MARILAO, Bulacan — A stray dog or cat wandering onto an expressway may look like an animal-welfare problem. On a road where vehicles are traveling at highway speeds, however, it can quickly become a life-or-death road safety emergency.
That is the problem NLEX Corporation and the Marilao local government are now trying to tackle through an expanded “I Care for Strays” initiative that combines trained animal rescuers, a designated shelter, veterinary care and measures designed to keep animals from entering the expressway in the first place.
The latest phase includes a newly organized NLEX Animal Rescue Team, whose members have been trained to safely capture, handle and transport stray animals found along the North Luzon Expressway corridor. Rescued animals can then be turned over to Marilao’s Animal Shelter and Care Facility, following an agreement between NLEX and the municipal government.
But there is an important distinction: the I Care for Strays program itself did not begin in 2026.
NLEX originally launched the initiative in July 2024 in Barangay Patubig, Marilao, in partnership with the Bulacan provincial government, Marilao LGU and animal-welfare advocates. That first phase focused heavily on responsible pet ownership and controlling stray populations. More than 300 dogs and cats received free spaying or neutering, deworming and anti-rabies vaccination during the initial rollout.
The 2026 development represents a more operational approach: instead of focusing mainly on education and veterinary services, NLEX now has personnel specifically trained to respond when animals are actually found along the highway.
A Stray Animal on NLEX Is More Than an Animal-Welfare Issue
Expressways create an unusually dangerous environment for wandering animals.
A motorist suddenly encountering a dog or other animal can be forced to brake or swerve, potentially putting surrounding vehicles at risk as well. For NLEX, reducing those encounters therefore serves two objectives at once: protecting animals and preventing road crashes.
NLEX President and General Manager Luis S. Reñon described the Marilao partnership as part of the company’s broader road-safety advocacy, saying the initiative is intended to reduce incidents involving stray animals through rescue operations, proper care and coordination with local governments.
Marilao’s municipal government had formally prepared for the arrangement months earlier.
Municipal records show that Resolution No. 2026-49, dated March 9, authorized Mayor Jemina M. Sy to enter into an agreement with NLEX Corporation for the implementation of the I Care for Strays program in Marilao.
NLEX Now Has a Dedicated Animal Rescue Team
Under the expanded program, NLEX established its Animal Rescue Team, or ART, with members trained by Marilao’s Animal Shelter and Care Facility in humane animal handling, rescue and transport.
The rescuers have also received vaccinations as protection against health risks such as rabies exposure while handling unfamiliar animals.
Once rescued, stray animals can be brought to Marilao’s shelter instead of simply being removed from the roadway without a clear destination.
NLEX is also expected to provide monthly animal feed and support continued monitoring of animals placed in the facility, according to reports on the partnership.
That makes the arrangement more than an emergency roadside response system. It creates a chain of care stretching from rescue on the expressway to sheltering and welfare monitoring afterward.
Prevention May Be the Bigger Part of the Program
Catching animals that have already entered NLEX is only one part of the strategy.
The tollway operator has also said it conducts daily inspections of perimeter fences, reinforces drainage culverts that could become possible animal entry points, and works with nearby barangays to promote responsible pet ownership.
That preventive approach is significant because stray-animal incidents are often linked not only to truly ownerless animals but also to pets that are allowed to roam freely near major roads.
The broader NLEX road-safety campaign has previously included barangay education covering animal welfare laws, responsible pet ownership, disease prevention, animal behavior and stray population management.
Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s reporting on the program said the NLEX component had already provided spay, neuter, deworming and anti-rabies services to 333 pets belonging to 221 owners, while related outreach reached stakeholders around SCTEX communities as well.
What Began With Vaccinations Is Turning Into a Highway Safety Network
The evolution of I Care for Strays shows how the program has broadened since its 2024 launch.
At first, the initiative centered largely on community education, vaccination and population control.
Now, NLEX is adding trained roadside responders, a formal shelter arrangement and continuing animal-care support.
That could prove particularly important along a high-speed transport corridor such as NLEX, where even a single animal entering active traffic can create danger not only for itself but for drivers, passengers and other road users.
The real measure of the program’s success, however, will not simply be how many animals its rescue team catches.
It will be whether fewer animals make it onto the expressway at all.
And if the Marilao model succeeds, the bigger question may be whether similar rescue-and-shelter partnerships could eventually be expanded to other communities along NLEX and SCTEX.
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