CEBU CITY – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) turned over 18 Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) 10 provinces in the Visayas under its Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP) on June 25, 2026, at Toyota Mabolo, Pope John Paul ll Avenue, Mabolo, Cebu City, in line with the Marcos administration’s healthcare agenda of bringing quality healthcare services closer to every Filipino.
PCSO general manager, Melquiades Robles said, in his message at the event that the these PTVs will help bring health care services closer to those who need them most, especially those living in remote and underserved communities.
“Likewise, the lotto shares that we will be released today will provide additional sources that can support programs, projects, and initiatives that improve the welfare of your constituents. More importantly, this gathering serves as a reminder that every PCSO ticket purchased contributes to a greater purpose,” Robles said
These 18 PTVs represent a total investment of P38.502 million from PCSO and were turned over today to the local government units/provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastem Samar, Northemn Samar, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
These are intended to augment the transport capabilities and enhance the delivery of healthcare services, especially in communities where access to hospitals and medical facilities remains a challenge, Robles added.
Toyota-Mabolo in Cebu has already completed distributing ambulances to the different cities and municipalities all over the Philippines. These are Toyota Hi-ace Commuter Deluxe with a 2.8 engine and each unit costs P2.2M to P2.3M and comes with stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, BP monitor, first-aid kit, medicine cabinet, said Yvonne Bala, Toyota-Mabolo sales manager.
All of the recipients chose Toyota because of its durability, reliability, and if you are going to bring these vehicles to the provinces, it would be easy to maintain, even like a local mechanic knows how to maintain a Toyota vehicle, Bala added.
Robles bared that with this latest distribution, PCSO has now distributed a total of 1,731 PTVs to provinces, cities, municipalities, and government hospitals nationwide, further strengthening the agency's support for accessible and responsive healthcare services across the country.
PCSO’s goal is one ambulance for each city, municipality nationwide. For the Visayas, there have been three major batches recently including the Negros Island Region + Western Visayas with 82 PTVs in November 2025 at the Bacolod City Gov’t Center; 37 units for NIR--11 Negros Occidental, 22 Negros Oriental, 4 Siquijor; 45 units for Region 6--Aklan 7, Antique 8, Capiz 9, Iloilo 20, and one for Guimaras.
Eastern Visayas had 124 PTVs distributed on August 18, 2025 with Ormoc City led by PBBM, covering Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar. Many LGUs got ambulance for first time. Aklan had 2 PTVs on June 1, 2026 turnover, Part of P26.5M package with medical equipment.
Robles added that the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP) is one of PCSO's key initiatives aimed at strengthening local healthcare systems and emergency medical response capabilities.
Through the donation of these PTVs, PCSO helps ensure the safe, efficient, and timely transport of patients, especially those residing in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. The program also supports provincial and local health facilities in responding to medical emergencies, disasters, recovery efforts, and rehabilitation activities.
Cebu Province Governor, Pamela Baricuatro thanked the PCSO for these PTVs, a true value of the collective efforts between the national and local government units to expand health programs to reach even more Filipinos in need of better health services, she said.
By providing these vehicles to local government units, PCSO reinforces its mission of delivering meaningful assistance to communities and improving access to essential healthcare services. The turnover underscores the agency's commitment to translating gaming revenues into programs that directly benefit Filipinos particularly those in need of medical and health-related support
Meanwhile, during the turnover event, the PCSO also distributed checks as lotto shares to select beneficiary local government units from PCSO's lotto revenues for the period of July to December 2025.
The Province of Cebu received P694,180.45, while the Province of Eastern Samar received P276,825.94 and the Province of Leyte is set to receive P1,095,531.25. Tthe Province of Northern Samar received P986,794.95; thee Province of Negros Oriental received P253,414.53 and the Province of Siquijor received P53,737.56. The City Government of Cebu received P2,169,768.96.
Robles said that these allocations show how
PCSO gaming revenues are returned to communities, helping local governments
fund programs and services for their constituents. (Photos: MBCNewman)
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