the provincial border in Rosario. OFWs who show symptoms are brought to the local isolation facilities. However, all arriving OFWs assisted so far were cleared at the checkpoint, and thus allowed to proceed home.
When they arrive home, the OFWs are still required to complete their 14-day home quarantine, which is being monitored by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) of their respective communities.
While it enforces stringent protocols for arriving OFWs, the PGLU also emphasizes the values of compassion of hospitality. Hence, the OFWs should be welcomed with love, because after all, they are our kaprobinsiaan who are toiling hard abroad to provide for their families. Nevertheless, even when far from home, they are also instrumental in our bid in building a #StrongerLaUnion.

KALUSUGAN NG MGA KABATAAN, PATULOY NA ISINUSULONG NG LA UNION
The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), through the Provincial Health Office (PHO), remains resolute in its efforts to promote health and wellness among the constituents, most especially children who are among the most vulnerable from COVID-19.
To cap the celebration of the National Nutrition Month this July, the PHO has distributed ‘nutrition bags’ to 22 kids in Brgy. Santiago Norte and Santiago Sur in the City of San Fernando, La Union on July 28, 2020.
The bags contained vitamins, slippers, pajamas, and nutritional snacks. The kids, who were all below five years old, also received hygiene kits composed of toothbrush, toothpaste, bath soap, face towel and face mask.
To guide the parents in the nutritional rearing of their children, they were given with information materials such as on Executive Order 004-2007 that highlights the importance of the provincial vegetable, malunggay, to good nutrition; anti-dengue tips; the Ten “Kumainments” promulgated by the National Nutrition Council; and the promotion of Iron-fortified rice consumption.
The PGLU recognizes the importance of nutrition, most especially now in this global health crisis. As such, we shall continue to promote our governance initiatives on health, as part of our journeys towards building a #StrongerLaUnion.

Our efforts in the Provincial Government to further strengthen our checkpoint protocols continue, together with the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection.
After the assessment and inspection on the operations of our border checkpoints, through the leadership of Gov Pacoy, the Provincial Core Team Against COVID-19 (PCTAC) Sub-Committee on Checkpoint and Security Capt Gregor Mendel Panelo together with Sub-Committee on Health Emergency Response, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Eduardo Posadas and Designate Assistant Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Alvin Cruz, convened with the Officers of the La Union Provincial Police Office headed by Provincial Director PCOL Jay R Cumigad today, July 27, 2020.
Through the meeting, the body was able to jointly conduct further assessment on border control and checkpoint operations. As a result, the LUPPO shall set up a command conference to reiterate the need to enforce stricter checkpoint protocols and to cascade the necessary appropriate actions.
As the government continues to strengthen its disease prevention and surveillance efforts, we enjoin our Kaprobinsiaan to continue being vigilant and to work closely with your local governments because we are definitely stronger when you are #WithUs!