To ensure that patients with medical needs are properly transported, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday to provide patient transport vehicles (PTVs) to all cities and municipalities before the end of the year.

In his speech during the turnover of 387 more PTVs to local government units (LGUs) in Luzon, President Marcos said that all 149 cities and 1,493 municipalities should have at least one such vehicle.

Under General Manager Melquiades A. Robles, the PCSO has already distributed 680 PTVs from July 2022 to June 2025.

“Ang instruction ko kay GM Mel Robles, sabi ko sa kanya kailangan by the end of the year, masabi natin na lahat na ng cities and municipalities ay nabigyan na natin nitong patient transport vehicle,” the President said.

President Marcos is also set to distribute 123 more PTVs to LGUs in Eastern Visayas and 105 in Mindanao.

After all cities and municipalities have received a PTV, President Marcos said the more populous LGUs will get more than one such vehicle.

“Ang plano natin sa susunod dahil siyempre ‘yung ibang bayan mas malaki sa ibang bayan, ‘yung city mas malaki sa ibang city, titingnan ngayon natin kung ano ‘yung pangangailangan. We have to base it already on the population ng bawat lugar,” President Marcos said.

“So ‘yung malalaki talaga, kahit nabigyan ng isa, kailangan balikan natin dahil sa laki ng kanilang populasyon eh kailangan natin maserbisyuhan lahat,” the President added. ǀ PND