LG Brings Emergency Ambulance to Laguna Community after years without dedicated transport

• Contributed photo

Residents of Barangay Galalan in Pangil, Laguna, now have access to a dedicated ambulance after years of relying on motorcycles, private vehicles, and even garbage trucks to transport patients during medical emergencies.

LG Electronics Philippines formally turned over the ₱1.6-million project on September 22 under its “Life Saver on Wheels” initiative, the winning project of the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge.

The ambulance will serve the mountainous community, where limited transportation options have long made access to emergency medical services difficult, particularly for residents living in remote areas.

Barangay Galalan is approximately 20 kilometers from the nearest hospital, according to Pastor Ramil Repolido, one of the project’s proponents and the designated ambulance manager.

In Sitio Gisgis, one of the barangay’s farthest communities, residents must carry patients using a duyan, a traditional hammock-like sling, along mountain trails before reaching a road accessible to vehicles.

The journey alone can take between 45 minutes and one hour, delaying access to medical transportation.

“No ambulance trips are made there,” Repolido said. “Most of the time, we see motorcycles, cars, or bicycles and even a garbage truck. That’s what the patients are forced to use.”

The new ambulance is expected to improve the barangay’s emergency response capability by providing a dedicated vehicle for transporting patients to healthcare facilities.

Unlike previous arrangements that depended on the availability of private transportation, the ambulance will be stationed at the barangay hall and managed locally.

Repolido will oversee its operations, while a driver from the barangay health office will handle transportation. The Rural Health Center will also provide coordination support for emergency and first-aid response.

The barangay is planning to establish a dedicated parking area to make the ambulance more accessible and allow faster dispatch during emergencies.

Felix Arbol Jr., a member of the Barangay Council who supported the project proposal, said the vehicle would address one of the community’s most pressing healthcare concerns.

“If we have an ambulance, we are willing to go to the hospital at any time, any day, as long as it’s an emergency,” Arbol said. “We don’t have to worry about transportation anymore.”

Community-led healthcare initiative

The ambulance project was selected under the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge, an initiative supporting community-proposed solutions to local challenges.

This year’s program prioritized medical assistance and education, particularly projects addressing maternal and child welfare.

LG Electronics Philippines Managing Director Nakhyun Seong said the company selected the ambulance project because of its potential to provide long-term benefits to the community.

“If you want to support a long-term cause, an ambulance is exactly that. Emergency response is something a community needs for the long run, and that’s a priority for LG,” Seong said.

The company has supported community-led initiatives through the LG Ambassador Challenge since 2019.

Seong said LG also hopes the ambulance will benefit neighboring communities experiencing similar difficulties in accessing emergency healthcare.

“At the heart of LG, there is warmth and understanding,” Seong said. “That’s what we want to bring to people, by helping and by supporting those who can improve innovation in their own communities.”

For Repolido, who has conducted missionary work in Barangay Galalan for two decades, the project represents a significant improvement in the community’s ability to respond to medical emergencies.

LG said its future community-support initiatives will continue to focus on children, education, and healthcare, particularly in communities where access to essential services remains limited.