PAGCOR donates patient transport vehicle to Philippine military academy

The donation is the first of 246 patient transport vehicles the agency will distribute to local government units and organisations.

The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has donated a patient transport vehicle (PTV) to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). The donation was made at the PAGCOR Corporate Office in Pasay City.

Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR’s CEO and chairman, said the vehicle is the first of 246 PTVs set for distribution to local government units and organisations “to help enhance the country’s healthcare system.”

He said: “On behalf of PMA Superintendent Admiral Valencia, we thank PAGCOR for this donation,” Col. Batalla said. “This will greatly benefit our cadets and personnel who need urgent medical transfers to bigger tertiary hospitals.”

The PTV features a GPS navigation system, an ambulance stretcher, medical oxygen, a wheelchair and a first aid kit.

Earlier this month, the regulator pledged financial support for the construction and upgrade of facilities at the PMA. During this year’s PMA Alumni Homecoming ceremony, Tengco said the agency will help build a new Candidate Control Liaison Office, a modern warfare laboratory, more facilities for the PMA Sports Complex and patient transport vehicles.

The Candidate Control Liaison Office at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Center compound in Quezon City, is where successful PMA applicants undergo a complete physical exam before entering the academy in Baguio.

Contributions from PAGCOR in the past have included a PHP105m grant in 2012 for the PMA Sports Complex. In 2019, Solaire’s Bloomberry Cultural Foundation donated an extra PHP80m to repair cadet barracks that were beginning to deteriorate.

PAGCOR and its licensees also financed the construction of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center Magiting Veterans Wing, a PHP53.22m dormitory for watchers at V. Luna Medical Center, and a Multi-Purpose Office Building for the PMA Alumni Association.

PAGCOR CEO defends Philippines’ Special Class Business Process Outsourcing companies

On February 19, Tengco reaffirmed his support for the country’s Special Class Business Process Outsourcing (SCBPOs) companies. During a speech, Tengco said the SCBPOs provide “thousands of quality jobs for Filipinos” and that PAGCOR will continue its advocacy.

He said: “We recognise the immense contribution of the SCBPOs in creating thousands of jobs for our countrymen, and we thank our foreign investors for recognizing the unique talent of our workers who provide excellent outsourced services for them.”

Tengco said SCBPOs are like ordinary BPOs that support business operations but are licensed by PAGCOR because they cater to gaming companies abroad. He said: “The only difference from regular BPOs is that SCBPOs support the operations of legitimate gaming companies overseas, many of which are listed firms, by providing human resource, marketing, graphic design, accounting and other back office work.

“We also make sure that the SCBPOs are not directly engaged in gaming operations such as taking or soliciting bets.”

In November, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) director Winnie Quidato warned that some companies had disguised themselves as business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to evade the ban on offshore gaming operators.

See also: PAGCOR opens two new socio-civic centres in Maragusan and New Bataan

The donation is the first of 246 patient transport vehicles the agency will distribute to local government units and organisations. The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has…