President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday led the turnover of over 500 wheelchairs intended for indigent patients in Ilocos Norte.

The 575 wheelchairs, distributed through the initiative of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), were handed over to the province’s 21 municipalities and two cities, with each receiving 25 units.

The ceremonial distribution, held at the Imelda Cultural Center in Batac City, was part of the celebration for the 108th birth anniversary of Marcos’ father and namesake, the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

“Thank you, Mr. President, for the wheelchairs given to our constituents in need,” Rose Ingrid Salvador, a staff at the Pagudpud mayor’s office who facilitated the transport of the wheelchairs to Pagudpud after the turnover, said.

Acting Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Rochelle Gajes welcomed the donated equipment, noting that many of the patients seeking assistance in her office request for wheelchairs.

Meanwhile, also as part of Marcos Sr.’s birth anniversary celebration, a free dialysis treatment was given to patients at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac City.

The hospital’s chorale also offered traditional Ilocano songs to patients in honor of the Marcos patriarch, fondly called “Apo Lakay” by Ilocanos.

Under the directive of President Marcos Jr., the administration has undertaken various healthcare improvement initiatives, including zero balance billing in government hospitals, expanded Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) coverage, and distribution of patient transport vehicles to all 1,642 local government units nationwide by year-end. (PNA)