SCENIC LAGUNA TOWN GETS SOCIO-CIVIC CENTER FROM PAGCOR

LUISIANA, Laguna – The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) formally inaugurated on Friday, March 21, 2025, its 49th socio-civic center in this town that is expected to benefit more than 2,000 residents.

The Php50 million facility built in Barangay San Isidro can also serve 22 neighboring barangays in Luisiana, also known as the “Little Baguio of Laguna.”

The new PAGCOR-funded Socio-Civic Center in Louisiana, Laguna will benefit over 2,000 residents of Barangay San Isidro as well as those living in 22 neighboring barangays in the municipality.

The two-story structure will function as a community hub and an evacuation center during emergencies. It features common restrooms on both floors, a multipurpose open area, dining halls, a kitchen, a first-aid room, storage spaces and a breastfeeding room.

Luisiana Mayor Jomapher Uy Alvarez underscored the facility’s role in the town’s development as the local government prepares for the reconstruction of its municipal hall.

PAGCOR Community Relations and Services Department (CRSD) Assistant VP Eric Balcos (center) and Luisiana Mayor Jomapher Uy Alvarez (2 nd from right) lead the ribbon-cutting for the newly built Socio-Civic Center in Barangay San Isidro. They are joined by PAGCOR and local government representatives.

“We are sincerely grateful for the timely completion of this socio-civic center which will be highly beneficial to our town,” he said.

“Our municipal hall has aged significantly, and with its planned reconstruction in 2025, this socio civic facility will serve as a crucial extension for local government operations,” Alvarez noted.

(From left) PAGCOR CRSD Senior Manager Joaquin Abejar, Assistant VP Eric Balcos, Luisiana Mayor Jomapher Uy Alvarez and Vice Mayor Luibic Jacob unveil the marker for the Php50 million PAGCOR-funded Socio-Civic Center in Luisiana, Laguna.

Sangguniang Barangay Member Joseph Pedron for his part emphasized the facility’s dual purpose for the community.
“This PAGCOR-funded socio-civic center will be a tremendous help to us,” he said.

“It can accommodate evacuees in times of calamities, and given its well-built infrastructure, it can also generate income for our barangay and municipality,” he said.

PAGCOR Assistant VP Eric Balcos (7 th from left, front row) leads the ceremonial key turnover to Luisiana Mayor Jomapher Uy Alvarez (8 th from left, front row) during the inauguration of the PAGCOR-funded facility in Luisiana, Laguna on March 21.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR Assistant Vice President for Community Relations and Services Eric Balcos, who graced the facility’s inauguration, urged the residents to take responsibility for maintaining the building to ensure its long-term use.

“We ask that the community take good care of this center as if it were their own home so that future generations of Luisiana residents can continue to benefit from it,” Mr. Balcos said.