BONTOC, Mountain Province – The municipal government (LGU) recently blessed the newly-acquired Patient Transport Vehicle (PTV) from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on April 6, 2022.
Since the municipality currently has one ambulance donated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1992, Mayor Franklin Odsey requested the PCSO for the provision of a new PTV.
According to the mayor, persistent follow-up were done at the PCSO through the Provincial PCSO with the endorsement of the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan which led to the receipt by the mayor of the new PTV from the officers of the PCSO and Toyota Motor Corporation at the Toyota Otis dealership on April 1.
Aside from the blessing of the ambulance, the improved Municipal Health Office Extension at Barangay Poblacion and Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Strategy (TB-DOTS) Center located at the First Floor of the Municipal Capitol were also blessed.
According to Engineer Edmarie Kitongan of the Office of the Municipal Engineer, the repair and improvement of the Bontoc Rural Health Unit was funded by the Department of Health (DOH), while the municipal government implemented the project after downloading the fund of ₱1,000,000 from DOH. Kitongan added that the construction started on August 2, 2021, until December 7, 2021.
In an interview, Mayor Odsey expressed his utmost gratitude to the PCSO for granting his request for a provision of a PTV for the municipality.
“On behalf of the people and officialdom of Bontoc, I thank the PCSO for this PTV as the municipality is in dire need of additional vehicles for patient transport and to deliver our health services to the far-flung barangays. I also thank the DOH for their unending support for our municipality. These new facilities and new Patient Transport Vehicle would allow our health workers to provide more competent and improved health services to the people of Bontoc” he added
The blessing was officiated by the Very Reverend Lucrecia Turtem of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines.
Present during the blessing of the PTV and the improved health facilities were municipal elective officials, employees, partner stakeholders from the national government agencies, provincial government, and barangay officials.
Photo by Armando Bolislis
