President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday led the distribution of about 106 patient transport vehicles (PTVs) from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to local government units (LGUs) in Zamboanga Peninsula.

During a turnover ceremony in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, Marcos reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deliver PTVs to all municipalities in the country within the year.

He said unserved and underserved areas would be given priority, in line with his resolve to bring better healthcare access to all Filipinos.

“Ang ano natin sana itong buo, kabuuan ng ating pagbigay nitong patient transport vehicle ay matapos natin within the year magagawa na natin (What we hope is that we would be able to finish the distribution of these patient transport vehicles within the year),” Marcos said.

“And then, patuloy pa rin ang bigay namin kasi ‘yung ibang bayan malaki naman talaga, kailangan dalawa. So, titingnan na natin, ia-adjust na natin. So, ang minimum bawat bayan, bawat lungsod ay mayroong ganitong (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.”

A total of 106 PTVs were handed over to LGU beneficiaries from Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Sur, and Isabela City in Basilan.

Each PTV is equipped with essential medical tools, including a stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, first aid kit, blood pressure monitor, and medicine cabinet to ensure the safe and prompt transport of patients.

On July 9, the PCSO marked a milestone with the largest single-day distribution of PTVs, delivering 387 units to LGUs in Luzon.

The record turnover brought the total number of distributed units to 1,067 PTVs, covering 62 percent of the targeted 1,724 LGUs nationwide.

To raise the national coverage to 88 percent, the PCSO is eyeing the rollout of an additional 453 units in underserved areas, such as Eastern Visayas, Mindanao, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The PCSO has earmarked PHP1 billion in 2025 for the procurement of 375 additional PTV units, keeping the agency on track to achieve 100 percent PTV coverage of all LGUs by year-end under the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program. (PNA)