Lanao del sur: Local officials in Lanao del Sur have expressed their gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for providing brand-new land ambulances, which they say will significantly improve health services for their constituents.

According to Philippines News Agency, in separate statements released Tuesday, Madamba Municipal Mayor Jalani Momoy Macalbe Mindalano and Binidayan Mayor Mohammad Dimaporo praised the President for fulfilling his promise to enhance health services, particularly in Lanao del Sur's geographically hard-to-reach areas.

Mayor Mindalano expressed appreciation for the President's support, stating the effort will uplift health systems across the province. Meanwhile, Mayor Dimaporo described the distribution of the land ambulances as a milestone in strengthening emergency health response and improving life-saving services, especially in isolated areas.

Binidayan and Madamba were among the local government units in Lanao del Sur that received state-of-the-art land ambulances from the Department of Health (DOH). This initiative responds to the President's directive to accelerate the distribution of modern equipment and technologies to improve health service delivery nationwide.

According to DOH Secretary Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa, all 41 ambulances are complete with life-saving equipment. The beneficiaries include the 39 municipalities of Lanao del Sur, along with one ambulance each for Marawi City and the Lanao del Sur provincial government.

On July 11, Secretary Herbosa, along with Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development Nasser C. Pangandaman Sr., Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and other national and regional agency heads, led the distribution of these ambulances to LGUs in Lanao del Sur, which is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The 41 ambulances were acquired through funds from the DOH's Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) for 2023-2024.