President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, that all municipalities in the country will receive patient transport vehicles (PTVs) within the year. File photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed on Tuesday that all municipalities in the country will receive patient transport vehicles (PTVs) within the year.
In his speech during the turnover ceremony of 91 PTVs for Northern Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Marcos emphasized the importance of ensuring that each local government unit (LGU) in the country has at least one medical vehicle to bring patients to the nearest health facility.
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鈥淎s a former local government official, I know how important it is to have a vehicle that can be used whenever fellow citizens need to be brought to the hospital,鈥� he said in Filipino his speech at the Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan de Oro City.
鈥淲e all know that every second counts when it comes to health,鈥� he added.
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Since January 2025, Marcos said the government has already distributed 567 PTVs nationwide.
An additional 985 units are set to be delivered to LGUs that have yet to receive one, bringing the total to 1,552 PTVs to be distributed this year.
鈥淎ll in all, we will be distributing 1,552 units. We have 1,492 LGUs. That鈥檚 why some LGUs will be receiving their second unit this year,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hen this happens, for the first time, we can say that 100 percent of municipalities will be covered in just three years. This is an achievement that has never been done before in our history,鈥� he continued.
The initiative is part of the P2.2 billion budget allocated for purchasing聽1,000 PTVs to be distributed nationwide.
These state-of-the-art PTVs are being handed over to LGUs and hospitals through the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Each unit is equipped with a stretcher, oxygen tank, blood pressure monitor, and other supplies needed to ensure the safe and timely transportation of patients.