Butuan city: First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos on Tuesday spearheaded the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in distributing 44 Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) to local government units across Mindanao. This initiative aligns with the administration's pledge to enhance healthcare accessibility and adheres to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s mandate of bringing essential services closer to Filipinos.
According to Philippines News Agency, the event at the Libertad Sports Complex in Butuan City is a segment of PCSO's ongoing rollout of PTVs nationwide under its Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP). This program is aimed at bolstering patient mobility, emergency medical response, and access to healthcare facilities for local governments.
PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles emphasized that the allocation of these vehicles is a testament to the agency's dedication to converting charity funds into direct and impactful community assistance. "Every Patient Transport Vehicle we turn over today represents PCSO's commitment to bring help closer to our kababayans (countrymen), especially during moments when timely medical response can save lives," Robles stated.
The 44 PTVs have been allocated to various local government units in Mindanao, including those in Agusan del Norte, Sulu, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi. Municipalities in Camiguin, such as Catarman, Guinsiliban, Mahinog, Mambajao, and Sagay, are also among the beneficiaries.
Robles reiterated that the ongoing distribution of PTVs is rooted in PCSO's mission to ensure that the benefits from its gaming operations are returned to the public via tangible health and social services. "Sa bawat taya, may kawanggawa (Every bet has charity). This is the heart of PCSO's work. We continue to expand the distribution of these vehicles so that more local government units can be assisted, more patients can be reached, and healthcare services can be delivered more quickly to those in need," he added.
The newly distributed PTVs are anticipated to enhance local governments' capacity to offer prompt patient transport services, especially during medical emergencies. Additionally, these vehicles may support local health initiatives, disaster preparedness, and response, recovery, and rehabilitation efforts.
"This turnover is part of our continuing effort to make PCSO's charity work felt in more communities. We will continue to support the healthcare priorities of the Marcos administration and work with local governments so that more Filipinos can access the help they need, when they need it," Robles noted.
Prior to this distribution in Butuan, PCSO also handed over 13 PTV units to seven provinces affected by an earthquake, namely Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato, following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Maasim, Sarangani Province, on June 8.
