THE nagging complaint of patients and the chiefs of government hospitals in Bohol themselves that their ambulances are no longer roadworthy will finally be a thing of the past. This after the provincial government procured 12 ambulances for each of its 10 devolved hospitals, as well as the Don Emilio del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay town and the Bohol Medical Care Institute (BMCI) – a diagnostic center – in Tagbilaran City. Gov. Erico Aumentado availed of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office-Local Government Unit (PCSO-LGU) Ambulance Procurement Program thru the 60-40 sharing scheme. He said the painstaking follow-ups on his request to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to provide new ambulances for Bohol paid off when PCSO, through its chair Sergio Valencia, allocated 12 for the province. The key to the allocation, he said, was Bohol 's preparedness to put up the required counterpart funds in the manner now known as the “Aumentado signature” –convergence strategy.

Duly authorized by the Provincial Board under Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera through Resolution No. 2009-455 dated September 29, 2009 , to represent the province in the procurement of the ambulances, the governor remitted to PCSO P4.272 million under Official Receipt No. 627348 as counterpart to the former's P6.408 million for the 12 Foton View model 2009 4x2 ambulance vans. In its Resolution No. 927, S. 2009 dated July 1, 2009 , the PCSO as “an act of liberality and generosity” voluntarily and freely gave unto the province the 12 units including accessories – the release and turnover being covered by the corresponding memorandum of agreement (MOA). As with previous vehicles including the Mitsubishi Rosa coaster that the province acquired last year, Aumentado has strict instructions that these be used only for the purpose allowed and following the guidelines the PCSO established for the project.

Under the MOA, the LGU pays for the three-year Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Comprehensive Vehicle Insurance and registration for which the province paid P395,734.72, said Assistant Provincial Treasurer Primitiva Ontong who is concurrently the governor's executive assistant on financial matters. Ontong represented Aumentado in the turnover rites Thursday at the PCSO Complex in Quezon City . Subsequent registration and insurance fees shall be borne by the recipients. Aside from the del Valle Hospital and BMCI, these are the Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital in Talibon, Cong. Simeon Toribio Memorial Hospital in Carmen, Teodoro B. Galagar Memorial Hospital in Jagna, Cong. Natalio P. Castillo Memorial Hospital in Loon, Catigbian District Hospital, Francisco Dagohoy Memorial Hospital in Inabanga as well as the hospitals in Candijay, Clarin and Maribojoc towns and the President Carlos P. Garcia Memorial Hospital in its namesake island municipality. The ambulances will be driven to Bohol by the hospitals' respective drivers through President Arroyo's Strong Republic Nautical Highway.