00:00The President flew to familiar and familial grounds in eastern Visayas not only to check on the status of his zero-billing program,
00:08but to distribute 124 more patient transport vehicles to the communities in the three Samar provinces, Leyte and Biliran.
00:17These rugged and all-terrain vehicles assure patients in remote areas of the region of a link or a lifeline to much-needed medical treatment, as our Kenneth Paciente reports.
00:30The government has expanded the scope of communities that will benefit from the Patient Transport Vehicles, or PTV, a project of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, or PCSO.
00:39This after President Ferdinand R. Marcus, Jr. led the distribution of an additional 124 PTVs to local governments in eastern Visayas,
00:48including LGUs from Biliran, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Leyte.
00:54According to the President, this is part of the government's efforts to strengthen the country's health care system,
01:00and equip LGUs with the capability to respond quickly to emergencies.
01:04This is our continuing effort to strengthen our health care system,
01:09and to bring health care back as low down to the smallest members of our society.
01:19After the latest distribution, the total number of emergency vehicles given by the government has reached 1,297,
01:30equivalent to 75% of all LGUs in the country.
01:33The target is to provide all LGUs nationwide with PTVs before the end of the year, before starting the second round of distribution.
01:40Kasi pag natapos na namin mag-100% na lahat itong 1,642 na bayan at saka lunsod,
01:48bubalikan din namin. E meron dyan talaga, yung maliit, okay na yung isa, pero yung malalaki, kulang.
01:53So baka bigyan na naman natin ng isa pa.
01:56So we have to patuloy, nakpatuloy lang ito, patuloy lang namin gagawin hanggang medyo naman maayos na yung ating sistema.
02:04Each medical vehicle is equipped with a stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, first aid kit, blood pressure monitor, and medicine cabinet.
02:12The chief executive also added that the vehicles are suitable to the country, especially for small roads, so they can respond quickly.
02:19He also said that there will be no need to worry about spare parts in case of malfunction.
02:24Itong brand na ito, very, very reliable yan.
02:26At saka kagaya ng aking nasabi, kahit sinong mekaniko dito sa Pilipinas, kaya nilang ayusin ito.
02:32At hindi mahirap makuha ang pyesa.
02:35Kaya talagaan nyo lang, tatagal ng mabuti yan.
02:37Several local governments expressed gratitude for this initiative of the government.
02:41This gift is nothing less than a game changer in terms of our LGU's abilities to provide prompt transportation services for those that require emergency medical facilities.
02:58Kenneth Pasiente from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
