Key points:
- PHP 20m ($340,000) worth of Patient Transport Vehicles handed over
- Beneficiaries include municipalities in Isabela, Palawan and Batangas, plus Parañaque City and MMSU
- Vehicles are equipped with stretcher, oxygen, wheelchair and GPS
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has provided 10 fully equipped Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) to several local government units and a state university in a bid to strengthen medical response capabilities in underserved areas.
The turnover ceremony, held on 26 June at the PAGCOR Corporate Office in Pasay City, saw the distribution of PTVs to the municipalities of Palanan, Quezon, San Isidro, Cabagan, San Mariano and San Pablo in Isabela province. Additional recipients included Parañaque City, Tanauan in Batangas, Balabac in Palawan and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Ilocos Norte.
Each unit is outfitted with a GPS navigation system and essential medical supplies such as a stretcher with mounted restraints, oxygen tank, wheelchair and a standard first aid kit. These vehicles aim to support swift patient transfers, particularly from remote or geographically isolated areas where travel to higher-level hospitals may take hours.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco highlighted the agency’s commitment to bridging healthcare access gaps through targeted assistance. He emphasised the importance of providing marginalised communities with reliable tools for emergency response.
Good to know: PAGCOR regularly funds social responsibility initiatives, with healthcare support being one of its priority areas alongside education and infrastructure
Local officials, including Cabagan Mayor Christopher Mamauag, welcomed the donation, noting its significance in reducing transport delays and potentially improving patient outcomes. In areas like Cabagan, where tertiary care is not readily accessible, the vehicle is expected to play a vital role in enhancing emergency response efficiency.
The initiative reflects PAGCOR’s broader mandate to channel gaming revenues into social development efforts across the country.
