By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Residents of La Union’s second district will soon have direct access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans without traveling to far-off tertiary hospitals, as the Department of Health broke ground on the new Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services MRI Housing in Barangay Francia Sur on October 26, 2026.
The DOH Ilocos Region, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, and the office of Congressman Dante S. Garcia led the groundbreaking for the facility.
The BUCAS MRI Housing is designed with modern, climate-controlled and radiation-shielded infrastructure to house advanced imaging equipment. Once operational, it is expected to cut waiting times and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for patients needing neurological, orthopedic, and oncology-related scans.
“By bringing specialized diagnostic services straight to the grassroots, we can ensure faster detection of neurological, muscular, and internal conditions,” the DOH said.
The facility will be directly linked to ITRMC for technical implementation and operations. Health officials said this partnership will ensure the center meets the same clinical standards and quality of care as a premier regional training hospital.
Officials present at the ceremony included DOH Ilocos Regional Director Helen D. Tobias, ITRMC Medical Center Chief II Unity H. Cortez, La Union 2nd District Rep. Dante Sotelo Garcia, KM Ngayon Na! Partylist Rep. Kenneth Paolo Tereng, Tubao Mayor Jonalyn Fontanilla-Piayas, BUCAS Center Facility Manager Christel Marie Seno, and BUCAS Center Management Coordinator Jan Paulette D. Velasco.
The BUCAS MRI Housing is targeted to serve BUCAS Center patients in La Union, making diagnostics more accessible and affordable to communities that previously had to seek services outside the province.
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