BAGUIO CITY – A number of local governments, hospitals and foundations in the different parts of the region received a total of 21 brand new ambulances from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in order to boost the delivery of health care services to the grassroots level and contribute in efficiently and effectively responding to emergency situations in their respective places.
Lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas, PCSO general manager, handed over the brand new ambulances to local officials and health personnel of the concerned local governments, hospitals and foundations who were recipients of the said vehicles.
The local governments that received one each brand new ambulances included Baguio City, the towns of Tublay, Bokod, Bakun, La Trinidad, Mankayan, Kapangan and Kibungan; the municipalities of Lagawe, Asipulo, Mayoyao, Hungduan, Lamut and Aguinaldo in Ifugao and Sabangan, Bauko, Natonin, Paracelis and Besao in Mountain Province,
For hospitals, the recipient of the ambulances included Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), Mayoyao District Hospital, Hungduan District Hospital, Ifugao General Hospital, Ifugao Provincial Health Office, Benguet Provincial Health Office and the Blessed Association of Retired Persons (BARP) Foundation, Inc..
Earlier, Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin received five ambulances from the PCSO which will in turn be distributed to the different government health facilities in the province primarily to contribute in responding to emergency situations among others in the different parts of the province.
Aside from the municipal mayors and health personnel, those who personally attended the turnover of the ambulances were Rep. Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr., Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, Benguet Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan and Ifugao Gov. Dennis Habawel.
Under the guidelines for the grant of ambulances to those who need the same, provincial governments, city governments and municipal governments of first to third class municipalities are required to shell out the 40 percent of the total cost of the vehicle that is equipped with sufficient first aid medical equipment while PCSO will shoulder the 60 percent of the cost.
However, for fourth to sixth class municipalities, PCSO decided to waive the 40 percent counterpart of recipient local governments in the name of public service, particularly the delivery of health services to the people.
Rojas cited PCSO remains committed in helping local governments improve the delivery of health care services to their constituents through the provision of brand new ambulances needed in responding to emergency situations in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
Rojas also turned over to Mayor Domogan a check amounting to P1.6 million representing the city’s accumulated share from the gross sales of lotto and keno outlets operating in the City from the period January to June this year.
Mayor Edna C. Tabanda also received a similar check amounting to P325,000 from the PCSO for the same reason while the provincial government also got a check of P140,000 for the similar situation.
PCSO officials revealed the cost of one ambulance with the necessary units of equipment is more or less P850,000.
Rojas urged the public to continue patronizing the various lotto and keno on-line games being offered by the PCSO considering that part of the sales are immediately separate for charity purposes while a portion of the charity fund is being segregated as share of the host local governments to fund their respective social services projects.
For Abra, Bersamin cited priority will be given to the major requirements of government hospitals and large district hospitals among other public health facilities in order for health personnel to be able to immediately respond to emergency situations.
Also present during the turnover of the ambulances to the concerned beneficiaries were members of the PCSO Board of Directors Francisco Joaquin and Bernadette Nantes and Baguio-Benguet Provincial District Officer Dr. Ernieli P. Dancel.
By Dexter A. See
