The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Tuesday, November 25, turned over 82 brand-new patient transport vehicles (PTVs) to local government units (LGU) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) and Western Visayas, strengthening the government’s emergency medical response network.
At the turnover ceremony at the Bacolod City Government Center, PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles and Chairperson Felix Reyes handed the symbolic keys to mayors from beneficiary LGUs.
Robles emphasized that the PCSO aims to ensure visible and direct government support in every community.
PCSO allocated 37 of the 82 units to the Negros Island Region. In Negros Occidental, PCSO turned over PTVs to the cities of San Carlos, Silay, Cadiz, Sipalay, Victorias, and Talisay, and to the municipalities of Calatrava, San Enrique, Binalbagan, Toboso, and Moises Padilla.
In Negros Oriental, it distributed 22 units to the cities of Dumaguete, Bayawan, Bais, Guihulngan, Tanjay, and Canlaon, and to the municipalities of La Libertad, Tayasan, Manjuyod, Sibulan, Vallehermoso, Zamboanguita, Pamplona, Bacong, Amlan, Dauin, Siaton, Bindoy, Jimalalud, Santa Catalina, and Basay.
In Siquijor, the municipalities of Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, and San Juan each received one unit.
PCSO issued the remaining 45 PTVs to Western Visayas, sending one to Guimaras, seven to Aklan, eight to Antique, nine to Capiz, and 20 to Iloilo Province.
Each vehicle carries a stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, first-aid kit, blood pressure monitor, and medicine cabinet, PCSO said.
Through the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program, PCSO implements President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide every province, city, and municipality with a patient transport vehicle.
Robles said the agency now covers 98 percent of LGUs nationwide, calling this progress unprecedented.
With the 82 units released in Bacolod, PCSO now records a total of 1,620 PTVs distributed across the country.
The agency allocated PHP 1 billion this year to procure 395 more units, aiming to complete the nationwide distribution and reach 100 percent coverage by the end of 2025.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.