News | April 30, 2025 by Mark Lester F. Tejada, Jerwin P. Nohay and Justin B. Santos / Photos by: Arnold T. Ramos
Cagayan de Oro City — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) turned over 91 Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) to recipients from Northern Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), as part of its Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP).
The official turnover at the Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan de Oro City on April 22, 2025, was led by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and PCSO General Manager Mel Robles, alongside PCSO Chairman Felix Reyes and members of the Board.
The ceremony highlighted the distribution of 85 PTVs to Northern Mindanao and six PTVs to BARMM. Of the total recipients, 68 municipalities received an ambulance for the first time.
During his speech, Robles 
underscored the program’s purpose, noting, “Ang centerpiece po ng gobyerno ni Pangulong Marcos ay dalhin ang gobyerno sa tao. Bawat buhay po ay mahalaga. We give value to life.”
“Ang tunay na malasakit po, hindi lang pang-optics. Ang tunay na malasakit—ito po, nararamdaman, nasasakyan, nakakatulong, at nakakapagbigay-buhay. Bawat pasyenteng maisasakay ninyo at magkaroon ng pagkakataong lumaban para sa buhay niya. We will do everything para makatulong po sa inyo. ‘Yan po ang mandato namin sa PCSO, sapagkat hindi po kami umuurong sa pagtulong,” he added.
President Marcos also addressed the attendees, reaffirming the administration’s focus on accessible healthcare, “Ang programa ng PCSO ay sagot sa pangangailangan ng ating mga komunidad. Katuparan ng ating pangako na makapag-abot ng maagap at abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan sa bawat Pilipino, nasaan man sila. Ito po ay tugon ng isang pamahalaang handa, mabilis, at inyong maaasahan.”
To date, a total of 567 PTVs have been distributed under the Marcos administration (from June 30, 2022, to December 16, 2024). The latest turnover of 91 units is part of the government’s broader goal of achieving 100% ambulance allocation across all cities and municipalities nationwide.
The turnover ceremony marks another milestone in the Marcos administration’s broader campaign to strengthen public health systems and provide inclusive services to all Filipinos.
It also aligns with PCSO’s mission to provide every municipality with its own ambulance to enhance emergency response, especially in remote and underserved areas.
