“Mobility for all” – the slogan that defines the new direction of Toyota around the globe – has moved to provide a bridge to make healthcare more accessible to people.

The Philippines has been chosen by Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) as one of the first countries to implement a mobility project – the Healthcare Mobility for All (HEAL) program – which offers mobility solutions to long hours of commute to reach healthcare services, and convenient commute for healthcare workers on early morning and night shifts.

The significance of the HEAL program was highlighted during the press conference held ahead of the 35th anniversary celebration of the Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) Foundation last Friday, July 25. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the TMF, TMP Foundation and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) was signed for the implementation of the program from July 2025 to December 2026.

The HEAL program will be supported by two Toyota Coasters equipped as mobile clinics and laboratories which will be deployed in Cavite – to bring healthcare services closer to the people. Its other component is the shuttle services of three Tamaraw vehicles for the mobility of healthcare workers, especially on night or early morning work shifts.

The program serves as a link to TMP Foundation’s new ‘Mobility+’ pillar, a new area of focus which aims to leverage the power of mobility to introduce new initiatives and enhance the Foundation's work in education, health, environment, and community service.

TMP Foundation chairman Alfred V. Ty said: “Taking inspiration from the "Lab For All" Program of the First Lady Louise Araneta - Marcos and aligning with the nation's priority on basic healthcare, TMP Foundation is proudly supporting such commendable initiative, reaching underserved areas with free medical laboratory services.”

“It is the very inspiration of our new Mobile Clinic initiative with Toyota Mobility Foundation, headed by Chairman Akio Toyoda, that we selected Philippine General Hospital or PGH to donate three Tamaraw vehicles to provide shuttle service for the much-needed commuting of the health workers to travel to the hospital daily, as well as, two units of Toyota Coaster mobile clinics to bring medical diagnostic and laboratory testing procedures to the province of Cavite,” he added.

TMP Foundation’s social responsibility is guided by the philosophy of the late TMP founding chairman, Dr. George S.K. Ty who espoused the value of giving back to society. “It has served as the guiding star of the TMP Foundation. It was a deep understanding of TMP’s role to make a difference in many lives in Philippine society,” Mr. Ty said.

The HEAL program’s core principle was also cited by Susumu Matsuda, TMF deputy chairman of the Board: “Mobility equals opportunity—this is what HEAL symbolizes. With strong partnership with Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation and Philippine General Hospital, we are excited to connect people to the care they need, when and where they need it.”

In an interview at the sidelines of the celebration last Friday, Prasanna Ganesh, TMF executive program director, said the two components of HEAL are the solutions to healthcare problems that many people encounter in the Philippines.

Using technology and innovation HEAL includes a booking app for patients to book appointments at the mobile clinic, and for healthcare workers to book their rides – so that people do not waste time waiting, he explained.

Mr. Ganesh said TMF uses technology and innovation to develop systems – or the ecosystem -- to provide mobility to more people. With the HEAL program, the solutions will bring a mobile clinic and laboratory to Ternate, Cavite, and regular shuttle service will provide transport for healthcare workers.

The healthcare and laboratory services of the program will be managed by the PGH Department of Family Medicine.

According to Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, PGH director, who was with the project since Day One, the project is timely as it’s impossible to put up a laboratory in every town, but the need to roll out primary care is very important. “By providing a town with laboratory services, we capacitate a town that has no formal primary care delivery service to have one.”

Equipped with modern medical laboratory facilities and managed by PGH doctors and systems, Dr. Legaspi is optimistic that the project will be successful and has the potential to be moved or replicated in other towns.

The clinics will be integrated into the existing PGH IT systems that will enable online consultation booking and will be supported by a queueing system to ensure efficient operations. This solution aims to optimize the time for simple diagnosis and treatment for patients in these areas.

Dr. Legaspi, who has devoted much of his services to PGH starting as professor in 1994, and becoming director in 2016, emphasized the importance of the program, stating that around 80 percent of current visits to PGH can potentially be handled at the local community level.

TMF was established by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in August 2014 in Japan. It works globally to develop more mobile societies and eliminate mobility disparities. The Philippines, through the HEAL project, now joins the roster of TMF grant countries, benefiting from initiatives that address pressing mobility challenges in the healthcare sector.

Mr. Ganesh traced the inspiration of the concept of HEAL from the Covid project where TMP provided safe transport to healthcare workers in Metro Manila and Santa Rosa, Laguna. Working with several Toyota teams, the TMF project then provided an app that allowed healthcare workers to book their rides, aside from a sanitization system to protect the drivers and the riders.

He said the team will run the HEAL project for a year. “Our job is to make the system, test it, make a standard operating procedure, then we give it to someone who can take over. Our project is never about just a donation. It’s about the whole ecosystem; the things that can impact the solution.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) Foundation, established in 1990, was built on the philosophy of founding chairman, Dr. George S.K. Ty: “We give back to society and the communities from which we derive our resources.”

“These words are more than a guiding principle—they are a solemn responsibility. As the social and humanitarian arm of Toyota Motor Philippines, TMP Foundation has always sought to uplift, to empower, and to contribute meaningfully to national development. For 35 years, TMP Foundation has pushed sustainable, people-centered and impactful programs. Guided by our four foundational pillars—Education, Health, Environment, and Community Service—we have touched thousands of lives across the country,” Jose Maria Aligada, TMP Foundation president, said in his speech at the anniversary program.

On the addition of ‘Mobility+’ as its fifth pillar, Mr. Aligada said this “will integrate innovative mobility solutions into our four core pillars—empowering communities, protecting the planet, and ensuring that progress is inclusive for all.”

“I will say that ‘Mobility+’ is more than transportation. It is a vehicle for hope, for equity, and for progress. As we mark 35 years of driving social progress and sustainability, we recognize that the road ahead is just as important as the one behind us. Let this anniversary be a celebration of what we have achieved, and a reminder of what we still must do,” he said.