The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) today turned over nine Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) to various local government units (LGUs) to boost healthcare delivery in remote and disaster-affected areas.
Beneficiaries include municipalities of Mataas na Kahoy (Batangas), Paniqui (Tarlac), Bolinao (Pangasinan), Norzagaray (Bulacan), and five Ilocos Norte municipalities: Bangui, Carasi, Dumalneg, Pagudpud, and Adams.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the initiative underscores the agency’s commitment to bring critical services closer to Filipinos in need as ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Through these vehicles, we help ensure that people living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas can receive timely medical care,” Tengco said.
The donation follows Super Typhoon Nando’s devastating impact on Ilocos Norte, causing widespread flooding, prolonged power outages, and mass displacement.
Local officials emphasized the PTVs’ importance for both disaster response and daily medical emergencies.
“Every time may nangangailangan ng transportation sa mga pasyente, dinadala natin sila sa Laoag Hospital, sa Provincial Hospital, o sa Batac Hospital na umaabot ng 80 to 100KM ang layo. Kaya naman itong ibinigay ng PAGCOR ay napakalaking tulong at napakalaking ginhawa para sa aming mga constituents,” said Pagudpud Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito II.
Each PTV features GPS navigation, stretcher, medical oxygen, wheelchair, and a first aid kit for safe, efficient patient transfer.
Since February, PAGCOR has distributed 60 PTVs to LGUs, public hospitals, frontline agencies, and military units nationwide.
