Dipolog city: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday spearheaded the distribution of 106 patient transport vehicles (PTVs) provided by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to local government units (LGUs) in the Zamboanga Peninsula. This initiative highlights Marcos' dedication to enhancing healthcare accessibility across the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, the turnover ceremony took place in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, where President Marcos reiterated his administration's goal to ensure that all municipalities receive PTVs by the end of the year. He emphasized giving priority to unserved and underserved regions to improve healthcare access for all Filipinos.
Marcos stated, "What we hope is that we would be able to finish the distribution of these patient transport vehicles within the year. We will continue to provide PTVs because other towns are large that they need two. So, we will look into that and make adjustments. The minimum is that every town, every city has this patient transport vehicle."
The distribution included beneficiaries from Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Sur, and Isabela City in Basilan. Each PTV is equipped with vital medical tools, such as a stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, first aid kit, blood pressure monitor, and medicine cabinet, to ensure safe and timely patient transport.
On July 9, the PCSO achieved a record milestone by distributing 387 PTV units to LGUs in Luzon in a single day, raising the total to 1,067 units. This covers 62 percent of the targeted 1,724 LGUs nationwide. To increase national coverage to 88 percent, the PCSO plans to deploy an additional 453 units in underserved areas, including Eastern Visayas, Mindanao, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The PCSO has allocated PHP1 billion in 2025 to procure 375 more PTV units, aiming to achieve complete PTV coverage for all LGUs by year-end under the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program.
