President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. affirmed his commitment to accessible and efficient healthcare for all Filipinos, overseeing the distribution of 229 Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to various provinces across Mindanao.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony in Butuan City, President Marcos underscored the vital link between health and national well-being. “This is something that we are very, very confident will make a big difference in our healthcare system,” the President stated. “At the very basic, if you do not have a healthy population, you cannot have a happy population. And that is what we need to do. We have to bring healthcare down to the people.”
A second simultaneous distribution was held in Kidapawan City, where 229 PTVs were collectively distributed to the Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), in addition to recipients in the Caraga and Zamboanga Peninsula regions.
The President highlighted that the distribution prioritized local government units (LGUs) that were previously without any form of patient transport. “Iyan po ang inuna naming, ‘yung mga walang-wala, kahit na kailan hindi pa nagkaroon. Alam naman natin na kailangan-kailangan nito,” President Marcos explained, emphasizing the focus on areas of greatest need.
Each PTV, costing PHP 2.3 million, is specifically designed for the country’s challenging road conditions—including narrow roads and rough terrain—to ensure timely and safe patient transport, even in remote areas. This is a deliberate shift from standard ambulance models that often become inoperable due to a lack of spare parts or inability to navigate smaller routes.
Each vehicle is equipped with essential emergency tools, including a stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, first-aid kit, blood pressure monitor, and vital medicines.
The PTV distribution is a key component of the PCSO Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program, launched in 2019 following the President’s directive to ensure every city and municipality has an operational PTV by 2025.
The PCSO has made significant progress toward this goal, having distributed 1,540 units as of October 5, 2025, representing 89 percent of the total 1,724 target units. The PCSO has allocated PhP1 billion this year to procure 395 additional PTVs, aiming for 100-percent coverage for all LGUs.
“Committed to improving healthcare delivery in underserved areas,” the distribution of these PTVs marks a major step forward in the administration’s efforts to provide reliable and accessible healthcare services to Filipinos nationwide.
