SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union―The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region 1 inaugurated its newly constructed Regional Environmental Laboratory Building.
Opened on February 5, 2026, the facility aims to improve environmental monitoring and safeguard public health across the Ilocos Region.
The four-storey building strengthens the bureau’s capacity to test air and water samples, verify compliance with standards and support data-driven regulatory actions.
Officials noted that the laboratory will enhance permitting, monitoring and enforcement to ensure development projects meet environmental laws.
EMB Ilocos director Nicanor C. Esteban said the facility makes the region one of the best-equipped in the country.
“We are now among the regions with the best environmental laboratories. We have officially received the turnover of the building, and we commit to using it properly in serving the public,” Esteban said.
EMB assistant director Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe said the project reflects agency coordination and a shared goal of environmental protection. She added the laboratory demonstrates how partnerships turn into concrete services.
“We will provide even better services to our partners. We will continue to go beyond what is expected and extend all the help we can,” Naz-Hipe said.
She thanked the provincial government of La Union for the site and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for funding the construction.
PIA Region 1
DPWH Ilocos regional director Richard A. Ragasa formally transferred the building to EMB Region 1 for full use.
La Union Governor Mario Eduardo C. Ortega, meanwhile, stressed the duty of local governments to support programs that balance development with environmental protection.
“It is our duty to coordinate, facilitate and support all programs that will benefit the community,” Ortega said.
The facility is expected to improve pollution assessment and evidence-based governance.
By providing scientific data, the facility will help ensure that regional economic growth remains environmentally responsible. PIA Region 1
