LA UNION, Philippines — Pushing for safer and more resilient communities, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), continues to set standards for disaster resilience as it recognized top Local Government Units (LGUs) with exemplary emergency response during the Resilience in Emergency and Disaster: Sustainable and Ecologically Adaptive LGUs (RED SEAL) Awarding Ceremony at the Speaker Pro Tempore Francisco I. Ortega Convention Center, City of San Fernando, La Union,on July 24.

The Provincial Selection Committee led the comprehensive evaluation process that named the City of San Fernando and the municipalities of Naguilian, Bacnotan, Balaoan, and Burgos as the RED SEAL 2026 Top Five LGUs.

The evaluation included a desk review of the submitted Project Summary Briefs and supporting documents, on-site validation, and a final deliberation.

The PGLU, through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, awarded the City of San Fernando the Gold Award with ₱1,000,000.00 worth of capacity-building initiatives, structural projects, or equipment.

The province also awarded ₱750,000.00 to Naguilian as Silver Awardee, and ₱500,000.00 to Bacnotan as Bronze Awardee.

To further strengthen local capacities for disasters, Balaoan received the Basic Water Rescue (BAWAR) Training Package, while the Burgos received the High-Angle Search and Rescue (HASAR) Training Package.

The province also awarded Plaques of Appreciation to all participating local government units in recognition of their valuable involvement and commitment to advancing disaster resilience across La Union.

Conferred for the first time this year, the RED SEAL Award recognizes LGUs with exemplary, sustainable, innovative, and ecologically adaptive practices in disaster risk reduction and management.

It highlights programs and projects that effectively address local disaster risks, promote community participation, produce measurable results, and offer the potential for sustainability and replication in other communities.