The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has achieved 98 percent completion of its nationwide Patient Transport Vehicle (PTV) rollout, reaching 1,620 out of 1,642 cities and municipalities across the country.

The milestone was marked during a turnover ceremony on Nov. 25 at the New Government Center in Bacolod City, where 82 PTVs were distributed to local government units in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

PCSO Chairman and retired judge Felix Reyes, PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles, PCSO and Director Jennifer Guevara led the turnover rites and presented symbolic keys to local officials.

Of the 82 vehicles, 37 were allocated to localities in the Negros Island Region—11 in Negros Occidental, 22 in Negros Oriental, and four in Siquijor.

Western Visayas received 45 units, distributed as follows: one in Guimaras, seven in Aklan, eight in Antique, nine in Capiz, and 20 in Iloilo province.

Robles said the program reflects the administration’s push to “work faster, reach farther, and serve better.”

“If we do not have a healthy population, we cannot have a happy nation. We must bring healthcare directly to the people,” he said.

He added that the PTVs, equipped to respond to medical emergencies, will ensure safer and faster transport for patients needing immediate care.

The vehicles are expected to improve inter-island healthcare mobility, particularly for communities reliant on distant hospitals for specialized treatment.

For 2025, the PCSO has earmarked P1 billion for the procurement of an additional 395 vehicles to further expand the program and ensure regions still without PTVs gain access to critical healthcare transport services.