Toyota Mabolo has delivered 18 Toyota Hiace Commuter Deluxe patient transport vehicles to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), expanding access to emergency medical transportation for local government units across the Visayas under the agency’s Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program.
The vehicles were turned over to 10 local government units (LGUs) during a ceremony held at Toyota Mabolo branch on June 25, as part of the Marcos administration’s continuing efforts to strengthen healthcare services in underserved communities.
The ambulances will serve the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
“So, we are now distributing ambulances per province in the Visayas region to wit; Provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor,” said Yvonne Bala, Toyota Mabolo sales manager, in an interview during the turnover.
Each patient transport vehicle is based on the Toyota Hiace Commuter Deluxe and comes equipped with a stretcher, oxygen tank, wheelchair, blood pressure monitor, first-aid kit, and medicine cabinet, Bala said.
She added that Toyota Mabolo has completed deliveries of patient transport vehicles to various cities and municipalities nationwide under the PCSO program.
Bala said local government units continue to prefer Toyota vehicles because of their durability, reliability, and ease of maintenance, particularly in remote areas where access to specialized repair facilities is limited.
“All of the recipients chose Toyota because of its durability, reliability, and if you are going to bring these vehicles to the provinces, it would be easy to maintain, even like a local mechanic knows how to maintain a Toyota vehicle,” she said.
PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles said the agency has been conducting a series of turnover ceremonies across the Visayas under the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program, with Toyota Hiace units serving as the primary patient transport vehicles supplied through Toyota Mabolo.
Robles noted that Toyota Motor Philippines also pledged five Next-Generation Tamaraw units converted into ambulances for the PCSO and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Lab for All” program in October 2024. While the Hiace has been the main platform for the agency’s patient transport vehicles in recent years, some donations are now transitioning to the new Tamaraw platform.
Bala said Toyota’s reputation for quality, durability, and reliability—qualities the company refers to as the “Toyota Sure Advantage”—has made its vehicles well-suited for the program’s mission of serving far-flung communities.
Former PCSO general manager Royina Garma, likewise, cited Toyota’s vehicles for their suitability as patient transport units, noting that the Hiace and Tamaraw platforms are designed to withstand challenging road conditions while remaining easy to maintain because replacement parts are widely available and repairs can be performed by mechanics across the country.
According to Toyota, local government units receiving the vehicles will also have access to the company’s nationwide dealership network for maintenance and after-sales service, including preventive maintenance scheduling through the myToyota app. The support network allows recipient LGUs across the Visayas to have their vehicles serviced without transporting them to Metro Manila.
Toyota said the Hiace Commuter Deluxe and Tamaraw platforms are designed to provide comfort for both patients and medical personnel while navigating remote communities. Their high-roof design, wide doors, and flat flooring allow easier loading of stretchers and greater mobility for healthcare workers inside the vehicle.
The automaker has supplied more than 300 Hiace units to the PCSO since 2021 before the gradual introduction of the Next-Generation Tamaraw into the fleet. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said the vehicles can continue serving communities for years provided that LGUs properly maintain them.
Bala said the long-term value of the patient transport vehicles lies not in speed or luxury but in their ability to remain operational under demanding conditions.
“Toyota Tamaraw / Hiace ticks all those boxes, which is why PCSO keeps ordering them,” Bala concluded.
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